Home improvement TV is a very particular cocktail: one part actual design skill, one part charisma, and one part hair that can withstand drywall dust and stage lights. The best personalities can transform a fixer-upper and make you want to hang out with them after. The worst? Well, they might still be fun to watch, but you’re not exactly inviting them to lunch. We’ll be ranking these TV personalities on a very thorough scale—ranking from 1-5 in the following categories: talent, hair, whether I’d want to share a plate of nachos with them (vibes), and scandal-factor.  

10. The Entire Concept of “House Hunters” 

OK I know that “House Hunters” isn’t a person, but it acts like one, so it is going on the list. HH is like that friend you only tolerate in small doses. They’re fun but it's honestly more annoying than charming. Every episode features a couple bickering over open-concept kitchens while demanding a “charming Victorian with granite countertops” for the price of a studio apartment. Iconic? Yes. But would I want to sit down and grab lunch with them? Absolutely not.  

9. David Visentin (Love It or List It) 

David is the charming realtor half of Love It or List It, but he’s not exactly swinging a hammer, so he sits on this list lower than his design counterpart. He plays smug well, he’s got decent hair, and he’s funny in his back-and-forth with his co-star. But skill-wise, he’s mostly just walking people through houses and telling them how much he wants them to sell it. I could do that and be much funnier. I also don’t have anything to say about his hair except that his hairline is in the exact middle of his head. That’s all I’ll leave you with. Lunch with David would probably end up being a lecture about mortgage rates while I consider the ways in which I could take his place on the show. 

David doesn’t do much for me personally, which is why I have him at #9—he's all vibes. But I can’t really rank any of his designs because he doesn’t work on that side of the market (on the show at least).  

8. Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade (All Star Flip) 

These two make it tough to rank them so low but I’m nothing if not an honest judge. Do I love them as celebrities? For sure. Do I want to hang out with them? Desperately. But as home improvement TV stars? Let’s be honest—All Star Flip feels like a one-off passion project, not a career move. Gabrielle is an icon and Dwyane’s cool factor is undeniable, but in terms of actual design chops? They’re on this list purely based on the vibes. 

I can’t find ANY photos of a before and after of their designs, but this is one of the bedrooms they “designed”. And I say designed very lightly because they pretty much just threw a rug down and bought a bunch of pillows. Peep the recessed lighting though. That’s a bonus point for sure. But you know what I mean right? It’s all beige and white. There’s no color in the whole space. And the matching lamps? I don’t know, it’s just meh.  

7. Hilary Farr (Love It or List It) 

Hilary doesn’t hog the spotlight, but she’s steady, smart, and brings a calm energy to the chaos. And TBH, I prefer her over her partner David. She’s not flashy in her personality, but her designs are solid, and her advice is always practical. She feels like the friend who gently talks you out of making bad decisions. Lunch would be nice—wholesome even—but maybe a little too sensible for my taste. I would say “Hilary, you need to loosen up! Let's get mimosas!” and she would probably tell me that those days are behind her, and she needs to “take care of her body”. Yuck.  

Like, look at this. This is gorgeous. I would venture that this is one of Hilary’s best designs. The green cabinetry with the centered minimalist art/seating? Incredible. I love the tables and the sconces, but I don’t love open shelving. It’s just not practical in my opinion and collects way too much dust. I would also add more color in those art pieces, but that’s just a personal preference.  

6. Ty Pennington (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) 

This man was my hero as a kid. I wanted him to turn my bedroom into a Pokémon paradise (I still kinda want that). Ty once ruled the home makeover world with spiky hair, a megaphone, and that bus catchphrase that made us all cry. But his star has dimmed a bit, and scandals (like that DUI...woof) took some shine off the “feel-good” brand. Still, the guy has energy. Lunch with Ty might feel like you accidentally got roped into an infomercial, but I would do it if it means I can pitch my Pokémon themed apartment to him. 

I know that not all of Ty’s designs are this extreme, but these are the ones that I remember the most from the show. A kid says, “I like to skateboard” and now their whole bedroom is skateboard themed. I just imagine that this 9-year-old will end up being a 19-year-old still living at home in this skate park bedroom. Wild.  

5. Alison Victoria (Flipping Across America) 

Alison is sharp, polished, and she has the best hair on this list in my opinion. She knows her stuff and has built a solid HGTV brand. Unfortunately, I can’t rank her any higher purely based on hair because she often found herself tangled up in legal drama and contractor disputes. But to her credit, she makes for fun TV, which is why she’s sitting pretty at #5. Lunch with Alison would either be incredibly inspiring… or end with me nervously reading the fine print on the check to make sure I’m not about to foot a $500 bill. 

One thing about an Alison Victoria build is that she LOVES an accent wall. And you know what girl? Me too. And I like her use of statement lighting in most of her designs. But again, everything is so neutral and beige that I can’t give this anymore praise. 

4. Orlando Soria (Build Me Up) 

Orlando is purely at spot #4 because of his personality. He’s witty, sarcastic, and can pull off a one-liner while demoing a wall. His designs are colorful and fun, and his sense of humor would make any hang feel like happy hour. His show never hit “Fixer Upper” levels of fame, but honestly? Vibes carried him this far up the list so I think more people should tune into his content. Plus, he has an impeccable sense of fashion.  

I know that bright colors and loud wallpaper isn’t everyone's vibe, but it’s Orlando’s and he doesn’t shy away from boldness. I appreciate that about him. I’ll say again that I don’t like open shelving, but I can forgive one negative in a space like this.  

3. The Property Brothers (Drew and Jonathan Scott) 

We all love the Property Brothers, but I can’t put them any higher because the next two steal the show. Drew does the real estate, Jonathan does the manual labor, and together they’ve turned into a home improvement juggernaut. Their hair is good (sometimes too good...so we’re not ruling out that they might be robots), their banter is… fine, if not a little rehearsed, and their show is consistently entertaining. There have been some lawsuits tied to renovations which keeps them from the top 2, but I’d still grab lunch with them and let them redesign my living room. 

They spend a lot of time and energy making everything cohesive without being too matchy. There are pops of color and varying height levels all across this room. Plus, who doesn’t love a good ceiling beam? 

2. Bobby Berk (Queer Eye) 

Bobby is the backbone of Queer Eye. Period. While the others focus on pep talks and hair gel, Bobby is literally redesigning and rebuilding entire spaces in like...a day and a half. Without him, Queer Eye would just be a show about making someone feel good about themselves for half a week. His design skill is unmatched, his hair is flawless, and his vibes are warm and approachable. Plus, after speaking out about being underappreciated on the show, I’d gladly take him to lunch just so he can vent and spill all the tea over tacos (Bobby please call me and I’ll put you at #1). 

Bobby works so hard reimagining peoples’ spaces and turns them from borderline unusable to show stopping, extravagant, livable homes. His kindness and his skill put him at this spot because, come on...Look at that room. 

1. Chip and Joanna Gaines (Fixer Upper) 

I don’t love the modern-farmhouse aesthetic that we often find with our #1 champions, but Chip and Joanna are the undisputed king and queen of HGTV. Joanna’s clean designs paired with Chip’s goofy energy make them a duo that feels as real as they are aspirational. Their Magnolia empire is massive, but they still come across like people you’d want to invite over for dinner. They honestly seem like cool folks. And for being such huge names in the industry that have almost no scandals, barring a few speculated marital issues, but to be honest, a little bickering would make a get-together with them so much more fun. 

The thing about Fixer Upper that puts them at the #1 spot is that they aren’t just redesigning a space. Chip and Joanna are Taking the foundations and bare bones of a home and completely flipping it on its head—turning abandoned shacks into actual, good-looking houses. This takes a level of skill that goes beyond matching color swatches against hardwood floors.  

Final Thoughts 

At the end of the day, this might be divisive to some because home improvement TV is as much about charisma as it is about countertops. And even though I have an undeniably comprehensive rankling system, all of this is subjective. Do I think that Chip and Joanne are better designers than Orlando Soria? Sometimes. Do I think that Alison Victoria is only worth her rank because she has good hair? Maybe. Don’t take this too seriously and if any of these TV personalities read this, just know that my opinion can be easily swayed by a good meal.