Flipping a house is nothing like HGTV shows, according to people who've done it. From 4-month delays to doubling your budget, here's what it's really like

• House flipping isn't all reality TV makes it out to be.
• Flipping houses can be rewarding and a good investment, but you should be prepared for unexpected problems, budget increases, time-inducing mistakes, a longer renovation timeline, and issues selling on the market.
• Here's what house flipping is really like, according to those who've done it.

"Flip or Flop"— it's not just the name of one of HGTV's most popular home-improvement shows but the reality of house flipping.

Buying a home, renovating it, and reselling it can be a hit or a miss. If it's the latter, you best be prepared for a financial hit.

But that's not preventing people from flipping houses. American homeowners flipped 217,000 single-family homes or condos in 2017, the most in 11 years, reported Ronda Kaysen of The New York Times, citing real estate data company ATTOM Data Solutions.

But flipping houses isn't as easy as reality TV makes it out to be — or as quick. We talked to several people who have been through the process of flipping a house more than once, and many said the real-life timeline of house flipping is longer than depicted. The consensus? You need to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances, especially going over budget. 

You're also bound to learn the hard way from mistakes. One house flipper spent a grueling amount of time scraping wallpaper off her kitchen, while another didn't check how laminate flooring fit together before purchasing it, resulting in complications when it came to laying it down. 

And then there's the housing market. Sometimes, a flipped house will take longer to sell or won't sell for as much as you anticipated, decreasing your profit.

But that's not to say house flipping can't be rewarding — or a good investment — especially if you love doing it.

Here's what house flipping is really like, according to house flippers themselves.

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House flipping involves buying an investment home, renovating it, and reselling it quickly to make a profit.

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You can make serious money if all goes well, but it's not a surefire way to get rich. There are a lot of details to house flipping that can get overlooked.

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In fact, house flipping isn't what HGTV makes it out to be. Here's what it's really like, according to those who've done it.