While film crews aren't allowed to film homes or individuals without consent, their presence did put a damper on the normal way of life for many on the block. A police squad car blocking traffic access to the street when the HGTV stars flew in for "Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge" was just the beginning. Security was also positioned around the home all day, every day, to ensure people out for a jog weren't taking photos of HGTV's newest production set. In the beginning, neighbors didn't even know the network's plan for the home, as the series was kept under wraps.
But soon, the fact that it was associated with the blond plastic doll was blatantly obvious. The mailbox was suddenly pink, and a mammoth plastic handle was affixed to the roof. As construction carried on, so did the film crew's requests. According to an interview in The Ringer, one neighbor "was mowing his lawn, and they told him he had to stop." The neighbor replied that he mowed his lawn on the same day each week, to which the film crew said, "' Nope, not today you're not.'" Babysitters and gardeners were barred entry, but monstrous, heavy equipment regularly barreled up and down the roadway.
Eventually, some residents reportedly began trying to push back against the film crew, loudly playing music outdoors when they knew cameras were rolling. As the home became pinker and pinker, nearby neighbors worried about the value of their property sinking lower and lower.
