Unsellable Houses Fans Question The Decor Decisions In The Dog House Renovation

Some pretty shocking homes have been featured on HGTV's "Unsellable Houses" since its debut in 2019. From hoarder houses to severely outdated condos, the show's twin hosts — Lyndsay Lamb and Leslie Davis — have seen it all. In Season 4, Episode 9, the sisters faced a home that had been entirely overrun by dogs, complete with an indoor unfinished wood fence immediately inside the front door. From the sunken living room to the dog-scratched flooring, the sellers were desperate for help.

While the hosts managed to transform the home into a stunning boho-style ranch that sold for over its asking price, some fans were left a bit baffled by the duo's décor choices. Why? Let's just say no decorative skull, cowhide rug, or macramé wall hanging was left behind. If you've ever been left scratching your head after watching an episode of a home renovation show, there's a good chance you can relate to these "Unsellable Houses" viewers. 

When a show centers around drastic, dramatic home makeovers, one truth is undeniable: Strong opinions are to be expected. In the case of this "Unsellable Houses" episode, this was certainly the case. While surely no one expected the twins to leave the home's unsightly dog damage or dangerously steep front steps intact, the end result evoked some marked criticism from fans.

At its core, the house's new open-concept design was widely embraced by viewers. The sheer amount of décor that was chosen for staging the home to sell, however, was where things took a turn for fans. Viewers immediately took to Reddit to vent their frustrations, especially with the master bedroom, which featured a basket gallery wall as a headboard. "Those baskets are going to get so dusty and hanging over the bed when you sleep — gross," expressed one commenter. "I wish they would ditch two thirds of the knick-knacks and fake succulents and bread boards, so we can actually see the design upgrade."

Another commenter remarked, "Oh that master bedroom! It was ridiculously packed with so much stuff you couldn't really even see the room." Bringing home the community's disdain for the sisters' more-is-more décor style, an additional Redittor shared their opinion on the "Dog House" renovation, stating, "[L]ess can definitely be more. I thought the house was over-decorated. There was too much rattan/wicker and too much macramé." 

The over-the-top décor displayed in the "Unsellable Houses" episode "In the Dog House" is far from a one-off phenomenon. The subreddit dedicated to HGTV features many posts disparaging the show's tendency to pack homes full of unnecessary decorative items when staging — each with a plethora of affirming comments. One such Reddit post pointed out the following excessive décor items in just one episode: a standing room divider in the dining room, oversized placemats too large to fit on the dining table, and a vase filled with feathers inside the shower.

The comments on the post unanimously agreed with the original poster's sentiments. One poster added, "Much like that old adage (was it Coco Chanel?) about looking at yourself in the mirror before you go out and then taking two pieces of jewelry off, they could cut about 30% of the décor." Another complained about the hosts' love for plants, sharing, "[M]y husband and I like to play a (fake) drinking game every time we see a plant in their staged home. So many we can't even keep up." Whether or not these fans enjoy the way the show stages the homes they renovate, one fact remains: They continue to watch.