They were college sweethearts with big dreams!

HGTV's 'Home Town': Ben and Erin Napier's Rise To Stardom

In a new interview, Ben and Erin Napier opened up about life before the HGTV show Home Town put them on the map! Here's how the couple got their start in home reno!

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Ben and Erin Napier may be starring in their own hit HGTV series now, but the Home Town couple came from humble beginnings! For People's latest issue, the Napiers shared how fixing up their dream home led to a career in reality tv renovation. "Since I was a kid, I always wanted to live in it," Erin said of the 1925 cottage in Laurel, Mississippi. So the couple got creative, embarking on a complete home makeover.

Since they were overhauling the whole house, they had to be resourceful when it came to their budget. "We didn't have a dime to waste," shared Erin. She documented the entire process from beginning to end, and the final product caught the attention of magazines, websites... and then an HGTV producer!

Napiers' home improvement show launched entire franchise

Ben recounted how he and Erin were shocked when an HGTV producer contacted them after seeing the home they'd fixed up. "She sent us an email and said, ‘This might sound crazy, but I’ve been stalking you on social media, and I’d like to put you guys on TV,'" Ben shared with People. "I was like, ‘Really? Why?'"

Their show Home Town became a huge success, currently in season 4 with a spinoff series, Home Town Takeover, that premiered in January of this year. It also resulted in two retail stores, a furniture line, and even a book. "We never expected this," admitted Erin. "Getting a TV show never even crossed our minds".

Ben and Erin Napier never expected their career in home reno

Ben and Erin's success story is also remarkable for another reason. Prior to their cottage renovation, neither of them had any formal background in construction or home design!

"The way it all happened was crazy,” says Ben. "It was never something we thought would turn into a career". And while the Mississipi-based couple have built a career, they've also been building a family, as they're parents to two-year-old daughter, Helen!

See Ben and Erin Napier's People magazine cover here!