If you like this TV show (and I admit I find it mindless fun), have you visited their home base in Waco? If you have, what else did you see and where did you stay? We are taking some antique crazy friends through the area and plan on stopping at their shop.
Has anyone stayed at the Cotton Palace historic hotel? Any other suggestions if you didn’t?
And we welcome any other ideas in the area. Other than the mandatory stop in West for kolachies.
Don’t the Fixer Upper folks have their own inn or B&B to stay at? I like Chip and Joanna’s personalities. Chip cracks me up.
Joanna is just lovely. I always amazed at how inexpensive the prices of houses are near Waco, and the low cost of renovations.
H and I are renovating a small house at the moment. I keep showing him the extensive renovations they manage on those reasonable budgets. He keeps reminding me that’s it tv, not real life.
I love the couple. They give me real warm fuzzy feelings, but when Joanna says, “There is extra 1000 in the budget, you have a choice of building a patio or a new laundry room.” I just have to laugh.
Wow–can’t imagine buying anything with an extra $1000 in a budget in HI. Definitely couldn’t build either a patio or a laundry room, or even an extra closet!
I like watching them too. Read this today. http://www.today.com/home/fixer-upper-couple-not-happy-see-their-popular-projects-turned-t101953
Even after reading the article, @whitepicketfence, I’m not sure exactly what there issue is with it?
The problem is they fixed up “forever homes for deserving clients”. They did not fix up homes to rent out for profit.
They could’ve kept the homes themselves if that was the purpose.
“They could’ve kept the homes themselves if that was the purpose.”
I get that in theory, but they wouldn’t have a show then would they? Chip and Joanna are doing just fine $ wise. The only complaint angle I can see is that the homeowners not living in the house ruins the authenticity of the show. I’ve watched several episodes of the show, however, and I never got the impression that all the clients were needy/deserving.
I enjoy the show, too, but I’m not crazy about the merchandising trend. Chip and Joanna have the Magnolia Silo and now the Pioneer Woman has the Mercantile, just so they can sell stuff to the fans. It’s a little weird that they’ve become tourist attractions.
I’ll be in Waco on Saturday. When people talk about the upside of the low prices, I always tell them the downside is that they have to live in Waco.
My D was in Texas last summer and did a road trip around the state and one of the places she went to was Magnolia Market because she loves the show. She even brought me back a mug from there 
It is a fun day trip if you live in the general region. The store is interesting and laid out well. It was good to get some ideas and window gaze so to speak
At the end of the day honestly it’s all stuff one sees at Hobby Lobby…except the price is jacked up considerably and it is laid out in a way that Hobby Lobby just does not do.
The food trucks in the courtyard area are good. Waco is just a town we drive through and have only stayed overnight once. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo when it was brand new. It was a nice boutique hotel and it was priced right at the time.
@bookworms the house prices are good. I have friends in the area and they do say that some of the homes are in neighborhoods where one would not send their kids to school. I don’t know if this is true for real or not…just a comment from a friend who lives there.
Post #9, "The only complaint angle I can see is that the homeowners not living in the house ruins the authenticity of the show. "
I think that’s exactly the problem. While it’s definitely a business, it started (and perhaps they’d like it to remain) a very personal experience between the Gaines and the homeowners. That gets kind of lost when the homeowner places a Craigslist ad for “stay in the house that Joanna and Chip created!” kind of thing.
If I was in the area, I would make a point to visit the silos. OP, be sure to share your experience when you return.
“H and I are renovating a small house at the moment. I keep showing him the extensive renovations they manage on those reasonable budgets. He keeps reminding me that’s it tv, not real life.”
I enjoy watching the show (and others like it) but I’m always questioning the cheap costs of all the renovations. My wee kichen alone was $50k ( for a mid range reno ) and we’ve put another $100k into our house and I still haven’t done my two bathrooms yet - which are on the agenda for 2017. Just two of my windows were $5k a piece.
My house isn’t even big - just a typical 3 bedroom 50’s ranch. The only add on has been a 400sq ft family room that kitchen & dining room open onto. Since we took down a load bearing wall to open it up, we had to have trusses put in and just that was $20k.
Just this week I had the bedrooms, halls and lvg room dining room floors all refinished - add another $2800 to the bill. They do look fab and worth every penny but the furniture & closets moving out was huge PITA. Can finally begin moving stuff in tonight.
Contractors must hate this show and other HGTV shows. How often do you think they hear, “Why is your bid so high? Fixer Uppers did this for less than half the price!”
Son of friends is a TV producer for a show that most of us would recognize. He said there’s nothing real in those reality shows.
@Youdon’tsay is on the money. Visit the store and then drive to Austin or San Antonio to do suggesting fun. There’s nothing else on Waco!
I like Joanna and their kids are adorable, but I can’t stand Chip. I hope he’s not as childish and ridiculous in real life or Joanna is a saint!
When I tell my family members in KY and GA what reno prices are like here in MD, they are aghast. Probably the same deal in TX.
I like the style, but it would never fly in this market – and what it would cost!!!