Several Houstonians recently joined one of the most beloved home renovation television shows to give a Cypress family a new beginning.
For ABC’s reboot of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, homebuilder Taylor Morrison, its local and national trade partners, and 2,000 Cypress-area volunteers came together to help a family in need by building a brand-new home from the ground up in under one week.
“Philanthropy runs through our veins as an organization, and the Houston team was incredibly inspired to bring the community together during the build process,” said Todd Rasmussen, Houston Division President at Taylor Morrison. “Building dream homes is what we do every day at Taylor Morrison, so it's a natural fit for us to do just that for a local family as part of this iconic show.”
The teams assisted a family in the Mason Woods community that lost their home and one of their family members due to a devastating fire, shares Michael Heyerman, Executive Producer of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Senior Vice President of Unscripted Original Series, Endemol Shine North America. “They are a genuinely deserving family worthy of the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition experience,” Heyerman said.
Originally featured on HGTV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is recognized for its uplifting stories about remodeling the homes of families who have experienced hardships. For ABC’s version of the show, deserving families will receive a newly built home from Taylor Morrison that is tailored to the family’s individual needs. “Taylor Morrison's fantastic reputation and willingness to step up and help families in their communities made them the perfect partner for the show. They share a passion for the series and the incredible new talent we are showcasing,” Heyerman said.
Produced by media companies Endemol Shine North America and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, the new season’s hosts, expert home organizers Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit, meet with each family to help them transform their home and lifestyle. Rasmussen explains that Taylor Morrison got involved with the show through an existing partnership they have had with The Home Edit since 2023. The homebuilder and the home-organization company teamed up for the “New Home, New Zones” video series, which helped buyers settle into their new homes by easing the stress that comes with moving – all while adding some fun and function into the process.
Taylor Morrison serves as the first-ever exclusive homebuilder for the series. Starting with a successful pilot episode in Hutto, Texas in September 2023, Taylor Morrison has also built several other homes for families. This includes two new homes in the Brookland Park community in Auburdale, Florida to support two local families, among others. “Most recently, Taylor Morrison is building a brand-new home in its La Mira community in Mesa, Arizona, for a local deserving family,” Rasmussen said. “Add an approximately 2,000 square foot community center to the recently built community of homes in Gilbert, Arizona, where Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center patients and their care partners stay free of charge during their treatment.”
Heyerman shares what led the series to the Cypress area for its new season. “It's a beautiful part of the country and a wonderful place to live, but the ‘who’ is even more important than the ‘where,’” Heyerman said. “We found everything Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is about in the recipients of the Cypress build: a heroic family with heart, who dedicate their lives to improving the community and its people.” Although the show does not have any plans to film in other locations in the Houston area, Heyerman said they hope to return in the future. “We had a wonderful time here, and we’re so grateful for the community's support in giving a brand-new home to such an incredible family,” Heyerman said.
The Cypress episode was filmed on Saturday, August 17 through Friday, August 23. It will air during the 2024-2025 season of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, premiering on ABC, and will be available for streaming the next day on Hulu.
“This unique experience has been enormously rewarding for everyone involved,” Rasmussen said. “It has been inspiring to see the entire community, from Taylor Morrison team members to trade partners, local businesses, and resident volunteers, come together for such a worthy cause and help a family within our own community. The teamwork, optimism, and positivity has been a true joy to be a part of.”
2,000 Cypress-area volunteers came together to help a family in need.