With HGTV’s newest show, DC Flippers, they’re giving viewers major home goals and love goals at the same time.
The couple behind the fantastic real estate flips you’ll see on the show are husband and wife duo Rob and Ati Williams who are taking their love for each other and all things home renovation to the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
We talked to the couple about their new show (which premieres Jan 8 at 2pm) and how they balance being married business partners.
What can viewers expect from the show?
Ati: I think the other cool thing about our show is that we are going to very much have a focus on things that you can do at home, for yourself, at your house. It’s not just pretty, but it’s … You know, we have some practical tips in there. We’re just really excited that HGTV’s doing a show in an urban setting as well, and especially in D.C.
How did you get started in the business?
Ati: I got started before I met Rob. I had a little row house in Upper Marlboro. I was 23 years old. I got a cute little townhouse in Upper Marlboro, and my friends would not visit, because they were out in the city. After six months, I decided to put the place back on the market and I was able to actually turn a profit. All I had done was paint and replacing the carpet and planting a few flowers in the front. When I sold the place, I made $31,000 after holding the place for six months. At that point, I was working a regular nine to five job and I was like, “Wait, $30,000 and my regular nine to five job and I just made $31,000 from paint and carpet. Something’s got to be thought through, here.” Initially, our plan was always to just buy places to hold and so even when I met Rob, and we did our first renovation together which was four months into us dating.
Rob: That started my introduction real estate. I was working for the Marine Corp, and Ati said, “Hey, you know you’re looking to invest some money,” and was like, “DC rental properties are a great place to invest. Like, why don’t we buy a place and fix it up and rent it out together,” and, off we went.
What is it like working with your spouse?
Ati: Well I think what’s different is that we don’t have that whole like, “Don’t bring work home with you,” because we realize that there’s a lifestyle, being an entrepreneur, and there’s times when you know it’s family time and it’s very heavily family and fun time, and then there’s times when it’s work time. Instead of fighting it, that whole get work life balance thing, we just kind of have let it flow because I think initially we used to try and be like, “Okay, at 5:00 we can no longer talk about work stuff,” but it would just be It didn’t work out that way. I think the things that are successful for us is that we communicate well and the other thing is, we are very, very clear on who plays what role.
Rob: We both have our kind of lanes that we stay in and Ati’s in charge of doing all the design and picking out all the fixtures and appliances and finishes. Then I’m in charge of all the construction. I don’t step in Ati’s lane and she doesn’t step into my lane. That’s kind of how we’re able to make it work. We work together, but we both have very distinct and different responsibilities. We also just really kind of compliment each other. Ati is the big idea, dreamer, big picture person, visionary. I’m very much the detailed planner, scheduler, execution person.
DC Flippers airs on HGTV Sunday, January 8th at 2 p.m.