How a house once scrawled with graffiti and packed with clutter was transformed into a UWindsor staffer’s dream home will be featured on the HGTV show Hoarder House Flippers, airing Wednesday.

Alumna Deidre Ritsche (BA 2008) and her business partner, Stephanie Bradt, real estate agents and co-creators of Border City Living, took on the Riverside-area project in 2022, giving the home a complete makeover from the inside out.

“We had to essentially gut the bathroom and kitchen,” Ritsche said. “We put in new custom finishes, all new windows, interior doors, and trim. We completely refinished the exterior — a big part of the transformation was the curb appeal.”

Each episode of Hoarder House Flippers follows a renovation team as they take on the task of restoring neglected homes across Canada. They dive into the hard work of clearing out items and breathing new life into these run-down properties, transforming them into stunning, in-demand homes.

The renovations on the Windsor house were thoughtfully executed, preserving elements of vintage charm while incorporating industrial-style updates.

“We just try to make people feel good about where they live,” Ritsche said. “We see the potential, and we like bold design decisions. It’s not just a cookie-cutter, for-profit house. We take risks with our design and take a very creative approach. Our aim is to show people what’s possible with houses that are maybe smaller or below the average price point.”

Viewers will see the demolitions, renovations, and design choices that impressed the renovators and won over future homeowner, Shelby Johnston, a digital media marketing and communications strategist in the Public Affairs and Communications department.

Two years ago, Johnston and her partner, both from the Chatham-Kent area, purchased the newly renovated home to be closer to the University, securing it just days after it was listed.

“We loved all the little details, design choices, and the fact that it was move-in ready,” she said. “The house has a cool retro feel with bold colours, but still timeless with modern details. They also replaced or updated almost everything, even the mechanical aspects. It wasn't your typical flip.”

Johnston, who had a preview of the episode, said her house being featured on the show now gives her a new “fun fact” to share at every corporate meeting.

“I was completely shocked when I saw the episode. It was great to see the ins and outs of the transformation, especially since all we knew before the renovations was the Google Maps image and what we’d heard from neighbours,” she noted. “It’s really interesting to see where it all started and compare that to how it looks now.”

When Johnston and her partner first went to look at the house, she said it was staged with pieces from local boutiques and featured artwork and antiques from Windsor and Detroit, all available for purchase.

“There are so many unique things that made us fall in love with this house, that we love sharing during our home tours. They even thrifted pieces from Detroit that we ended up being able to keep. It’s a fun story that these pieces are not only vintage but also featured on the show,” Johnston said.

Ritsche hopes the local love shown to the home will shine through in the episode and cast a positive light on Windsor’s potential.

“We’re uniquely positioned to have this thriving community with beautiful properties that, in the broader context of Canada, remain quite affordable. It’s about the transformations we’re making — taking homes that others might consider teardowns and turning them into something beautiful,” she said.

Catch the transformation on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 9 p.m. on HGTV Canada and Global TV, or stream it on StackTV via Amazon Prime.