What HGTV Doesn't Want You To Know About Fixer Upper

The HGTV show "Fixer Upper" is a firm fan favorite. People love to tune in and see Chip and Joanna Gaines work their magic and transform decrepit and dreary houses into stunning, stylish homes. At this point, few people need much proof that reality TV is completely fake. However, "Fixer Upper" is one of the rare exceptions, aside from a few behind-the-scenes shenanigans.

Despite its continued ratings success, Chip and Joanna announced in September 2017 that the original "Fixer Upper" was ending after Season 5. "While we are confident that this is the right choice for us, it has for sure not been an easy one to come to terms with," they shared in a blog post. Fans were left heartbroken and questioning the reason Chip and Joanna quit. The show was an HGTV ratings juggernaut and seemingly had plenty of gas left in the tank to run for many more seasons.

Frowns were turned upside down in March 2024, though, when it was announced that HGTV would be airing "Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse," a special limited series marking the tenth anniversary of the original. The show's trailer revealed it would be business as usual, with the added touch of a stunning waterfront vista. So, with Chip and Joanna back on the box, we're checking out some of the show secrets HGTV doesn't want you to know about "Fixer Upper."

The HGTV ratings hit "Fixer Upper" is one of the realest of the reality shows out there. However, it has a few less-than-real moments, such as the opening scene of each episode. Viewers are led to believe that participants are given a choice of three properties in the Waco, Texas, area to view for the first time and then select one to buy. 

Their reactions to some of the horrors on show are often comedy gold. Still, not all is as it seems. In actual reality, the house-hunting drama is totally phony. Participants have already seen the property they picked and started the purchase process — if not fully completed.

David Ridley, who appeared in Season 3, spilled the behind-the-scenes tea with Fox News in November 2016. And taking it a step further, he claimed it was a requirement to apply. "You have to be under contract to be on the show. They show you other homes, but you already have one," Ridley said. "After they select you, they send your house to Chip and Joanna and their design team."

One of the most surprising behind-the-scenes "secrets" that's kept on the down low is that "Fixer Upper" participants have to pay for the remodel themselves, the Waco Tribune reported in February 2014.

HGTV does cover Chip and Joanna Gaines' talent payment, which is around $30,000 per episode, apparently. Still, participants also pay them a fee for their work. There's a reason the couple is worth an estimated $50 million. The participants' renovation budgets must be agreed upon with the "Fixer Upper" team in advance of filming and must be $30,000 or more. Rachel and Luke Whyte, who appeared in Season 3, explained the process in an interview with Country Living in June 2018. "You have to sign off on your budget at the beginning, and we actually didn't have any surprises come up during filming," Rachel said. "The budget goes towards your wish list, but the design team will also make decisions about what they think the home needs to be a TV-worthy renovation."

"I can only speak for our experience but the budget is definitely real. We had several meetings with the Magnolia team prior to the renovation that centered around a proposed plan and budget," Season 3 participant Jaime Ferguson told Rachel Teodoro in February 2016.

One of the pluses for many of the "Fixer Upper" participants is the chance to collaborate and hang out with the HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. Hard luck, though, as their $30,000-plus remodeling budget and service fee doesn't cover that. Apparently, the design duo is pretty hands-off client-wise. Although Joanna is very involved in the interior design, furnishing, and staging process, Chip is rarely spotted with a hammer in his hand.

According to design blogger Rachel Teodoro, the couple used to be very personally involved with projects. However, Chip and Joanna became less and less involved as the show's ratings started to increase. Lindy Ermoian, who appeared in Season 3 of "Fixer Upper," told Teodoro that they never spoke directly with Chip or Joanna outside of the filmed interactions. Instead, they had a specially assigned designer who worked as an intermediary.

Unlike many of the show's participants, Lindy and her husband Chris Ermoian, were able to keep an eye on the renovation process as they were camped out at her parent's place next door throughout. She said they didn't once spot Chip sweating away or getting his hands dirty.

The HGTV "Fixer Upper" big reveal is the pièce de résistance of the popular show. Viewers marvel at the immaculate exteriors and picture-perfect interiors, where no wall is left unpainted, and no detail is too small to perfect. However, Chip and Joanna Gaines often don't remodel the entire house, focusing instead on just the rooms that appear on camera.

The couple blames it on the budget they're forced to work within and the participants' seemingly never-ending list of demands and requirements. Who doesn't want a fancy walk-in closet? So, Joanna and Chip have to prioritize what's important and leave the rest. They also have to choose where to splash the cash and where to scrimp to ensure the best bang for their clients' buck.

Joanna gave insight into her decision-making design process in a February 2023 interview with Elle Decor. She said that a $5,000 living-room remodel budget left her with the option of spending it all on new wood flooring or painting the walls and adding new lighting. "I knew the latter could go a long way," she said of her ultimate choice. Not surprisingly, Joanna is a huge fan of rugs, which can hide a multitude of flooring sins for a relatively low price.

Furniture staging is one of the most important interior design aesthetics: it can make or break a remodel. The HGTV "Fixer Upper" homes always look like they're ripped straight from the pages of "House Beautiful," with perfectly placed plush sofas, to-die-for beds begging to be sunk into, and gorgeous dining tables meticulously set for everybody's dream dinner party.

However, once the cameras stop rolling and the crew departs, so does the furniture — unless you just happen to have some spare cash lying around. This is usually a stretch given the amount of money participants have already sunk into reno work. So often, they're forced to make some difficult choices.

"When it came time to pack up all their beautiful staging furniture, Kyle and I had to decide what we really loved because our budget at that point was pretty spent," Season 3's Jaime Ferguson told Rachel Teodoro. "We decided to keep the coffee table from [Wayfair], two striped chairs from Wayfair, and the dining table." Still, participants do get thrown a design bone from time to time. "Joanna gifted some of the music room items that she had custom-made for Kyle. So special!" Ferguson shared.