Ep 5. Elbow Room

In season 15 episode 5 of Love It or List It, entitled "Elbow Room," homeowners Christine and Frank are faced with a common dilemma in the world of home renovation: they love their neighborhood, but they are quickly outgrowing their current living space. Christine admits that their home just doesn't have enough "elbow room" for their family of four, and Frank dreams of a larger backyard where their children can play. Interior designer Hilary Farr and real estate agent David Visentin both step in to offer their expertise and try to convince the couple whether they should love their newly renovated home or list it and find a new place.

Upon initial walkthroughs of the home, both Hilary and David notice that the layout is a bit cramped. The kitchen is small and outdated, yet Christine and Frank both love to cook and entertain. The house only has three bedrooms, which is hardly enough space for their growing family. The backyard, while spacious, is not utilized to its full potential and has only a small deck, which doesn't provide an optimal space for family gatherings.

For her part, Hilary suggests certain changes to increase the elbow room in the home, starting with the cramped kitchen. Her plan involves knocking down a wall to extend the kitchen and create a more open layout, brightening the space with new flooring and cabinets, and adding a large island for food prep and family gatherings. She also envisions adding a dining table with easy access to the new outdoor entertaining space in the backyard. Additionally, Hilary suggests converting the garage into an office and play area for the children, thus adding one additional "bedroom" to the house.

David's approach, on the other hand, involves listing the house and starting fresh in a new home. He believes that Christine and Frank need more square footage and more bedrooms to satisfy their growing family's needs. Furthermore, he thinks that a new home will provide additional outdoor space for the family to utilize and for the children to play. David quickly starts to explore other available properties in Christine and Frank's current neighborhood, highlighting the benefits of modern homes that can provide much more room for the family to grow.

As the renovation process continues and David brings the couple to view new listings, Christine and Frank waver between sticking with a home they love and need to make more functional or leaving their comfort zone for something new. The tension between Hilary's design ideas and David's real estate finds leads to more turmoil for the couple as they try to make their decision.

In the end, Christine and Frank weigh both options, recognizing the benefits of staying in a familiar neighborhood and having a newly renovated, beautifully designed home. They also take David's points about more square footage and outdoor space into consideration as they continue to make their final decision. In the dramatic final reveal, they must ultimately choose whether to love the home Hilary has renovated or list the property and set out in search of something that more fully meets their family's needs.

"Elbow Room" is another episode of Love It or List It that highlights the intricate balance between making a much-needed home renovation and relocating to a new space for more room. Both Hilary and David present strong arguments for their positions, and the outcome will surely leave viewers on the edge of their seats.