‘Property Lovers’ find their stride after HGTV pilot
Disaptch Special Sections | Friday, February 16, 2018
By JIM WEIKER Dispatch MeDia Group
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PJ and Thomas McKay will arrive in Columbus next week with a message: There is life after HGTV. Last summer, the couple, who call themselves the “Property Lovers,” filmed an HGTV pilot called “Down to the Studs” about renovating Thomas’ childhood home in Cleveland, Tennessee. The network did not pick up the show, but that doesn’t seem to have slowed down the pair. They are renovating two homes, pursuing a merchandise line, building an online presence and traveling across the country for appearances. Their travels will bring them to the Dispatch Spring Home & Garden Show on Saturday, where they will talk about filming an HGTV show, renovating homes and what it was like to be a gay couple to star in a reality show. The married couple knew the odds were against them when they filmed
the pilot. “HGTV airs something like 60 pilots a year, and only one or two end up making it, so we were disappointed at first, but we didn’t have any real expectation that we would be picked up,” said Thomas, 26, a designer. But their appearance nonetheless paid off. “It opened the door for so many opportunities,” added P.J., 31, a realestate agent who started flipping homes a decade ago. “Our social media has turned into a full-time job. We’re doing all kinds of collaborations with different companies such as Pottery Barn. We’re going to three countries to speak. It started out so small but it’s turned into a business.” The couple remain in contact with production companies and HGTV, which invited them to participate in an online show, “Clash of the Crafters.” The McKays will talk about life in front of the HGTV camera during their Columbus appearance, and pass
along lessons from their own home renovations and flips. “Sometimes TV makes it seem like such an easy business,” P.J. said. “You can just go out and in a few weeks earn a quick $50,000, but you have to know the business or you’ll lose thousands of dollars in your first flip. It boils down to whether the house is a good buy is not.” It also helps if the house is presented well after the renovations. Homes featured on the couple’s “Property Lovers” website demonstrate a pleasing blend of new and old style that doesn’t sacrifice warmth. “We really want the homes to feel welcoming and inviting,” Thomas said. “We don’t want them to feel like you can’t touch everything. We want them to feel lived in.” The McKays’ TV heroes are “Fixer Upper” couple Chip and Joanna Gaines. They admire the couple not only for their commercial success but also the way they portray a good marriage. Thomas and PJ were married in the
PJ and Thomas McKay of HGTV’s “Down to the Studs” will appear Saturday, Feb. 24, at 1 p.m. on the Simple Bath Home Stage. fall of 2015 and were proud to represent a gay couple on HGTV. “It’s the first time HGTV has aired a show with a same sex couple hosting it,” said Thomas. “It was cool to be featured in that role. Visibility is always important.”