Couple That Had Tiny "Fixer Upper" Home Renovated For Free On Television Now Trying To Sell It For Nearly A Million Dollars.

By Michael Avery in Life Style On 29th June 2017
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#1

If you want to witness the powers of Chip and Joanna Gaines, all you have to do is look at the price tag on this house. The power couple behind Fixer Upper made over this 1,050-square-foot shotgun house back in 2015 for season three.

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When purchased, the 1920 home was falling apart and cost a measly $28,000. After investing $130,000 into the renovation, it was just listed for an astounding $950,000.

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Featuring one bedroom and one bathroom on 0.15 acres of land, the house may not seem worthy of the extreme price tag — especially considering it's only appraised for tax purposes at $132,010, according to a report on the Waco Tribune-Herald.

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But owners Cameron and Jessica Bell see it as an investment opportunity for whomever buys it. After all, it’s been making them money for a while now. The home was intended as a place for Cameron to stay during business trips, but he said in a recent interview that he received such an enthusiastic response on Airbnb for the times he wasn't in town, that he now stays with his parents when he needs a place to crash. They rent it out for $325 per night and reportedly have $40,000 worth of bookings on the calendar currently, which just goes to show it might be a very worthwhile investment.

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#5

Even putting that aside, it's hard to debate that the home is a stunner, inside and out. The Gaines turned this tiny space into a super functional family home, starting by adding 20-foot high ceilings in the living room.

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“It is within walking distance to The Magnolia Store and the Silos,” listing agent Jennifer Roberts with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, told TODAY Home. “It is also very close to Baylor's football field and would be a great opportunity for that die-hard Baylor Bears fan.”

Besides the great location, there’s something to be said about that "Fixer Upper" fame. The home was a standout episode for the series, as it was one of the most dramatic renovations to date.

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#7

Chip and Joanna also added a loft on the back half of the home (over the bedroom and bathroom) for a bonus living area. They added retractable stairs that can be raised and lowered like a drawbridge, so when no one is in the loft, the stairs can be stashed out of the way.

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#8

Even though the current price tag is pretty steep for such a small home, we have no doubt there's a Fixer Upper fan out there who thinks living in a Chip and Joanna masterpiece is priceless.

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#9

The 1920s abandoned house had been overrun with critters and was pretty much falling apart, but the team turned the crumbling property into an adorable livable space.

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#10

Some of the updates included installing hardwood floors, adding floor length windows and shuffling the floor plan a bit to make it more practical. They also added a loft for additional living space and gave the exterior a complete makeover.

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There’s no question that the house is a pretty piece of property now, but some skeptics are wondering if the owners are asking too much for it. Considering they’ve already got $40,000 worth of rentals booked on the calendar right now, maybe it really will pay for itself in no time.

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#12

Old photos and insurance maps suggest that shotgun houses were once plentiful in Waco’s working-class neighborhoods, often squeezed together cheek-to-jowl. Today, only a handful survive, mostly in the neighborhoods just north and south of downtown.

Baylor University historic preservation expert Kenneth Hafertepe said the local examples are similar to shotgun houses throughout the South.

“Shotguns were strongly associated with African-Americans in the late 19th and 20th century,” he said. “There are some scholars who think they may have roots in the Caribbean and even Africa. . . . It’s a distinctively Southern architectural form.”

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The style is particularly associated with New Orleans, which has historic ties to the Caribbean. From there, the style is believed to have spread out across the South because they could be easily built and transported.

Hafertepe said Bell’s house wouldn’t likely fit with national guidelines for historic preservation because of the addition of an upstairs and changes to the windows. But he said at least the house was salvaged instead of being razed.

“The potential positive is that it can make us think about what we do need to save,” Hafertepe said.

“I think it’s now acknowledged in preservation circles that shotgun houses are an important American building type. … As the number of untouched shotgun houses dwindle, Wacoans are going to have to think about whether there’s an appropriate way of preserving one or more examples of them.”