The HGTV Show 'Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?' Was Filmed in a Historic Texas City
While most of the homes on ''Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?' were built in the 1960s or '70s, the show was filmed in a well-known Texas city.
Updated Feb. 14 2024, 1:16 p.m. ET
Every homeowner's worst nightmare is purchasing a house that ends up needing unexpected major renovations. That's where home renovation expert (and Survivor: One World Season 24 winner) Kim Wolfe comes in. As the host of HGTV's series Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?, Kim is on a mission to ensure that disappointed homeowners end up loving the houses that they bought.
But where exactly are these homes that Kim and her husband are fixing up? Where is Why the Heck Did I Buy This House? filmed? A few hints: The city has a lot of history, a basketball team that has won multiple NBA championships, authentic Mexican restaurants, and down-home barbecue joints with the juiciest brisket. Keep reading to find out!
Where is 'Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?' filmed?
Why The Heck Did I Buy This House? features homes in need of an overhaul in the city of San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio is famous for being the home of the Alamo, the fated Spanish mission that served as the site of a pivotal battle for Texas independence in 1836.
Prices for homes in San Antonio are relatively reasonable, but the weather in Texas can be frigid one day and blazing hot the next. (Air conditioning is a must.)
Kim is a longtime resident of San Antonio. She told KTSA News that she used her winnings from Survivor: One World to buy a fixer-upper in the historic neighborhood of Monte Vista. "I was overly optimistic thinking it would be a super smooth transition and it was terrible — almost relationship ending — but we learned a ton through it and wanted to keep doing it.”
Most of the homes on 'Why the Heck Did I Buy This House?' were built in the 1960s or '70s.
According to the same KTSA article, six of the seven San Antonio-based homes featured on Season 1 of Why the Heck Did I Buy This House? were built in the 1960s or '70s.
According to an official episode synopsis on HGTV, some of the home renovation challenges Kim faced in the first season included redesigning a cramped house, dealing with an outdoor compound with asbestos floors and dangerous electrical outlets, and much more.
According to an interview on the HGTV website, at one point during filming, Kim was dealing with all seven home renovations at once. Overall, filming took a total of 24 weeks, but there was one point where all of the renovations converged.
Looking back though, Kim was grateful for one aspect of the overwhelming amount of work. "It takes a village," she told HGTV. "I mean, there were so many good people that came alongside us that pitched in, people we didn't even know we needed that showed up. Honestly, it was humbling to need so many people."
Someone buy this hard-working woman a breakfast taco!
You can watch Seasons 1 and 2 of Why the Heck Did I Buy This House? on most streaming platforms.
