Courtesy of Joanna Gaines/Instagram; YouTube/Magnolia Network
What Happened to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Castle? Find Out If They Sold the Historic Property
In 2022, fans of Chip and Joanna Gaines got the ultimate treat when they saw the pair tackle an incredible renovation project on Fixer Upper: The Castle. The couple purchased Cottonland Castle in 2019, marking their biggest project yet. Scroll for details to find out what happened to the property after the renovation.
What Happened to Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Castle?
Chip and Joanna are always up for a challenge. The craftsman dreamt of owning the castle for 20 years and put in multiple offers on the estate before his dream came true. The 6,000-square-foot property is more than 100 years old and was in rough shape before the Magnolia Network duo worked their magic. The walls were previously covered in graffiti and many animals decided to make the residence their home.
Three years after purchasing the castle, the couple finally nailed down all of their design ideas and got to work. They did not have a buyer for the property, so Joanna imagined she was designing it for an older couple who loved to entertain. It certainly wasn’t an easy task to renovate the historic abode, but Chip and Joanna pulled it off just as they always do.
Viewers got to see the whole renovation process unfold on the six-part Magnolia Network series, from a walk-through in the first episode to the final reveal.
“The castle taught us that sometimes the forgotten things in life don’t need a reinvention but just a little dusting off. And the deep-seated dreams within you and me are worth holding on to,” the mom of five penned in a January 2023 blog post. “Yes, even the ones 20 years in the making. Because in that waiting, pieces in and around us fall into place, letting that which is meaningful and lasting have its way. When we allow ourselves that space to wait, it’s amazing what beauty reveals itself in the end.”
Did Chip and Joanna Gaines Sell Their Castle?
A burning question fans had throughout watching Fixer Upper: The Castle was who would end up living in it. Due to Chip’s decades-long attachment to the estate, he expressed hesitancy about selling it. The couple, who share kids Drake, Ella Rose, Duke, Emmie Kay and Crew, initially flipped the property with the intention of putting it on the market.
“I don’t think Jo and I want to live here literally,” Chip explained in an October 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight. “This is a project that I was pursuing for 20 years. The reality is we need to sell it and we should sell it.”
Still, he wondered if selling it would be the right thing to do for their family and their future.
“But I wonder if it’s not one of those things 10 years from now you don’t look back and wonder, ‘Gosh, should we have kept it? What if somebody in the family wanted it?'”
The contractor and the Magnolia Table author did make it clear that they had no intention of renting the property out on Airbnb.
“This neighborhood means so much to us,” Chip said. “I think it would be a disservice to the neighborhood if we turned this into kind of a commercial entity in that way.”
On June 23, 2023, the couple’s company Magnolia Realty announced that they were ready to part ways with the castle. They revealed they were putting the estate up for auction through the business Concierge Auctions.
“In 2019 — after 20 years of dreaming about the chance to renovate this castle — Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines finally did,” the statement on Facebook read. “They aired the whole process on Magnolia Network last summer, then opened it up for guests to tour. Now, they’re ready for someone new to write the next chapter in this historic home’s story.”
That same day, the castle was listed on Zillow for $2.9 million, with pictures of the interior and the exterior as potential buyers await auction day. Bidding for the property openened on July 20, 2023, and ended on July 27, 2023. In a shocking twist of events following the auction, it was announced that the castle would not be sold after all.
“Magnolia is pleased to share that the Historic Waco Castle is staying in the Magnolia family,” a statement released by Magnolia read. “A prospective buyer and Magnolia mutually agreed not to close, and the unique property will not be sold at this time. This decision is made with much enthusiasm and anticipation as the beloved castle’s story continues with Magnolia.”
Chip and Joanna reportedly received a special permit for the castle to serve as a “house museum for at least six more months,” per the Waco Tribune-Herald. Tickets to tour the estate are currently available for purchase.
