House Hunters – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

House Hunters

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show1999

42%

WISE Score

Adults tour three houses, pick one, repeat for 25 years. Safe? Yes. Riveting for kids? Absolutely not.

House Hunters

show

TV-G, 1999

42%

WISE Score

Adults tour three houses, pick one, repeat for 25 years. Safe? Yes. Riveting for kids? Absolutely not.

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Screenwise Verdict

House Hunters is the television equivalent of beige paint. It's perfectly safe, utterly predictable, and will not harm anyone who watches it. It's also spectacularly boring for children.

The show has been running since 1999 with the same basic formula: three houses, mild spousal disagreement about granite vs. quartz, a decision at the end. There's no story, no stakes, no creativity. For parents, it's pleasant background noise. For kids, it's a sedative.

The WISE score reflects this reality: high marks for safety and wholesomeness, but rock-bottom scores for imagination and enrichment. If your kid is genuinely interested in real estate or interior design, there are far more engaging ways to explore those topics. If you need something safe to have on while you fold laundry, this works. But as intentional media for children? Pass.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says age 2+, which is technically true since there's nothing unsafe here, but realistically, no kid under 10 will voluntarily watch this unless they're trapped in a waiting room. This is comfort TV for adults who like predictable, low-stakes content—not something kids will seek out or enjoy.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

House Hunters presents a calm, drama-light format focused on real people making real decisions. The tone is generally positive and cooperative, showing couples and families working together (or navigating compromise) around a major life decision. No toxic behavior, manipulation, or interpersonal conflict beyond mild 'he wants a man cave, she wants a kitchen island' debates. The pacing is steady and predictable—soothing background TV rather than chaotic stimulation.

Imaginative

This is not a show that sparks creativity or invites exploration. It's a formulaic reality series with a predictable three-house structure and minimal narrative variation. There's no world-building, no storytelling craft, no invitation to imagine or build. It might inspire some kids to think about what they'd want in a home, but that's a stretch—it's mostly passive viewing of adults touring properties and discussing square footage.

Safe

Exceptionally safe content. Common Sense Media rates it for age 2+, and there's nothing here that would surprise or disturb a viewer of any age. No violence, no scary content, no inappropriate material. The only 'conflict' is whether someone will compromise on granite countertops. Available in kids mode on some platforms. The show is as benign as television gets.

Enriching

House Hunters offers mild educational value around real estate vocabulary, budgeting concepts, and decision-making trade-offs. Kids might pick up terms like 'open concept' or 'curb appeal,' and there's something to be said for watching adults navigate compromise and prioritization. However, it's not particularly enriching—no deep life lessons, no skill-building, no emotional growth. It's informational at best, numbing at worst. The entertainment value is also questionable for most kids; this is comfort TV for adults who like predictable formats.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Completely safe content—nothing here will surprise or disturb any age group
Introduces basic real estate concepts and vocabulary (budget, square footage, compromise) in a low-stakes way
Models adult decision-making and negotiation, showing couples working through priorities
Predictable format makes it easy background viewing that won't demand attention or cause concern

⚠

What to Watch For

This is mind-numbingly boring for most kids—it's designed for adult viewers who find comfort in repetitive formats
Zero narrative arc or creative spark; purely transactional content about property tours
The show has been running since 1999 with minimal format changes, so it feels dated and formulaic

Conversation Starters

"If you could design your dream bedroom, what would be most important to you?"
"Why do you think people have to make compromises when choosing a house?"
"What's something you'd never want to give up if we moved to a new place?"

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