You may remember the show Trading Spaces on TLC. It was hosted by Genevieve Gorder and featured two sets of neighbors decorating a room in each other’s homes. Well, Genevieve Gorder has traded in Trading Spaces for Netflix’s new vacation rental reality show Stay Here.
Genevieve Gorder, interior designer, teams up with real estate expert Peter Lorimer to turn homeowners’ short-term vacation rental properties into breathtaking, must-reserve rentals.
How it Starts
The show begins with Genevieve Gorder introducing the city they are going to visit to begin renovating the vacation property. She discusses the area and the attractions located within the city before introducing viewers to the reason they are there: the vacation property renovation.
Genevieve and Peter sit down and discuss the property before they visit the property and the owners. They devise a preliminary plan of how they should tackle the renovation.
The Owners of the Property
The owners of the property will be introduced and describe the reason they own the property and what their vision of the property is. They may discuss how much they purchased the property, the reason they are in over their heads, or what their monetary goal for the property may be.
Genevieve and Peter will walk through the property with the owners and comb through every detail of the property to decide what they have to work with and what they don’t. Genevieve and Peter will verbalize their visions for the property and discuss those visions with the owners.
The specifics of the property are discussed so that Genevieve and Peter know the exact measurements and details of the property they are renovating.
Genevieve and Peter will finish their meeting with the owners by showing them similarly comparable properties in the neighborhood and what those rental prices are. Once they have discussed the comps and their vision or theme for the property, Genevieve and Peter will bring in a crew to begin the work.
The Demolition Process
In any renovation, you will need to make things worse before you make them better. This portion of the process is known as demolition. Demolition is where you take out the pieces of the property you want to replace. This can be cabinets, countertops, and walls.
The demolition process can be a cleansing process for some, as you are taking a sledgehammer and literally hitting these surfaces.
Purchases

As the demolition process is underway, Genevieve may take the owners shopping for them to pick out certain appliances, features, or amenities to add to their property. After all, the homeowner is attempting to make their vacation rental the best among the rest, so Genevieve may suggest adding certain elements to the property to boost the guest’s stay.
Genevieve will personalize every touch of the vacation rental home down to the linens on the bed. She makes sure the owner understands the emphasis of these investments.
Meanwhile, Peter will discuss guest satisfaction and first-impressions with the owners.
Peter and Genevieve’s combined expertise of home design and guest satisfaction makes them a tag-team of success.
Professional Pictures and Local Flair
Another expert element that Genevieve and Peter bring to the table is their ability to market the property to catch the guest’s attention. They may bring in a professional photographer to take pictures of the owners to step up their professional image.
In addition to new headshots, the photographer will also take professional pictures of the property itself. Professional pictures can increasingly appeal to a guest over low-quality images.
If Genevieve and Peter have decided on a theme for the rental property, they may suggest the owners visit a local restaurant or attraction that an out-of-towner may visit. By doing this, the owners can suggest, from experience, where to visit while you are in the area.
Meanwhile…
While the owners are taking new pictures, visiting local areas, and discussing details with Genevieve and Peter, the crew has completed the renovations within the property.
Once the renovations have completed, Peter and Genevieve will lead the owners back to their property to show them the big reveal.
Catering to Guests
The difference in Stay Here on Netflix than Trading Spaces on TLC is the customization of the house to fit the guests’ needs.
One of the most common short-term rental concepts is a keypad front lock. Most guests will not want to have to factor into their trip making a pit stop to get the key from you. With a keypad front lock, you can simply include the keypad code in the arrival instructions, and the guest will not have to meet you for any reason.
Advertising the Listing
Peter will put his real estate expertise to the test in the final touch of the episode. Once the property renovation is complete and the pictures have been taken, Peter will help put the right words in the listing to catch the reader’s eye. He will utilize alluring words, like “newly redesigned,” “luxury,” “oversized,” and “pristine,” in his description of the property.
Why You Should Watch Stay Here
If you are considering listing your vacation home, or if you already have, there are a number of tips and tricks you can take away from Stay Here on Netflix.
Genevieve shows the owners how to make personalized touches and small investments to step up the design and functionality of the vacation home.
Peter will take his expert real estate management and apply it to the new property listing. You can take a page from his book by understanding the importance of professional pictures and descriptive depiction of the property.
Netflix’s Stay Here is a new twist on property renovations. With so many homeowners choosing to take a property and rent it for short-term vacation rentals, Stay Here shows owners the best way to breathe life into your vision.