Plot Synopsis

Inspired by their Instagram feed, in this half-hour reality series, Ethan and Elizabeth Finkelstein tour low-priced older houses across America and ultimately choose which ones to feature on their famous site. During each walk through, Ethan and Elizabeth share stories of the homes' historical significance and architectural uniqueness. Relying on Elizabeth's background as a historic preservationist as well as the couple's shared passion for saving old property gems -- and with the help of 3D graphic renderings -- the pair imagine what the houses could look like with proper restorations. They also visit beautifully restored homes formerly featured on their Instagram account. To start the season, Ethan and Elizabeth scour online real estate listings to plan their latest road trip to upstate New York in order to check out two cheap old houses listed for just over $100,000. Traveling in Old Blue, their vintage cheap old truck, they drive to Amsterdam to tour a large 1900s Victorian home with a detached carriage house and then on to Fort Plain to see a huge 1850s home with a 1950s retro vibe. During their travels, Ethan and Elizabeth also stop in Greenwich to visit a saved old schoolhouse that has been meticulously restored. CHEAP OLD HOUSES premiered on Monday, August 9, 2021 from 9-10pm ET/PT with back-to-back episodes on HGTV:

"Time Warp in Upstate New York" (9pm): While in New York, Ethan and Elizabeth visit a 1850 Italianate with a jaw-dropping midcentury interior and a 1900 Victorian with its original details. Then, they tour a 1850 schoolhouse restored by a father-daughter team with a connection to the building.

"Peoria: Cheap Old House Heaven" (9:30pm): Ethan and Elizabeth head to historic Peoria, Illinois, to explore a 1890s Queen Anne Revival hiding original woodwork and windows. Then, they check out a 1900s Dutch Colonial Revival with pocket doors and visit a 1908 Tudor restored with modern design.

In addition to airing on HGTV, the first four episodes of Cheap Old Houses will be available to stream on discovery+ early on Aug. 9 as a special preview. After the initial launch, two additional new episodes of Cheap Old Houses will drop early each Monday on discovery+ through August 30.