Why are "Fixer Upper" houses harder to sell?
Have Chip and Joanna Gaines lost their touch?
And have the former HGTV stars ever ruined a house altogether?
Keep watching for the surprising details.
The homes that Chip and Joanna Gaines have upgraded on "Fixer Upper" are no doubt showpieces.
The husband and wife team have made quite the name for themselves on the HGTV show,
giving dilapidated homes a much-needed makeover through their home renovation and redecoration
business in Waco, Texas.
Chip and Joanna tied the knot in 2003 and landed their very own HGTV show a little over
a decade later in 2014.
The couple have enjoyed continued success, mustering up an estimated net worth of $18
million thanks to a plethora of business ventures, alongside their popular TV shows.
While the original "Fixer Upper" series wrapped in 2018, the popular renovation show was later
revived by Discovery+ in 2021 in the form of "Fixer Upper: Welcome Home."
As fans will know, homes that were fixed up by Chip and Joanna were regularly put on the
market, but they can be surprisingly hard to sell.
Although one might assume that being associated with the show might increase its chances of
being sold, this certainly isn't the case.
So, why do these stunning houses have such a hard time finding a buyer?
"Why is there what appears to be a castle in the middle of Waco, Texas, and why did
you buy it?"
One major reason some of the "Fixer Upper" homes are hard to sell is their extremely
hefty price tag.
Speaking to Insider, realtor Kristin Clements, who has worked on some of the properties overseen
by Chip and Joanna Gaines, revealed that the trouble selling the properties has nothing
to do with how they look, but a lot to do with the listing price.
One example of this is Chip and Joanna's "Asian ranch" turned French country home, which was
listed at a whopping $679,000.
In Waco, Texas, where the property is located, the average house price is roughly $200,000,
meaning potential buyers weren't exactly lining up to put an offer on the ranch.
Realtor Clements told Insider,
"I know big cities do that, but Waco's not there yet.
[...] Our honey spot is around that $150,000 to $250,000 range — that’s where we’ll
get people buying right away."
Waco-based realtor Matthew McLeod, echoed Clements' comments, telling Realtor.com,
"No one is willing to pay extra money because a particular person remodeled their home,
whether they're a celebrity or not.
[...] The more expensive they get, the harder any home in this market is to sell."
As expected, the homes featured on "Fixer Upper" get a lot of attention from viewers
and potential buyers online.
However, being associated with the hugely popular Chip and Joanna Gaines does not guarantee
a sale, but it does get eyes on the property.
As Clements explained to Insider,
"Just by having the 'Fixer Upper' name in our description, we get a lot of traffic online,
which is typically how you sell houses."
Clements also shared details of the kind of visibility the reality series can bring to
properties, revealing that one renovated home featured on "Fixer Upper" Season 2 attracted
more than 18,000 views online.
By comparison, she usually expects around 100 views online for a home.
Sadly, the huge online interest generally doesn't translate to physical showings for
Clements, though.
"People are looking at it just because it has a 'Fixer Upper' name on it ... Not because
they can actually afford it."
However, as Realtor.com notes, some of the lower-priced properties that have been featured
on "Fixer Upper" have sold pretty quickly.
For example, a home shown on Season 3 of the HGTV reality series that was listed on the
market for $219,900 was snapped up by a buyer.
The desirable Waco property, which included a detached building outside, was sold less
than three weeks after being put on the market.
"Pow!"
Realtor Kristin Clements shared her view that many of the homes renovated by Chip and Joanna
Gaines have a lot of potential for the housing market.
But as she explained to Insider,
"I just think it's going to take the right buyer who wants to be in Waco."
As for Chip and Joanna themselves, the pair have previously shared their top tips to consider
if you're planning on selling a home.
The couple advises future sellers to do their research before making any important decisions,
and to maximize all the spaces of a property before selling.
And, of course, they advise sellers to give their homes a renovation, even if that means
just adding a lick of paint, to ensure the property is as desirable as possible for potential
buyers.
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