The Making of an HGTV Show "But what happens really is real. The producers might have you repeat things a few times, and they might film things multiple times from different angles, but the reactions and conversations are real. The hard thing is remembering what you said before when asked to repeat it."

The couple eventually announced in September 2017 that they were concluding the show after its fifth season the following April, sharing that they needed time to focus on their family. "[The children are] so young, and we want to give them the chance to have a normal childhood," said Joanna, 39, at the time.

Waco, Texas Fixer Upper (TV series)

Homeowners on the show must have a home with a purchase price under $200,000 and they require at least $30,000 worth of renovations. HGTV does not fund the renovations, but they do cover the cost of one bonus item and pay a talent fee to Chip & Joanna.

Surprisingly, the answer is no. The couple (or person) is responsible for paying for their own renovations, but that doesn't mean they walk away totally empty handed.

Every Fixer Upper fan knows that while Chip Gaines handles the construction for their projects, Joanna is the brains behind the design. But that doesn't mean the demo-loving dude has no opinions on how things should look.

Chip and Joanna Gaines say tearful goodbye to 'Fixer Upper' Chip and Joanna Gaines said their goodbyes to 'Fixer Upper' during the hit HGTV show's final episode, thanking viewers for their support and even reminiscing about Chip and Joanna's first date, which included a magnolia tree.

Chip and Joanna reportedly made an average of $30,000 per renovation on Fixer Upper, plus an undisclosed fee from HGTV. With 79 episodes under their belt in the show's first five seasons, Chip and Joanna made at least $2.37 million just from televised renovations alone.

[ fik-ser-uhp-er ] show ipa. nounInformal. a person who is handy at making repairs. a rundown dwelling offered at a bargain price and suitable for improvement by a new owner, often with the object of resale at a considerable profit.

262 km²Waco / Area

But here's the kicker: More often than not, the homes are staged, meaning the homeowners don't get to keep the furniture and decor that's shown on TV. “Most if not all of our flipping shows are staged,” Betsy admits, noting that, depending on the client, sometimes the renovation will include some of the furniture.

Did the homeowners pay Chip & Joanna? Nope. The homeowners weren't required to pay Chip and Joanna for their design services, since HGTV covered the talent fee. Although the network didn't front the renovations, it was still a pretty good bargain, since they basically got a full-blown renovation at cost.