Ep 1. Of Wreck and Ruin

Tarek and Christina return for season 4 of Flip or Flop with their first episode titled "Of Wreck and Ruin." The episode begins with the duo scouting a new property to flip, an abandoned home in a historic neighborhood of Santa Ana, California. The house is in complete disrepair, with broken windows, holes in the walls, and a roof that’s caving in. Tarek and Christina assess the damage and estimate that they can purchase the property for around $400,000 and put in an additional $80,000 in repairs.

Despite the eye-watering cost of the repairs, they decide to take a chance on the house and purchase it. Tarek leads the project management while Christina works on the design and aesthetic work on the house. Their aim is to make it look brand new and irresistible to potential buyers while sticking to a $480,000 budget. Tarek is confident that they can flip the property within 45 days, but Christina believes that there are too many structural issues to complete the project within that timeline.

As always, the couple must work together to ensure that the renovations are done on time and budget. One of the biggest issues they face in the episode is the discovery of water damage throughout the house, which affects the foundation, framing, and electrical system. To fix this, they must first remove the drywall and ceiling, exposing the wires and pipes. They then work to repair the water damage using a combination of new pipes, sheathing, and an added support beam in the basement. This takes more time and money than initially planned, slowing down the renovation process.

Despite this setback, Tarek manages to stay positive and keeps pushing the team to keep the project moving. To make up for lost time, he takes on some of the work himself, tackling tasks like painting, installation of tiles, and even the landscaping to keep the job site moving forward smoothly.

Meanwhile, Christina works on the aesthetic aspects of the house, with a specific focus on the kitchen. She chooses a sleek, modern design with white cabinets, marble countertops, and a white subway tile backsplash. She also adds a custom island with an integrated sink and a unique waterfall edge design, which she hopes will attract potential buyers.

Throughout the episode, audiences see Tarek and Christina battle it out over the budget, with Tarek tightening the purse strings to ensure they don’t exceed their budget while Christina pursues the look she wants. While on the surface, this may seem like a typical disagreement over budgets, the couple's previous legal issues and personal problems make this push and pull of their business and personal relationship more dramatic than just an issue of finances.

In the end, viewers are left waiting to see if the couple can finish the project on time and within budget, and what kind of profit they’ll secure. Will they add another successful flip to their portfolio, or will they experience a flop? You’ll have to tune in to see if their risk-taking investment in the property will ultimately pay off in the first episode of Flip or Flop season 4, titled "Of Wreck and Ruin."