Remember when Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was mostly known for pickles and backflips? It feels like forever ago. Back in 2016, she tried to pivot away from the "party girl" image by launching a home renovation series on the FYI network. It was called Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip. The premise was simple enough: Nicole and her husband, Jionni LaValle, would buy run-down properties along the Jersey Shore, fix them up, and sell them for a profit.
They weren't just doing it for the cameras either.
They used their own money. Jionni brought his background as a contractor to the table, and Nicole focused on interior design and "DIY hacks." It was supposed to be the start of a massive business empire. But then, after just nine episodes, it vanished. No second season. No big announcement. Just a quiet exit.
The Reality of Flipping at the Jersey Shore
The show arrived at a weird time. The Jersey Shore was still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, which hit in 2012. Nicole and Jionni actually focused on houses that had been ravaged by the storm. It wasn't just about making things look pretty; it was about "rectifying water damage" and redoing plumbing.
They bought their first project house in Brick, New Jersey, for $370,000 in November 2015.
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It was a total gut job.
Throughout the nine episodes, we saw them tackle specific areas: the "master suite meltdown," the "kidsroom showdown," and a very expensive kitchen renovation. Jionni worked with his friend Carmine, while Nicole brought in her friend and designer Josh Altman (from Million Dollar Listing) to help keep the first-floor budget from spiraling.
Nicole's design style was... well, it was very Snooki. She was big on "up-cycled" hutches, string art, and vintage suitcase shelves. She wanted things to feel "beach-themed" but also high-end, which led to a lot of friction with Jionni over costs.
Why the Show Didn't Last
So, why did it stop? Honestly, the ratings weren't exactly lighting the world on fire compared to the peak Jersey Shore days. FYI is a smaller cable network, and while the show had a dedicated following of Snooki fans, it didn't quite capture the massive HGTV-style audience.
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There's also the Jionni factor.
If you follow the Jersey Shore family today, you know Jionni is basically a ghost on Jersey Shore: Family Vacation. Nicole has mentioned on several occasions—and in various podcast episodes—that Jionni just doesn't like being on camera anymore. He deals with severe anxiety regarding the spotlight. Working on a show where your marriage, your money, and your construction mistakes are the central plot point is a lot of pressure.
Even though Nicole & Jionni's Shore Flip ended, the business side of that specific house was actually a huge success.
They didn't flip it immediately. Instead, they kept the Brick, NJ house for about five years as a summer home for their three kids. They finally sold it in January 2021 for $740,000. Considering they bought it for $370,000, they essentially doubled their investment. That’s a massive win in the real estate world, even if it took a few years to realize the profit.
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A Look Back at the Episode List
- Return to the Shore: Buying the first property and tackling the attic.
- Master Suite Meltdown: Arguments over the size of Nicole’s closet (obviously).
- Kid-Room Showdown: Nicole goes to LA for a book tour; Jionni is left with the construction and the kids.
- Only the Best for Snooki’s Guest: Renovating the guest suite.
- Waterfront Escape: Focusing on the exterior and backyard.
- Friction on the First Floor: Josh Altman steps in to help with the budget.
- Wet and Wild for Carrara: High-end marble bars and granite fireplaces.
- Kitchen Conniption: Shipping delays and last-minute stress.
- Flip or Flop: The big open house.
The Legacy of the Flip
Nicole didn't give up on design after the show ended. She eventually hosted Beach Cabana Royale for HGTV and continues to run her "Snooki Shop" boutiques, which lean heavily into the aesthetic she developed during the FYI series.
Interestingly, they moved on to an even bigger shore house in Toms River, which they bought for around $865,000. It seems the "flip" was more of a stepping stone for their personal life than a permanent career in reality TV home improvement.
If you want to revisit the show, it's still floating around on streaming services like Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. It's a fascinating time capsule of the "rebranded" Snooki—less "party at Karma" and more "worried about Carrara marble."
For anyone looking to get into home flipping today, the lessons from the show still hold up.
- Watch the water damage: Especially in coastal areas like Jersey, structural integrity matters more than the paint color.
- Budget for delays: Shipping issues and material shortages happen to celebrities, too.
- Know your partner's limits: Mixing business with marriage on camera is a high-risk move.
If you're interested in checking out the property today, you can look up the real estate records for the house in Brick, NJ, that sold in early 2021. It stands as proof that despite the show's short run, the couple actually knew what they were doing when it came to the "shore flip."