Remember the episode of “Fixer Upper” when Chip and Joanna Gaines moved that tiny shotgun house to a new location and gave it a major makeover?
The house was built in 1920 and was looking pretty rough when Jessie and Cameron Bell decided to buy it.
It was free, but they had to purchase the new lot ($31,000) and pay to move it ($5,000). The Bells had a renovation budget of around $95,000, which went a long way in such a small house.
It’s now on the market in Waco, so let’s take a look back at the transformation this small house went through!
The Shotgun House on “Fixer Upper”
The list price was $24,000, but they got it for free because they were willing to move it.
After moving the house and raising the roof, it looked like this:
Joanna said, “What’s fun about smaller spaces is that it really challenges your creativity and makes you maximize the space that you’ve got. From the beginning, the tiny shotgun house had lot of big challenges, but in the end, the reward was huge. Every design element that we got to incorporate really stood out. We love this house.”
The Tiny Shotgun House Reveal:
The stairs can be lowered in order to reach the loft upstairs:
The loft does double duty as a work space and family room:
HGTV described the project:
The renovation included an addition above the original roofline, enabling the “tiny house” to have a main living area with dramatic 20-foot ceilings as well as a new multipurpose loft offering this view onto the living room and kitchen below.
A challenge with adding the loft was where to locate stair access. Chip came to the rescue with specialized retractable stairs that can be raised and lowered drawbridge style. When the loft is not being used, the stairs can be raised to a storage position where they hang suspended about 10 feet above the kitchen.”
Raising the roof and building this loft space stretched the little house from 700 to 1,000 square feet.
The view from upstairs:
The small kitchen lives large with storage, style, and a Smeg fridge:
The house has one bedroom + one bath:
The bathroom has concrete countertops:
According to Apartment Therapy:
The owners of the shotgun house have been renting it out, for $325 per night “at a 90% occupancy rate,” one of the listing agents told Realtor.com. This, however, is not condoned by the Fixer Upper fam; they mean for the owners to actually live in the properties.
“That’s the true intent of our show, and we want to ensure that does not get lost in this new vacation rental trend,” Brock Murphy, a spokesman for Magnolia, said in a statement.
The listing for 624 S. 7th Street in Waco says:
“As seen on Fixer Upper this is the Shotgun House! GREAT location within walking distance to The Magnolia Market and the Silos and many local restaurants and shops. Just across the highway from McLane Stadium. Perfect retreat for that dedicated Baylor alumni. Great rental income. All contents are included (except the Air Streams on property).”
The final breakdown shows what they spent on the house (the sales price was essentially what it cost to have it relocated): $139,000. Now it’s on the market for $950,000, which some homebuyers may consider a bit steep for 1,050 square feet.
(Update: they removed the listing in 2018.)
These are screenshots I took while watching it on Hulu, where you can revisit all your favorite “Fixer Upper” episodes.
You can see the listing photos for the tiny shotgun house at 624 S 7th Street
on Realtor.com and more photos on HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” page.
The shotgun house is an Airbnb that you can rent on your next trip to Waco.
Visit my HGTV page to learn more about some of your favorite shows!
