Where Does David Bromstad Live When He's Not On HGTV?
HGTV star David Bromstad has built a lucrative career out of finding perfect homes for others, but in 2021, he was ready to turn the spotlight on himself. The designer and winner of "HGTV Design Star" decided it was time to search for his own dream property and, of course, HGTV was there every step of the way. The journey was documented in a 2021 special titled "My Lottery Dream Home: David's Dream Home," which followed Bromstad and his friend, Greg Stotthunt (who kept him grounded), as they hunted for the perfect house.
In the episode, fans watched Bromstad stick to the advice he has for all prospective home buyers: Get pre-approved for a mortgage, make sure you actually like the home you choose, and don't sweat the small stuff. "Do not care about wall color, or wallpaper," Bromstad told The List. "Look at big structures, look at kitchens and bathrooms." And that's exactly what he did.
In the end, he chose a five-bedroom, four-bathroom Tudor property, which he'll be the first to admit was not what he had envisioned. "Was it anything I was looking for originally? No. Not at all," he told the outlet. "It was exactly the opposite." The price was also a lot more than he had wanted to spend. Despite setting a budget of $900,000, Bromstad splurged $975,000, per Velvet Ropes, because the place just felt right. Here's where David Bromstad lives when he's not busy filming for HGTV.
Inside David Bromstad's fabulous first home
It may come as a surprise to fans, especially given his job hosting "My Lottery Dream Home," but house hunting was a foreign concept for David Bromstad. "This is the first house I've owned on my own," he told Realtor.com. The reality star first chose his dream city -– Orlando -– because that's where his best friends are. It's also close to his parents who retired in The Villages. He then honed in on the exact spot where he wanted to shop, telling Orlando Sentinel in 2020, "I have it narrowed down to one street in College Park where you can experience urban living with a small-town feel."
In the end, he pivoted to the nearby Winter Park neighborhood, per Velvet Ropes, and snapped up a 2,866-square-foot property. The spacious house features an open concept, blending living and dining on the main floor. It also boasts a pretty home office with a view out onto the backyard –- complete with a pool! –- plus spacious walk-in closets, five bedrooms, and four bathrooms. As a bonus, much of the home was newly renovated and didn't need any structural work.
What it did need was some signature Bromstad pizazz. "It's going to be delicious, tasteful, bold, but yet really comforting," he told Realtor.com. Indeed, he instantly started planning to overhaul the neutral color palette. As he told HGTV, he was going all in on bright paints and flashy wallpaper and planned to "add a few little zhuzhey things to make it delicious."
David Bromstad's (long) journey to finding his dream home
Turns out house shopping for others is a lot easier than doing it for yourself. David Bromstad actually decided he was ready to find a forever home in Orlando around 2017, but he didn't want to feel pressured. "I wasn't going to rush into anything," he told HGTV. "I wasn't going to do anything emotional." So he started with a temporary apartment, which turned out to be not so temporary. "I was supposed to be there for less than a year and I was there for three and half years," he mused. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he realized he was ready to commit. "There are so many motivations behind it: Desperation, need, current interest rates, like, it just felt time," he said.
Even so, it took Bromstad a year to find his dream home. "I wanted the house to hit me over the head," he explained. And while he oscillated between wanting a fixer-upper and a turnkey property, he eventually went with the latter. "The network said, 'You're going to be really busy the next few years, so do you want to live in a house that needs to be completely gutted?'" he teased.
Luckily, it was worth the wait. "It's such a special and unique place, and every time people come in, the vibe here is so cool and chill," he gushed. So much so, he doesn't want to leave. "Will I ever sell this house? I don't think so," he admitted. "I think this is going to be a generational home."