Behind the Scenes of HGTV's Top of the Block: What Hamilton Buyers Actually Value

By Doug Muir, Muir & Co. Realty

A few months ago, I got a call I wasn't expecting.

HGTV was casting a new Canadian series called Top of the Block and they were looking for a top-rated Hamilton realtor with a strong online presence. That ended up being me.

The show runs for a full season, and my episode is called Bungalow Battle. Three homeowners on the same block put their homes head-to-head while neighbours and a real estate expert walk through and evaluate each property on design, function, and value. One home gets crowned Top of the Block.

I was the only Hamilton realtor featured in the season, which made it mean a little more.

What It's Actually Like Filming an HGTV Show

I went in expecting a heavily produced TV environment. What surprised me was how real the conversations actually were. The homeowners were genuine, and the discussions happening off camera felt a lot like the ones I already have with buyers and sellers every week.

I also underestimated how long it takes to film a single episode. We spent hours at each property, which gave me time to walk through the homes the same way a buyer would on an actual showing, paying attention to layout, flow, functionality, and how each home would compete in the real Hamilton market.

The Part That Stuck With Me

My role on the show was to evaluate what actually adds value from a buyer's perspective, meaning what a future buyer would realistically pay more for, not what cost the most or what the homeowner personally loved.

There's almost always a gap between what homeowners emotionally value and what buyers financially value, and that gap matters more than most people realize. Homeowners naturally attach to the upgrades they invested time and money into. Sometimes those upgrades absolutely help resale value. Sometimes they barely move the needle. Meanwhile, buyers are usually focused on fundamentals: layout, natural light, flow, functionality, and whether the home feels easy to live in. That's why two homes with similar square footage and the same number of bedrooms can still sell tens of thousands of dollars apart.

The market is rarely judging homes the same way homeowners do.

Why Design Still Matters

One thing the show reinforced is that design absolutely matters. People connect emotionally to homes before they start analyzing numbers. Good design creates momentum, generates interest online, and gets buyers through the front door.

But the homes that perform best are usually the ones where design, function, and value all work together. That balance is what buyers are actually responding to, even when they can't fully articulate why.

Why This Matters Specifically in Hamilton

Hamilton is not one single market. A bungalow in Dundas is evaluated differently than one in east Hamilton. The mountain behaves differently than downtown. What adds value in Westcliffe might not matter nearly as much in Stoney Creek.

That's why broad real estate advice can sometimes be misleading. A good Hamilton realtor understands neighbourhood differences. A great one tells you where not to spend money before you make the mistake.

Where to Watch

Bungalow Battle (Episode 17) is available on HGTV Canada and streams on Apple TV and Citytv+. And a little secret: I appear more than once throughout the season as the real estate expert evaluating homes. Click the images below to check out my Instagram post about the show and my After party! HGTV announcement:

Showing Party:

If You're Thinking About Buying or Selling

The most important real estate conversations usually happen before the listing goes live, before the photos, the renovations, or any money gets spent. If you're three to six months out from a move in Hamilton, that's the window where the right conversations matter most. Reach out anytime and I'm happy to give you an honest read on where your home sits in today's market.

Cheers,

Doug Muir

Muir & Co. Real Estate Services