Patrick Robinson and his fiancée, Jannory Guido, dropped by Ikea in West Sacramento to buy some pillows and browse. Three days earlier, they had moved into their first home - a bank-owned foreclosure in Sacramento's South Land Park Hills.

They are now juggling dozens of fix-it projects along with planning their November wedding, and their to-do list fills a large bulletin board in their half-painted, bare-bones kitchen.

While debating colors for pillow covers, the couple were ambushed in the aisle by an upbeat fix-it man - with a camera crew in tow.

"I've got a sledgehammer... and I love demolition," chirped TV host Josh Temple with a smile, ignoring the camera and microphone trailing his moves. "Got a wall I can knock down?"

"Yes!" the couple answered in unison. "Wait," Guido said with a mix of shock and surprise.

"What just happened?!"

It's "House Crashers," a new home-improvement show debuting Aug. 5 on the DIY network.

Produced by Sacramentobased Idea Factory, "House Crashers" follows the successful format of its sister show, "Yard Crashers." Now in its fourth season, "Yard Crashers" hosts waylay shoppers at home-improvement stores, then follow them to their house for a whirlwind makeover of their outdoor space.

"House Crashers" moves the makeovers inside. So far, the transformations have included a new kitchen, a media/family room, a living room, a garage/workshop and a master bedroom, with more in the works.

Both shows are shot almost exclusively in the Sacramento area.

"Sacramento can be anywhere USA," says Idea Factory founder Peter Holmes. "There are so many different architectural styles, so many different neighborhoods. We could be anyplace, and that's what our network partners like."

And the kicker? These makeovers are free. "It's like winning the home improvement lottery," says producer Theresa Wells. Potential participants don't learn that part until after agreeing to allow Temple and company to come to their homes.

"The camera softens the intrusion," Holmes says. "If Josh walked up to you and said, 'Take me home,' you might call security. But we're all tuned into TV." Temple's easygoing persona helps his pitch.

"It's about trust," Temple explains. "It's hard for me to believe in this age of reality TV that people don't realize something is going on right away. But that's part of the fun."

Adds coordinating producer Jody Pribyl: "Josh is so charming. People have a hard time saying no. That's a problem for us.We need some rejection. Conflict makes better television."

Walking the aisles of Ikea, Temple reels in likely targets - customers too caught up in shopping to notice the camera. His banter sounds friendly and disarming.

"What are you shopping for today?" he asks another couple as they walk toward the escalator.

"Kitchens," says Micah Weinberg, a policy thinktank researcher, a little wary of this walk-up interview. "And a lot more," adds Amy Weinberg, his wife. Like Robinson and Guido, the Weinbergs just got their first home. Two weeks before, the couple and their 14-month-old son, Jack, moved into a house in Sacramento's River Park neighborhood.

Except for a master bathroom and family room, little had been done to the two-bedroom house in its previous six decades. Their to-do list far exceeds their budget.

"The house has good bones," explains Micah, "but a lot of issues."

"Got any tools?" asks Temple, with an impish smile.

"I've got tons of tools. Why don't I bring my tools to your house and work on your kitchen?"

"Are you a contractor?" asks Micah, becoming a little alarmed. "What's this going to cost?"

"You've got to help," says Temple, enjoying the game. "And yes, I am a licensed contractor."

That's part of Temple's qualifications. With his wife, Lisa, he gutted and completely remodeled his Los Angeles home. While Josh pursued his TV career, the Temples later built a new home from the ground up and worked on other home construction projects.

"I started in heating and air-conditioning in San Francisco," said Temple, a Merced native. Then a friend talked Temple into trying out for a commercial. That led to more acting jobs.

Call The Bee's Debbie Arrington, (916) 321-1075.