On Windy City Rehab, Alison Victoria finds herself staring down the barrel of a Chicago-sized budget overrun. In “First Home, Forever Home,” airing Tuesday, December 17, 2024, on HGTV, a couple’s dream renovation on what they thought was an ordinary street turns into a financial nightmare. Seventeen years they’ve lived in this house, their first, and now they’re finally ready to make it their forever home. Enter Alison, stage left, with plans and enthusiasm. Exit Alison, stage right, clutching a newly discovered landmark designation and a $150,000 hole in the budget.
Turns out, charm and history come at a price. Who knew a street could be landmarked? (Well, probably someone should have known, but that’s the drama of reality TV, isn’t it?) This unexpected twist throws the entire project into jeopardy. Suddenly, those carefully crafted plans and Pinterest-worthy visions are up against a hard reality: a whole lot more cash.
The episode follows Victoria as she scrambles to find solutions. Does she scale back the design? Does she convince the homeowners to take out a second mortgage (or a third)? Does she stage a bake sale outside Wrigley Field? (Okay, probably not that last one.) The tension is real, the stakes are high, and the possibility of a beautiful renovation crashing and burning is palpable.
Meanwhile, in a subplot that almost feels like light relief compared to the main drama, Victoria continues her hunt for flippable properties. Because when you’re dealing with a six-figure budget overrun, the best thing to do is probably distract yourself with the prospect of buying and selling more houses. It’s a classic reality TV balancing act: juggling multiple projects, managing expectations, and trying not to pull your hair out.
Tune in to HGTV on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, to see if Alison can pull off a miracle, or if this dream renovation becomes a demolition derby of disappointment.
