If you’ve ever wondered how much a reality-show home makeover adds to a property’s value—especially one by HGTV royalty Chip and Joanna Gaines—check out this sweet little cottage in Waco, TX.
It’s now listed for $339,900, more than three times what a single mom snagged it for back in 2013.
She paid around $89,900 for the 1,814-square-foot abode for the Gaineses’ “Fixer Upper” show on HGTV. The three-bedroom, one-bath fixer-upper—or the “Cottage Bungalow,” as Chip dubbed it—needed extreme TLC.
Waco, TX, cottage renovated by Chip and Joanna Gaines on Season 1 of “Fixer Upper”
HGTV
The cottage prior to its renovation
HGTV
That was back in the first season of the show—when clients would look at three homes that Chip had christened with quaint names, and then they’d select their favorite for the couple to remodel.
Since the buyer from the show purchased the place, and Chip and Jo worked their magic, records indicate that the owner sold it in 2017 for $174,900.
The cottage was sold again for an undisclosed amount in 2019 and hit the market a third time in August 2022 for $367,000—with gradual reductions down to its current price.
Sure, general real estate appreciation has had some effect on the price; but it didn’t hurt that the beloved renovation duo made some major changes.
Most strategically (and perhaps most valuably), the pair added a pretty little half-bath and laundry room with plenty of storage.
New half-bath
HGTV
They also added a carport and rustic wood beams, shutters, and window boxes to the exterior. Sprucing up the landscaping was a must.
Inside, former walls have given way to a wide-open floor plan. And the kitchen has been completely redone, with a large farmhouse sink, a stylish backsplash, quartz countertops, custom cabinetry, and a center island with seating for two.
New great room
HGTV
New kitchen
HGTV
Plus, the remodeling pros converted a bland back room into a family room with French doors. They also replaced the pile carpeting with wood that matches the floors in other parts of the house.
New family room
HGTV
In the spacious backyard, with a lot that measures 8,538 square feet, the Gaineses removed scraggly bushes and trees and created a nice patio—the perfect place for a picnic table or a seating area with a fire pit.
Spacious backyard
HGTV
And this little gem is only minutes from Chip and Jo’s latest project, “The Castle,” in Waco’s Castle Heights area.
That means it’s also close to the shops and restaurants popularized by the Gaineses’ home renovation empire right in Waco.
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