Plot Synopsis

Designer and real estate developer Alison Victoria heads to her home town of Chicago to restore vintage homes, where high-risk investments, messy renos and big payoffs are the name of the game. WINDY CITY REHAB is a one-hour docuseries that follows Alison as she spends megabucks to score fixer uppers in the city's historic neighborhoods, and rehab these homes with contractor Donovan Eckhardt. WINDY CITY REHAB premiered on New Year's Day 2019 (Tuesday, January 1) at 9pm ET/PT on HGTV. In the series opener, "Wabansia Made Wonderful," Alison and Donovan take a huge risk when they buy an oddball, boxlike house from the 90s. A flooded basement is just the beginning of a myriad of problems they encounter, so Alison must find a way to bring big design to a house that's rapidly hurdling over budget while still turning a profit.

The sophomore season of WINDY CITY REHAB premiered on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 9pm ET/PT on HGTV. In five, new 90-minute episodes, Alison continues her work to transform historic fixer-uppers, she must manage a strained business relationship, contend with permit delays and battle stop work orders. During the season, unprecedented setbacks put the skilled designer's reputation and livelihood on the line, but Alison loves her city and won't give up without a fight. Despite dealing with multiple unexpected challenges, Alison is all in to restore older homes in the community. To attract high-end buyers, she relies on her resourcefulness and design expertise to create gorgeous homes with modern layouts and luxurious style. In many cases, Alison adds local character to each property by including such features as vintage fireplace mantles, antique mirrored closet doors and salvaged furniture pieces turned into bathroom vanities. In the season opener, "Spend More to Make More," Alison and Donovan are denied a loan for a new property and are forced to shift their focus on finishing a new construction that slipped through the cracks. Alison must finish the project quickly and get to the bottom of why it stalled in the first place.

WINDY CITY REHAB returned for its nine-episode third season on Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT on HGTV. Season 3 follows a re-energized and resilient Alison who, after weathering personal and professional challenges, dives into a new life chapter with optimism and renewed purpose. During the episodes, Alison takes on invigorating new renovation and design projects in Los Angeles and Atlanta as well as in Chicago. One new episode highlights a project that sat untouched for two years during the pandemic. The dilapidated four-unit apartment building in a desirable part of town needs a full renovation and a quick sale in order for Alison to repay an investor. Facing a serious time-crunch, supply-chain delays and more, Alison gets creative to find materials, install innovative design elements and save the property's unique features. Future episodes feature her inspirational journey to explore many of her various life options, including working with her brother on an apartment flip, focusing on her design business and visiting Greece, her ancestral country. In the season opener, "Time Is Not on My Side," Alison is determined to finish one of her last few investor projects, a four-unit apartment building. After two years of setbacks and facing a time crunch, she gets creative to find materials, save the property's unique features and repay her investors.

Season 4 of WINDY CITY REHAB debuted on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT on HGTV. Alison Victoria continues to overcome every renovation obstacle to deliver innovative and gorgeous homes for her clients located in the Windy City and beyond. In the premiere episode, "Take Two: 10 Years Later," 10 years after Alison designed their kitchen, her friends are back for a second round, but this time it's for their entire house. The project turns tense when their contractor cuts corners, delaying the project and pushing their budget to the max. After a two-month break, WINDY CITY REHAB returned with new episodes on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT on HGTV. In this new episode, "Better Than Christmas," Alison jumps in to save a family that's about to give up on their dream of owning an 1890 home in Little Italy. She stretches the budget to include a fireplace in the living room, a modern chef's kitchen and a stained glass door to the main bathroom.
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On Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 8pm ET/PT, HGTV premiered "First Home, Forever Home," the Season 4 finale of WINDY CITY REHAB. A couple who's been in their first home for 17 years are ready for Alison to give it a fresh look. But when they find out their house is on a landmarked street, the budget takes a $150,000 hit. Meanwhile, Alison still looks for ways to flip.