Review: Hidden Potential
Written By Rick Ellis, Sunday, October 1st, 2006

Experts will tell you that when you're planning to be a "previously owned" house, it's important to look beyond the cosmetics. Ignore those ugly carpet or broken fixtures, and try and imagine the potential underneath. It's something most home buyers won't do, and because of that, it's a great way to get the perfect house at a discount.

But that's easier said than done. It's tough to imagine a house being perfect for you when you're staring at a room that looks as if it was decorated by Dr. Seuss.

HGTV's new series "Hidden Potential" seeks to make that process easier by giving homeowners a bit of help looking past the ugly.

The premise is pretty simple. In the episode I previewed (which will actually be the fourth episode to air), a mother and daughter were wanting to move into a bigger house. They wanted to stay in the same basic area of Northern New Jersey and had a budget of about $600,000. That was a bit of a problem, since they were also hoping to find a three bedroom house, and the average price for houses with three bedrooms is between $700,000 and $800,000.

"Hidden Potential" host Peggy Bunker shows the pair three houses which are on the market for much less than $600,000. But there are good reasons they have remained unsold. They have awkward layouts, ugly tile and carpeting or lack a master bedroom and bath.

In each case, architect/designer Barry Wood views the house with them, and then presents them with a computer-generated 3D rendition of the changes he would make and what the house would look like at the end of the project. Even better, while the changes in some cases are extensive (including adding rooms and gutting kitchens), the total cost of the house and the remodeling is still within the family's $600,000 budget.

The show offers a nice twist on the typical home remodeling show, and the final results really give viewers a sense of the possibilities available when you can look beyond the surface features of a house.

It also helps that the on-air cast is stronger than the typical HGTV series. Host Peggy Bunker has done a number of shows in the past for everyone from TLC to Court TV, and her experience shows on camera. She's comfortable, casually sexy and a delight to watch.

Architect/designer Barry Wood also offers a strong addition to the mix. His presentation skills are charming and helpful and a nice change from the typically dry TV architect.

"Hidden Potential" is a nice, solid addition to the HGTV lineup. It's not gimmicky (like "What's Your Sign Design?"), and viewers that watch the show will not just be entertained. They'll be reminded that when it comes to the house of your dreams, it pays to look beyond the obvious.

"Hidden Potential" premieres on Sunday, October 1st, 2006.