Why Was Fixer Upper Barndominium Sold?

Most Fixer-upper fans will remember the revamped barndominium of season three. The Meek family, who purchased the barndo for $180,000, seemed thrilled to have it renovated by the Gaines. HGTV reported that the couple had requested a home on stretching acres and a spacious kitchen with a country theme.

Considering the effort spent in the renovation of the barndo, Fixer Upper fans were shocked to see it put up for sale; this raised the concern, ‘why was the fixer-upper barndominium sold?

Many fans do not realize that the Meek family found work opportunities elsewhere and had to relocate. Hence, they sold the barndo to a real estate investor, Kristi Bass. The new owner, Bass, decided to sell the house for $1.2 million after stopping her from renting out the home. Due to the lawsuit filed by the city hall and residents, Bass proposed to sell the house altogether.

Key Points:

• The fixer-upper barndominium was put up for sale by real estate investor Kristi Bass after she acquired it from the Meek family.
• The price of the barndominium was set around 1.2 million dollars.
• Kristi Bass had to sell the home due to legal trouble from residents and the city.

What Are Fixer Upper Homes?

A fixer-upper home is a property that will require some repair and renovation before it is fit to live in. Although in some cases, a fixer-upper home can be used as it is, it most times requires reconstruction. These homes are popular among buyers who invest in the renovation process to get a return on investment. There are also popular among homeowners on a tight budget as they present a cheaper alternative to new buildings.

Due to the interest in fixer-upper homes, various reality TV shows have centred around the flipping of rundown houses. One of the most popular is the Fixer Upper show by Chip and Joanna Gaines. The first full season of ‘Fixer Upper’ was in 2014, after which the couple went on to build themselves an empire in consequent seasons. The second season came out in 2015, and the third season followed closely in 2016. The fourth season started in November 2017 and the final season premiered in 2017.

In 2020, however, the show’s comeback was announced by Discovery Inc. Basically, the Fixer Upper was revived on Magnolia Network as a launch program. The new channel, Magnolia Network –serves as a relaunch of DIY and is run by the Gaines. The first return season called Fixer Upper: Welcome Home, premiered in 2021.

Why Was Fixer Upper Barndominium Sold?

To the surprise of the Gaines and every fan of barndominiums who watched the barndo’s transformation in Season 3, the house was sold in 2017 for $1.2million. A real estate investor, Kristi Bass, bought the 2,653 square foot barndo from the Meek family, for whom Jo and Gaines renovated it. At first, Bass decided to use the barndo as a vacation rental site and put it up for rent on VRBO for $1,200 to 1,500 per night.

Bass began receiving interested clients immediately and was thrilled. However, the neighbours were not. Neighbours worried that the short-term rental arrangement would disrupt the area’s tranquillity. They also complained that property values would be affected, Including noise, traffic, and security concerns. An angry neighbour filed a complaint, and the city also filed a lawsuit against Bass. She was cited twice for running a rental business without the proper permit and was slapped with a fine.

Due to resident complaints and the tickets issued, Bass decided to put the barndo up for sale. Hence, for those asking why the Fixer Upper Barndominium was sold due to legal issues.

Although the barndo’s price of $1.2 million is way more than the median home price of $85,000, it is fair when considering its features. The home comes fully furnished and in a pristine location with a private pond and lake.

Jo and Gaines expressed shock, reacting to the sale of the barndo that they had spruced up according to the Meek family’s needs. According to the spokesman of Magnolia, Bruce Murphy, the Gaines were going to be more strict with their contracts with future clients. In other words, since the purpose of the show is to create a refurbished home for actual families, Chip and Jo prefer clients who will live in their fixer-upper.

Why Don’t They Show Bedrooms On Fixer-Upper?

Every Fixer-upper fan knows that at the end of an episode the are some rooms left out of the reveal. Fans wondered why they did not see the other rooms in the renovated houses. To answer the HGTV fans’ burning question, Joanna Gaines gave fans a sneak peek into one of the ‘hidden rooms.’ According to Gaines, some rooms are not shown in the reveal because they are used to store a heap load of renovating supplies.

Joanna made this revelation standing in a room full of rugs, tarps, bins, tools, candles, and galvanized buckets. She explained that although the rooms have gotten the complete Fixer Upper treatment and are entirely revamped, there are too jam-packed to be aesthetically pleasing. Joanna Gaines made the revelation as they prepared to launch the HGTV spin-off, Fixer Upper: Behind The Design.

Behind The Design was premiered in April 2018 after the show ended. The show was designed to give viewers insider details on things they do not typically see in a reveal. The show focused on intricate details of the design process. Behind The Design also allowed viewers to enter Joanna’s mind as she updated old homes to 21st century standards. Most importantly, the spin-off lets fans see the ‘hidden rooms.’

How Many Seasons Of Fixer Upper Are There?

The Fixer Upper first aired in May 2013. The complete season was, however, completed in 2014. The second season of Fixer Upper started in January 2015, and the third season was created in December of the same year. Season four was released to viewers in November 2016. And the last season (season five) was launched around November 2017. All in all, the Fixer Upper show had five successful seasons.

Season one and two had thirteen episodes each. Season three had eighteen episodes, and so did the final season- season five. Season four was the black sheep with seventeen episodes. On the show, Jo and Chip redesigned over 100 homes across Texas with the help of their team.

Conclusion

For a long time, many Fixer Upper fans have wondered ‘why was the Fixer-Upper barndominium sold?’. The barndo was put up for sale because the property owner, Kristi Bass, was barred from renting out the home. After discovering that she rented out the barndo short-term without permits, Bass was banned. Due to all the legal drama, Kristi Bass opted to sell the fixer-upper barndominium for $1.2million.