'Fixer Upper' Chip and Joanna Gaines News: Parts of HGTV Remodeling Show Staged?
Many fans dream of being featured on "Fixer Upper" to have their home renovated by none other than construction/design gurus Chip and Joanna Gaines. However, behind the camera lie a few unexpected facts that show not everything is what it seems.
It turns out getting an awesome home makeover from the HGTV reality series comes with a price. Enlisting the network's famed remodeling experts is not as glamorous as it looks, and there are several requirements to qualify as a contestant.
Huffington Post reported that producers recently released a casting call for the fifth season of "Fixer Upper." Potential contestants are required to meet the minimum requirement of a $30,000 budget and a house within 40 miles of Waco, Texas. Other requirements include personal attributes, as individuals need to be "outgoing, energetic and fun." They also have to agree with all final remodeling choices.
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Speaking with Fox News last year, season 3 participant David Ridley said contestants must have already purchased a home to be featured in the series. The producers make it look like the contestant is still on the lookout for other homes, but the truth is they already must have one.
For a decorating show like "Fixer Upper," most fans don't know that contestants are not allowed to keep everything. Chip and Joanna are just using the props to stage the house, which means the HGTV team will take them back once the shooting is over and done. They only use accents to show what the house would look like if those items belonged to the contestants. However, there is still the option of buying the decorations through Chip and Joanna's Magnolia Market.
In other news, Chip was recently sued by his former business partners over his Magnolia company. Documents obtained by Us Weekly reveal that Richard L. Clark and John L. Lewis, former partners of Magnolia Realty, filed a lawsuit against Chip because they were "forced the sale of the business for a fraction of its true value" after Chip allegedly hid the fact that Magnolia was about to receive nationwide branding and advertising through "Fixer Upper."
