Have Chip and Joanna Gaines Totally Changed the Way We Buy Homes?
If you're starting the search for your new home — or even dreaming about it — you're not alone if your fantasy involves buying a fixer upper à la Chip and Jo's eponymous show and transforming it into an amazing place to live. In fact, it may not be much of a stretch to say that the husband-and-wife team have changed the way we approach home-buying.
Brittany Anas, a freelance writer specializing in travel and real estate, noticed that emerging trend and wondered what role the Waco Wonders had in impacting how we buy homes and the larger real estate market.
"Over the past decades, home ownership has been tough to attain for many millennials. They’ve been priced out of the real estate market because of a combination of factors making it tough to save and qualify for mortgages — high student loan debt, little inventory in the 'starter home' market, and soaring rent costs eating up larger percentages of their budgets. This is so much bigger than 'stop eating avocado toast and unsubscribe to Netflix,'" Anas shared with Southern Living via email.
"Enter Chip and Jo. They’ve empowered buyers in a new way, getting them to look beyond ugly Cookie Monster blue paint on bedroom walls or shag carpeting in the living room to see potential in homes that have good bones. This gives millennials a chance to not just break into homeownership, but customize homes that feel right for them," Anas continued.
Anas was so curious about this link between Fixer Upper and everyday people purchasing the "worst homes in the best neighborhoods" that she dove deep into the couple's lasting impact in a newly reported piece for Apartment Therapy.
WATCH: Clint Harp Was Completely Broke Before He Met Chip and Joanna Gaines
In the article, Anas even elaborates on how Jo's trademark farmhouse style has gone mainstream, and Waco median home values have gone up nearly 11% in the past year (per Zillow), both powerful nods to their legacy. You can read the full story on Apartment Therapy here.
Towards the end of the article, Anas questions the benefits all the Chip-and-Jo halo may have, as some fans of the show may wind up disappointed, stressed, and financially burdened throughout the renovation process.
The bottom line? Create your dream home the Gaines family way, just make sure you've fixer uppered yourself, your finances, and free time on your schedule first.
