FARGO — Buying a house for the first time is a memorable moment for anyone.
One local couple made the experience even more memorable by going through the process with a camera crew.
Alexis Engelking and Aaron Gnoinsky will see themselves on the screen in Sunday night’s episode of HGTV’s “ House Hunters .” Better yet, they’ll be watching from the comfort of their new home.
“It’s one of the best experiences I have ever had,” Engelking says. “We were offered to do an episode and I immediately said ‘Yes.’ That’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s something new and exciting.”
The episode was filmed in October.
ADVERTISEMENT
The couple was looking for a house with a three-stall garage for their motorcycles and three bedrooms for them, her son and her office. They also needed a big primary closet.
“I have a lot of clothes and shoes, according to Aaron,” she says.
To help them find their dream home, the couple worked with realtor Aruna Hagen and her sister Poonam Budhiraja of Advantage Inc. Realtors.
This will be the third time in a year one of the sisters has been a featured realtor on “House Hunters.” Hagen was previously featured in an episode in June and Budhiraja appeared on the show last March.
“I strongly believe they like the overall package including my knowledge, interaction with the clients, and most of all our F-M area,” Hagen says when asked why she thought the program has come to film in Fargo-Moorhead so often recently.
The couple met Poonam at an open house she was hosting.
“At that time, we didn’t have a realtor. We were just dipping our toes in and wanted to get a feel of what the market was like and what houses were going for. We were very new to this process so we had no idea what to do next,” Engelking says. “Poonam sat down with us for a good half hour and talked about the steps from start to finish. We then signed a contract with her and Aruna, and then Aruna kind of took over from there.”
The couple found homes they were interested in, but they either didn’t have everything on their wish list, were too expensive or sold before they could make an offer.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We never really fell in love with anything. This is a big investment so the decision wasn’t something we wanted to make instantly,” she says.
While the home-buying process can be stressful, she didn’t have any problems going through the procedure with a camera crew watching.
“I am a very big extrovert when it comes to meeting people. Aaron is not. I welcomed them as my own family and friends. Aaron and I made lifelong friends with the crew. They are amazing and very interesting people,” she says. “There was nothing that I didn’t feel comfortable saying. I am a very blunt person so I just say what I feel and it also shows on my face. My potty mouth got me in trouble a few times but that’s what editing is for.”
She won’t give any indication which house she chose, but says she’ll be happy to watch Sunday night’s episode from her own home.
“It’s a Sunday evening at 9 p.m. so I feel like with kids and school, a watch party probably isn’t in the books. However, I think I am going to do a Zoom call with my friends and family so we can all watch together,” she says. “This will be our first time seeing the episode just like everyone else. I am very nervous and anxious to see how they put all the footage together and made it into a show.”
“Buying a home is a major decision in a person's life as a home can have an effect on a couple's relationship, finances, emotions, lifestyle, and much more,” Hagen says. “Having a chance to be on a famous show, locking these beautiful memories on camera that can be seen in the future by generations, is a great opportunity in my opinion.”
On TV
What: “House Hunters”
When: 9 p.m. Sunday, March 5
Where: HGTV
ADVERTISEMENT
The Trust Project
