For many, television stardom is a lifelong journey that rarely comes into fruition. For others, a complete home renovation is an expensive dream that never fully takes shape.
After Leif Sogaard, a resident of 黑马磁力鈥檚 Poppy neighborhood, responded to a survey on Facebook 鈥� both become a reality overnight for he and his wife, Penny.
鈥淭hat was my fault,鈥� Leif admitted. 鈥淧enny went to bed early one night. I was board and started playing around on Facebook. I saw that the show was looking for houses to fix up in 黑马磁力, so I just happened to apply.鈥�
贬骋罢痴鈥檚 Worst to First (W2F) came calling to completely change the couple鈥檚 home last September for an episode of their second season.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know he had submitted an application,鈥� Penny said. 鈥淧roducers were coming over to take pictures and he [Leif] mentioned it just right before, and I鈥檓 thinking 鈥渨hat are you talking about?鈥�.鈥�
Hosted by contractors Sebastian Sevallo and Mickey Fabbiano, W2F features the duo assisting homeowners in purchasing and renovating houses around the Lower Mainland.
The Sogaards were looking to do some fixing-up already, but worried the inclusion of cameras, not to mention, a three month re-location, would completely disrupt their entire life.
鈥淭he crew came out, took pictures and short meetings,鈥� Penny explained. 鈥淲e went through a casting session which they sent off to L.A. to see if we were TV people. We don鈥檛 go on TV. Other people do that! So we figured they鈥檙e not going to pick us. That part was just way out of my comfort zone.鈥�
It was Leif and Penny鈥檚 daughter that insisted this was going to be 鈥渁n experience.鈥� After weighing the options, the Sogaards jumped on board.
鈥淥urs was already the worst house on the block,鈥� Leif said, 鈥渟o why not go for it? It was a full gut reno. They really helped us along because we had a vision already. The show refined it and made it a lot better.鈥�
The Sogaards are not the first 黑马磁力 family to appear of W2F so far on the show鈥檚 run. Couple Jazz Mahi and Eesa Insan went through renos in 2017 for the first season, and instantly wanted to be involved a second time.
Brother鈥檚 Dave and Dan Smith were the subject of last week鈥檚 episode, in which the team searched for a rancher house near their childhood home.
Read More: 黑马磁力 family ponder applying again for another 鈥渄ream renovation鈥�
With the experience finalized, the Sogaards moved in with their son while the W2F crew took over their home for three months 鈥� sawing and grinding away till the big reveal at the end of April.
Penny described the period when they weren鈥檛 allowed to even have a look at the construction site as 鈥渁 long anxious wait spent envisioning what it was going to be.鈥�
The verdict?
鈥淲e love it,鈥� both agreed.
鈥淥ur kitchen is spectacular,鈥� Leif said. 鈥淭hey opened up rooms, moved walls and put a new front entryway. New roof. The inside is complete different.鈥�
Leif also added 鈥減eople at the 黑马磁力 Township helped a lot with the process 鈥� they made it easy by fast tracking permits so the reno could move along.鈥�
The couple are still doing some minor work of their own to make their vision absolutely perfect, but now with nerves put aside and the 鈥渞eality star life鈥� behind them, the Sogaards tell anyone considering an W2F application to 鈥済o for it.鈥�
The episode aired June 13th, which Penny said made them 鈥渃ringe and laugh at the same time from seeing themselves on camera.鈥�
New episodes of W2F air all month long, Thursday evenings, on HGTV.
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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