HGTV's Hilary Farr leaving 'Love It or List It' after 19 seasons

After 19 seasons of renovating homes on HGTV’s Love It or List It, Hilary Farr, 70, has decided it’s time to step away and “embrace new challenges.”

“I’ve given it so many years of my life,” the interior designer told People. “It’s got me through hard times. It’s got the audiences through hard times. It has evolved into a mainstay of people’s lives and it’s been incredibly gratifying. But now it’s time for me to move on and meet new challenges.”

Farr began her stint on the HGTV show in 2008 and has remained a favorite among fans for her ability to make magic with homeowners’ long must-have lists and small budgets.

Meanwhile her counterpart, realtor David Visentin, 58, searches for a new house for the homeowners in hopes that by the end of the renovation the only thing they’ll want to say is “list it!”

Although news of Farr’s decision is only coming out now, she says she made the decision about a year ago when it came time to film the show’s 20th season.

“I realized that everything that I am as a woman, which is [that I] look for challenges, look for inspiration, look for new ideas, be excited about all the possibilities that are out there, had really needed to bloom and to find their way,” she said. “I told everyone I’m done.”

But not everyone believed her, including Visentin.

“I thought that everyone had accepted it, but they hadn’t.”

She found herself rethinking her decision, but ultimately decided it was time to move on.