Homes are being listed on Airbnb and VRBO. But Chip and Joanna Gaines, the couple behind the ‘Fixer Upper’ show, reportedly aren’t thrilled about it.
From Texas Standard:
Chip and Joanna Gaines – TV’s “Fixer Upper” couple based in Waco – are concerned. According to reports based on a story from the Waco Tribune-Herald, the Fixer Upper couple doesn’t want people profiting off of the homes featured on the show. Many of those homes are being listed as short-term rentals through Airbnb and VRBO. Fans of the show are willing to pay big bucks to stay in a home fixed up by the TV power couple.
Their company, Magnolia, issued a statement that they will be “more strict with our contracts involving ‘Fixer Upper’ clients moving forward.”
The Gaines aren’t talking, but Waco resident Jill Barrett is. She’s rented out her home, which was featured on Season 2 of the show. And she’s also a longtime friend of Chip and Joanna Gaines. She says she and her husband listed their home on VRBO when they fell on hard financial times, but the Gaineses weren’t too concerned.
“Deep down we all know, real estate is real estate, homes are bought and sold,” Barrett says. “Sometimes circumstances come up, like with us.”
What you’ll hear in this interview:
– Why the Gaineses’ Magnolia brand is hesitant about featured homes being rented out
– How the company has responded to these rentals
– Why these rentals are so lucrative right now