When clients appear on Fixer Upper, they already own the house that Chip and Joanna are going to renovate and do not actually pick it on the show.
Fixer Upper continues to attract viewers because it displays Chip and Joanna’s personalities so well, but also because it shows the entirety of the home renovation process.
However, even though there are many aspects of this reality television program that are authentic, the clients already own the home that they are going to renovate even before they can apply to be on the show.
How did Fixer Upper manage to become so popular?
When Fixer Upper first started airing on HGTV in April of 2014, viewers were quickly drawn into the Gaineses’ lives as they worked to renovate and upgrade the homes of their clients in Waco, Texas.
Joanna’s trademark farmhouse-chic design style also took the interior design world by storm and houses that featured elements of this design style were reportedly selling for about 30 percent more on average in 2018 when the show had reached its peak.
Part of what has made Fixer Upper stand out from all of the other home renovation shows on television is the fact that the show covers the entire renovation experience, from house-hunting to demolition, design, and the final reveal.
This makes it incredibly interesting and satisfying to watch as a whole.
Do Fixer Upper clients already own the house?
Although Joanna and Chip’s authentic personalities are one of the reasons why Fixer Upper is such a successful show, audiences are well-aware that reality television is often not as “real” as it is portrayed to be.
Thus, many have wondered whether all of the aspects on the show really take place the way that they play out on camera.
For the most part, it seems as though most of Fixer Upper, at least when it comes to the on-screen discussions and reactions, are portrayed candidly, as they really happened.
However, people that want to be on the show need to go through a lengthy application process before they are accepted to be featured on an episode.
One of the stipulations of this application process is that the households have to have their homes under contract already before they even apply to be on the show.
This means that although you may see the Fixer Upper clients looking at different properties during the house-hunting stage of the show, in reality, these clients have already picked out or even already own their home before filming for the episode has even started.
This is because the clients can send pictures of the home to Joanna and Chip during the application phase, so that they can start with their design plans before the actual episode starts being filmed.
What is real on Fixer Upper?
Clients who have been on Fixer Upper in the past have owned up to the fact that the entire renovation process does not take place in real life the way that it does on-screen, which has left many viewers wondering whether anything at all in the show is really “real”.
Fortunately, these clients have also been quick to say that although producers may re-film certain scenes to get a better angle or sound or something, the discussions and reactions on the show are genuine, or at least, they are genuine recreations of real conversations and reactions.
What is involved in the application process to be on the show?
To be on Fixer Upper, clients have to go through an extensive application process.
Not only does this application require that clients already own the house that they want to renovate, but it also requires that they answer 68 questions about the house and what they want to get from the renovations.
Chip and Joanna also ask clients for photos of the rooms in the homes that need to be renovated and for an estimate of what the clients can afford within their budgets for these renovations.
How does design day work if Joanna already starts designing before the episode is filmed?
Although it might seem disingenuous for Fixer Upper to show the clients searching for their ideal home, when in actuality they have already chosen and entered into a contract for their home, this is likely just to prevent any unexpected delays while filming.
The fact that Joanna receives photos and blueprints of the house from clients beforehand means that she can order items for the design well in advance and also check in with the homeowners periodically for budgeting matters or other decisions.
This makes the renovations less rushed and ensures that the clients are truly happy with their homes in the end.
