The lakefront property was renovated for the latest installment of "Fixer Upper," but a buyer was "upset" that the couple changed the home.
Joanna Gaines has had a successful career, thanks to her signature design aesthetic, but a recent real estate snafu served as a brutal reminder that not everyone has the same taste.
During an appearance on Kylie Kelce’s podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” the “Fixer Upper” star revealed that her most involved renovation yet lost a buyer who much preferred the “before” photos.
Joanna and her husband, Chip Gaines, recently tackled the transformation of a 15,000-square-foot mansion in their hometown of Waco, TX. The process was documented in the upcoming Magnolia Network show “Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion,” and it appears the project was quite the struggle.
While the Gaineses are a solid team, Chip actually purchased the sprawling estate without Joanna, a decision she called a “bold move.” Although the mom of five vouched the property would “never be a fixer,” she changed her mind after the property lingered on the market without much interest for more than three years.
The 1990s-built palace is in an incredible location, set on a 5.7-acre lot boasting striking views of Lake Waco. But the outdated ‘90s interiors needed a serious face-lift, and when Chip and Joanna set out to work their magic on the abode, they realized it needed more work than they had anticipated.
Joanna Gaines appeared on a recent episode of Kylie Kelce's podcast, "Not Gonna Lie," and shared a surprising story about her latest show. (YouTube/Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce) 
The upcoming series "Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion" follows the couple as they transform a huge mansion. (Magnolia Network) 
Chip purchased the home three years ago without Joanna, and now that they've renovated it, they're trying to find a buyer. (Magnolia Network) The process was grueling, but to add insult to injury, an interaction with an interested buyer made it seem like it was all for nothing.
“If you look online, the pictures you see is of the ‘before,’” Joanna said. The listing, held by Amanda Nesbitt of Magnolia Realty, keeps the “after” images a secret to avoid spoiling the show.
In a twist of fate, the prospective buyer had fallen in love with the outdated photos in the listing and was disappointed to learn that Chip and Joanna had stripped the home of its former McMansion glory.
Joanna recalled that on “the day of the reveal,” the real estate agents called to let the Gaineses know that a “qualified buyer” had “fallen in love” with the estate and wanted to put an offer in. The HGTV personality offered to give the buyer a walk through the home to chat about the changes they had made, only to realize that the renovation was a deal breaker.
“She said, ‘Well, what did they do?’ She was like, ‘I liked the pictures that I saw,’” Joanna said.
On the day of the reveal, a potential buyer who loved the before photos (listed here) was "upset" to see the Gaineses had changed the home. (Realtor.com) 
The 15,000-square-foot abode has an interior that would be outdated to some, but the prospective buyer preferred it. (Realtor.com) 
The listing photos show only the "before" version of the home to avoid spoiling the show, so Joanna offered to personally walk the buyer through the property. (Realtor.com) 
She wasn't interested and refused to even come to a viewing, noting that she had preferred the original look. (Realtor.com) 
The series premieres on Dec. 27, giving fans a chance to see what Chip and Joanna have decided to do with the home. (Realtor.com) Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to retain the buyer, who decided not to come for the viewing at all.
“The lady was so upset,” Joanna recalled. “She was like, ‘I don’t understand why she removed all the red and gold.’”
“It’s like, Chip was right,” she continued. “He could have sold this thing as is. We didn’t have to touch it. I’m like, ‘This is a joke.' I finally did it. I revealed it, and now we have a buyer and she’s upset that I fixed it up.”
The six-bedroom, 11-bathroom mansion is still on the market, asking $7.39 million. Although the new furnishings are still under wraps, viewers can get a look when the series premieres on Dec. 27 on Magnolia Network and HGTV.
The missed opportunity wasn’t the only revelation Joanna shared on the podcast episode. She also divulged that lately, she and Chip have been discussing expanding the family.
“When I had Crew at 40, I said, ‘Chip, I want him to have more siblings,’” she said. “I really thought I’d have nine children. I’m that lady. Look at my hair. Don’t I look like a lady that would have nine kids? And he was not open to it. Guess who’s open to it now? At 48?”
Joanna went on to share that her husband is “telling everyone” that she’s pregnant, even though she is not. From their adult children to a crowd of 2,000 people at a recent speaking engagement, Chip has continued to share the false news in an attempt to “speak it out into the universe.”
“So that whole audience thinks I’m pregnant. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’m not,” she confirmed.