Bob Guiney Makes a Date With Home Sellers

Bob Guiney knows a thing or two about dating. As a contestant on the Bachelorette and on the fourth season of The Bachelor, Guiney proved his relationship chops. He’s also got a background in the housing market and once owned his own mortgage firm. The combination makes him the perfect host for TLC’s new show real estate show, Date My House.

The Date My House premise? Each week Guiney and designer Nadia Geller help home sellers get their homes ready for sale. Potential buyers are then invited to “make a date” with the home, and are able to spend additional time in the house — having dinner parties, barbecues or sleeping over if they want.

“It’s a great way for people to figure out if a house is really right for them,” said Guiney of the date idea. “In one of the first episodes, for example, one of the couples was very sensitive to noise, and they stayed in the house overnight. They realized that an airport was nearby and the noise would disturb them.”

Getting homes into “date shape” can be tough though. “With some homes, it was like walking into a horror show. You may love your tiger skin on the wall, and your tribal masks, but it can be an immediate turn-off,” said Guiney.

Home sellers are having a hard time right now, because “the housing market has been so inflated and there’s an abundance of homes, but not an abundance of buyers. It’s a weird time for homeowners trying to sell,” said Guiney from his home in Los Angeles.

Guiney and his wife, All My Children star Rebecca Budig, are no strangers to the difficulties of buying and selling homes. The couple went through the process when they moved to L.A. two years ago and, says Guiney, a lot of the homes they viewed had similar problems to the ones on Date My House.

“We walked into 40 homes and with nearly every home we’d walk into it and walk right out. It’s all about the first impression. Unless you’re one of those people with an incredible vision — and I’m not — it’s hard to get past a homeowner’s personal style.”

Guiney’s advice for homeowners trying to sell? “Put your best foot forward and, at the same time, be yourself. Just like dating, overwhelming someone with everything the first time they meet you is not the best idea.”