HGTV ‘Fixer Upper’ Hosts Chip And Joanna Gaines Are Upset Dream Homes Are Becoming Vacation Rentals

USA Today reports HGTV Fixer Upper hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines have decided to rethink their client contracts after homes they have renovated for clients to be their “dream homes” are showing up as vacation rentals on websites such as on Airbnb and VRBO. The Waco, Texas, vacation rentals are ranging from $195 a night to $1,277. The Barndominium and The Chicken House, both from Season 3 of Fixer Upper, are just two of the dream homes that are being rented out as vacation rentals.

With a quick search on the Airbnb website, Fixer Upper fans can find the Shotgun House, Mid-Mod House, and Mailander House. Even the Harp House from Season 1 of the HGTV show is listed as a vacation rental home. The Harp House in particular was a special project that was dear to Chip and Joanna’s hearts as it was a renovation completed for the Magnolia House’s carpenter, Clint, and his wife Kelly Harp.

Chip and Joanna Gaines, the hosts of Fixer Upper, have made a living flipping old and worn down homes all around the Waco area. Chip is responsible for the construction while his wife, Joanna, manages the design of the home. It didn’t take long for their work to become wildly popular in Waco – and all of Texas. Considering the fact that the Fixer Upper couple only renovates homes in Texas, it makes the idea of being able to rent a Fixer Upper home appealing to fans of the show who do not live in Texas.

A spokesperson of Magnolia Homes told USA Today the Fixer Upper couple does not particularly have a problem with the clients using the services provided to rent out their homes as vacation homes. However, they do want to be stricter with the Fixer Upper client contracts moving forward.

Naturally, part of the appeal – and the reason these clients are able to make money renting out these vacation homes – is because they are using the name Fixer Upper to do it. It is possible Magnolia Homes is going to want to stake some sort of claim in the profits the clients are making for using the name Fixer Upper as a method for marketing the vacation homes.

The biggest reason why Chip and Joanna Gaines want to adjust the contracts with Fixer Upper clients moving forward is because the purpose of the show is not to create vacation homes. The purpose of this HGTV show is to take an old and run-down home and turn it into the client’s dream home. Is it really the client’s dream home if the client turns around and uses it as a vacation rental home? This is what the Fixer Upper couple worries about. They do not want the concept of being able to afford your dream home to get lost in the hype of making money with a vacation rental home instead.

“We want to do remodels for clients’ homes. That’s the true intent of our show, and we want to ensure that does not get lost in this new vacation rental trend.”

According to The Verge, the reason why Chip and Joanna Gaines are having such a big problem with this is because they are creating the perfect vacation rental homes. They are creating clean, beautiful, and homey places that would make someone who is visiting Texas on vacation right at home.

The Verge goes on to speculate that if the Fixer Upper couple really wants to nip the problem in the bud, they should be changing things up with their next few remodels in addition to making the contract a little stricter.

What do you think about the fact that Fixer Upper clients are taking the homes Chip and Joanna Gaines have renovated and are renting them as vacation homes? Do you think Chip and Joanna have a right to be upset by this?

[Image via HGTV]