There's no doubt that one of the best home renovation shows is HGTV's Fixer Upper, starring the charming husband-and-wife duo, Chip and Joanna Gaines. So, where are the iconic Fixer Upper homes now? And what's the real reason Fixer Upper homes are so hard to sell? Read on to find out!
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00There's no doubt that one of the best home renovation shows is HGTV's Fixer Upper, starring
00:06the charming husband-and-wife duo Chip and Joanna Gaines. If you've ever wondered whatever
00:11happened to some of Fixer Upper's iconic homes, you may be surprised.
00:16While there's no denying that Joanna Gaines loves the modern farmhouse interior design
00:20style, in Season 2 of Fixer Upper, she and her husband tackled a home that was a far
00:25cry from their typical style. The Mid-Century Modern was the perfect home for their friends
00:30Jill and Josh Barrett. The gorgeous house was the couple's first, and it turned out
00:34perfect. The home went from unkempt and dated to cool, open, and modern in a fresh, yet
00:39retro way. The Mid-Century Modern became instantly iconic in the world of Fixer Upper.
00:45Now, if you ever want to plan a trip to Waco, Texas, the house is available to stay in for
00:50$299 per night on Vrbo. According to the listing, it's still owned by Jill and Josh.
00:57Cameron and Jesse Bell own one of the smallest homes in Fixer Upper history. The shotgun
01:01house presented a significant challenge, but like almost every project that Chip and Joanna
01:06Gaines tackle, they nailed it. At barely over 1,000 square feet, the home is adorable, and
01:12the Gaines deserve the credit for taking it from shambles to fabulous. The tiny home was
01:16one of the last shotgun-style homes left in Waco, and the Gaines kept that in mind
01:21when renovating the loft-style house. However, although the shotgun house was a big hit,
01:26many questioned the hefty price tag when the Bells later listed the home for $950,000,
01:32despite it being appraised at only $132,010. The home didn't sell and is now listed on
01:38Airbnb, available to rent for $275 per night.
01:44On Season 3 of Fixer Upper, newlyweds Ken and Kelly Downs found their dream home in
01:49the Three Little Pigs house, an adorable cottage-style home in Waco. And while Chip and Joanna Gaines
01:54put in a lot of work to make the home a gorgeous place to live, the Downs and the home itself
01:59haven't had the best of luck since the family moved in. In 2017, a car crashed into the
02:04home, causing a ton of damage. At the time, Kelly blamed the Gaines team, saying that
02:09the location felt like the Wild West, and telling the Waco Tribune-Herald,
02:13"...we've lived here a year and a half and we feel deceived by the city of Waco and Magnolia
02:18Realty."
02:19Kelly went on to call their neighborhood and the entire experience a Fixer Upper gone bad.
02:24The home is now available on Airbnb, though it's listed under another host, so it appears
02:28that the Downs either sold it or listed it with the property manager.
02:33One of the most iconic homes on Fixer Upper was the Season 3 Barn Dominium, a literal
02:38barn that Chip and Joanna Gaines turned into a charming livable space. The home is stunning
02:43and totally original, but it's also caused some controversy since it was first flipped
02:47on television.
02:48The original owners of the Barn Dominium, Lexia and Todd Meek, had to move out of Texas
02:53for a work opportunity. Real estate investor Christy Bass then ended up buying the Barn
02:58Dominium, only to list it on Verbo for short-term rentals starting at $1,200 per night.
03:04However, due to neighborhood complaints and city council rulings, Bass ended up trying
03:09to sell the property. Currently, the home is listed on Airbnb under Bass' name, though
03:14the nightly price has significantly decreased. Perhaps Bass couldn't sell it, or the city
03:18council finally allowed her to rent it out. Whatever the case, the Barn Dominium is available
03:23to stay in for just $585 per night.
03:27On Season 4 of Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines took things to a whole new level when
03:32they renovated a houseboat for Brett Swartz, who wanted a cool place for himself and his
03:37children. Dubbed the Double Decker House, the boat turned out beautifully, and it appears
03:42as though Swartz was thrilled with the results. It appears as though Swartz is still the owner
03:46of the iconic houseboat, as he is listed as the host on Airbnb. The home costs $271 per
03:52night to rent, which is a pretty good deal compared to other former Fixer Upper listings.
03:57And there's no denying that staying on a houseboat is certainly a unique experience.
04:03Most house hunters who appear on Fixer Upper are couples or families, though there are
04:07a few widows or divorcees as well. But in Season 3, bachelor David Ridley found his
04:12perfect home. Called the Peach House, Ridley wanted a sprawling home because of the size,
04:18large yard, and proximity to the lake. Obviously, the house needed a lot of work, but naturally,
04:23Chip and Joanna took it from dated and cramped to open and modern. But Ridley's house wasn't
04:28exactly the star of the episode, as Chip quickly dubbed Ridley the most eligible bachelor in
04:33Waco, causing the episode to get even more attention. However, in 2017, Ridley's bachelor
04:39status disappeared as he got engaged to girlfriend Rachel Rich.
04:43In an interview with KWTX, Ridley said,
04:45"...I never thought I believed people when they said, when you know, you know. But when
04:49I met Rachel, I knew."
04:50Ridley added that the two planned to move into his iconic Fixer Upper home. According
04:55to the home's Verbo listing, he is still the owner, along with Rachel.
04:59On most episodes of Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines help homeowners renovate houses
05:04that they can picture themselves living in forever. But those plans don't always work
05:08out. That was the case with Season 4's The Prickly Pear House. The home belonged to the
05:13Severn family and got a cool German schmear update that gave the once-traditional home
05:18a modern cottage feel. Mary Severn told Joanna that she loved the final product, saying in
05:24an interview for the Magnolia blog,
05:26"...it was worth the wait to see the way Clint turned my family's bowling lane wood into
05:30our amazing kitchen island."
05:31However, the family sold the house — and it's now owned by someone else — and listed
05:36on Airbnb.
05:38On Season 5 of Fixer Upper, the Gaines took on an especially personal project when they
05:42flipped the safe gamble house for Joanna's little sister Mary Kay and her husband David
05:48In the episode, the Gaines took the McCalls' home from dull and plain to stunning and fabulous
05:53with a mid-century flair. In an interview for the Magnolia blog, Mary Kay shared her
05:58feelings on the final result, saying,
06:00"...I have wanted JoJo and Chip to do a house for us since we first got married 13 years
06:04ago. So this was a dream come true. JoJo knows my style more than anyone, so I had complete
06:09confidence that she would design the perfect home for us."
06:13One of the most memorable renovations that Chip and Joanna Gaines have done on Fixer
06:17Upper was Season 3 fan favorite, The Brick House. The home already had a ton of character
06:22and history behind it, but the Gaines brought all of those elements out even more, complementing
06:27them with modern touches. However, the Kraft family who bought the home didn't live there
06:32for long and eventually put it on the market.
06:35The Season 3 stunner was listed in 2019 and sold in less than a month for a reasonable
06:40price, but whoever bought The Brick House apparently bought it as an investment. Since
06:44is now listed on Airbnb for the affordable price of $214 per night.
06:50The second-ever episode of Fixer Upper featured a house that was as big as it was messy, and
06:55the transformation was totally jaw-dropping. The Gorman house was literally declared unsafe
07:01by the city of Waco, so it was a huge undertaking for Chip and Joanna. But, of course, they
07:05nailed it. When they were done with the renovation, the home was picture perfect.
07:10Today, the original owners still seem to be in possession of the home. Just like many
07:14other Fixer Upper houses, the Gorman house is available for a short-term vacation rental
07:18on Vrbo. It's listed under the original owner, Charmaine Hooper, who bought the house with
07:23her husband, Chuck. Clearly, the home has worked out well for the couple, even if they
07:27don't live there anymore.
07:29Though a Season 4 home on Fixer Upper was called the Plain Gray Ranch, it was anything
07:35but dull once Chip and Joanna got their hands on it. When Melissa and Matthew Yielding's
07:39first moved in, they were totally in love, with Melissa telling Joanna on the Magnolia
07:44blog that she particularly appreciated the kitchen, living, and dining areas. However,
07:49just two years after the Yielding's purchased the home in 2015, they turned around and listed
07:54it for $325,000 in 2017. Eventually, after the Yielding's were unable to sell the home,
08:00they had to lower the price to $260,000, though it still doesn't appear as if it sold. Yet,
08:07even though the house remains unsold, the Yielding's have held off on listing the home
08:11on any vacation rental sites. While that doesn't tell us anything definitive about their feelings
08:15on the home, perhaps that indicates that they're not completely ready to let it go.
08:20When a widow named Patty Baker was looking for a small home she could move into after
08:24losing her husband to cancer during Season 5 of Fixer Upper, she found it in the Baker
08:29house. The charming little bungalow was perfect for Baker and her sons. Following the emotional
08:35Baker couldn't have been happier with the results of the flip, telling People,
08:39"...I loved everything about it. Who else better could do that for a widow than Chip and Joanna?
08:44I walked in 12 weeks later to everything not only being done, but it being beautiful."
08:48However, that dream home wasn't Baker's forever home, as she soon remarried and moved away to
08:54live with her new husband. But while Baker no longer lives in the adorable home,
08:57she continued to work with the Gaineses by listing the bungalow with Magnolia Realty.
09:03Season 1 of Fixer Upper brought a lot of challenges to Chip and Joanna Gaines,
09:07but perhaps nothing quite as unique as the Fifth Street story.
09:11"...she has picked the property with the trash in the front yard."
09:15The Gaines were able to breathe new life into the teardown house, which was close to the biking and
09:20running routes the clients loved, and also had a very unique exterior. Though the couple tried
09:25to sell the home for $375,000 back in 2017, it appears they still own their Fixer Upper.
09:32On the home's Airbnb page, the owner is listed simply as
09:36Joshua, who says he's happy to meet with guests to tell them about their experience on the show.
09:41In Season 4 of Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna assisted the Wixom family in their search for
09:46their first home in Waco, Texas. The couple, Dean and Brittany Wixom, settled on a sprawling but
09:52dated house. Due to the three doors on the porch, they named the home the Picador House.
09:56Of course, the Gaines were able to turn the house into a modern and industrial delight,
10:00and the end result was stunning and surprising. While the house was a far cry from the Gaines'
10:05typical style, it was still a masterpiece. Yet, not long after they moved in, the couple wound
10:10up listing the home for $565,000. Although it's unclear who lives there now, it's not currently
10:17listed on any vacation rental sites. That means that whoever bought the iconic home
10:22might have bought it for themselves to actually live in, not just to rent out.