We love a good home resale show, so when we heard that the latest installment in this growing genre was set in our hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, our interest doubled.
“Flipping Down South,” which premieres this Saturday on A&E, follows best friends and home renovators Paul Mielke and Cody Cummings as they try to revitalize a forgotten neighborhood in Birmingham while completing successful home renovations.
According to the show's trailer, Mielke is “the creative whirlwind who finds and designs each home,” while Cummings is “the money guy, making sure more cash comes in than goes out.” The duo will be joined by Matt Morgan, who oversees sales once the homes are ready to go on the market.
In addition to running a successful, profitable business, the duo has two main goals in each of their property flips: keeping the price of the end product affordable and turning shoddy properties into assets.
“We both come from working-class backgrounds, and affordable housing is priceless to us,” Mielke told Southern Living. “No matter what your budget is, you have the right to luxury items. Home is your base. It's a place to recharge, a place to love, a place to eat, and it should be special.”
But just because Mielke and Cummings are working within a budget (they try to keep property prices around $200,000 and often buy units for around $5,000) doesn't mean they make sacrifices in terms of design or amenities.
“Many of our homes were built after World War II, which means they were modest given the economic situation at the time and weren't built with much luxury,” Mielke says. “I love digging into some of our history and giving working-class people in 2022 the luxury they deserve! When it comes to design, my motto is 'go big, go big,' so I use a lot of color and unique finishes.”
With their new show, Mielke and Cummings also hope to introduce viewers to a side of the South they may not have considered before.
“One of the big components of our pitch to the network was that we wanted to show the world a different side of what it's like to live in Birmingham, Alabama and the South in general,” Cummings said. “Birmingham has world-class restaurants and breweries. Real estate is relatively affordable. There are unexpected job opportunities and growth. We believe Birmingham is a special place, so we wanted the opportunity to showcase that on a national platform.”
Of course, like any good reality show, especially one that captures the ups and downs of home renovation, Flipping Down South has its share of drama. Cummings said the team is a “loud, aggressive, wild bunch from all different backgrounds” that would definitely make for good TV.
Mielke added that although he and Cummings are best friends, they are “complete opposites”, which explains many of the “fire and ice situations” on the show.
WATCH: Watch as one Alabama family transforms their first home into a permanent home
“We all love each other a lot,” Cummings said of the team. “I think team chemistry plays a big role.” [in the show]”
Flipping Down South Season 1, which contains five hour-long episodes, will premiere on A&E on Saturday, March 12th at 11am CST, and we can't wait to see what these talented flippers and super charming Southerners have in store for us.