Real Estate

Chip and Joanna Gaines are selling the 135-year-old castle they renovated for nearly $2.7 million. Take a look inside.

A side-by-side of a castle and Chip and Joanna Gaines.
Chip and Joanna Gaines are selling their castle. Lisa Petrole/Magnolia
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Chip and Joanna Gaines are selling off a fairytale space.

The "Fixer Upper" couple owns several properties in their home city of Waco, Texas, including a 135-year-old castle they bought in 2019.

They renovated the space for their show, "Fixer Upper: The Castle," and they previously tried to auction off the castle in 2023.

Three years later, it's back on the market for nearly $2.7 million. Check out the historic property.

Chip and Joanna Gaines bought a castle in 2019.

A castle sits on a lawn.
Chip and Joanna Gaines own a castle in Waco, Texas. Lisa Petrole

As Joanna shared in a blog post, Chip had wanted to buy the Waco, Texas, property called Cottonland Castle for over 20 years before they finally purchased it in 2019.

They spent the next several years restoring and renovating it, as they documented for their Magnolia series, "Fixer Upper: The Castle." 

They completed the renovation in 2022, and they allowed groups to tour the property for $50 per ticket before the show aired later that year.

They put the home up for auction in July 2023.

Chip and Joanna Gaines sit in the window of a castle.
Chip and Joanna Gaines put the home up for auction in 2023. Magnolia

After offering tours of the property in 2022, Chip and Joanna decided to auction it in July 2023.

Chip and Joanna's company, Magnolia Realty, partnered with Concierge Auctions to auction off the castle from July 20 to July 27, 2023.

They said in a statement at the time that they hoped the person who bought the property would turn the castle into "a well-loved home once again," The Wall Street Journal reported.

However, the auction sale never went through, and they reopened the home for tours six months later, according to Country Living Magazine.

"Magnolia is pleased to share that the Historic Waco Castle is staying in the Magnolia family," Magnolia told the outlet in a statement at the time. "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."

Three years after they first attempted to auction the home, Chip and Joanna put the castle up for sale.

A photo of a castle with trees and grass around it.
They listed the home for sale in June 2026. Magnolia

On June 18, the Gaineses listed three of their properties in Waco for sale through their company, Magnolia Realty, including the castle. Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the listings.

In addition to the castle, Chip and Joanna listed the Hillcrest Estate, a rental property, for $1.7 million, and the Gristmill, a landmark the couple restored, for $935,000.

The castle is the most expensive listing of the bunch, with the couple hoping to sell it for $2.699 million.

"As Magnolia looks ahead to new opportunities in the hospitality space, the timing feels right for these three properties to begin their next chapter," Magnolia Realty said in an Instagram caption about the listings.

The castle was first purchased in 1890.

A living room with large windows and a fireplace.
The castle has gone through several iterations. Lisa Petrole

According to Waco History, the original buyer abandoned the castle after beginning work on it in 1890, and it was abandoned again by a second owner in 1908. 

Alfred Abeel then bought the property in 1913 and worked with architect Roy E. Lane to finish construction of the home, keeping German castles in mind in its design.

Different people owned the property throughout the 20th century, and it fell into disrepair after becoming a historical site in 1977. By the time Chip and Joanna bought the property, it needed a lot of work. 

The 6,176-square-foot house sits on less than an acre of land.

A dining room with mahogany walls and a white fireplace.
The formal dining room has a massive chandelier. Lisa Petrole

The castle has four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. 

As befits a castle, it also features a tower.

The dining room features restored paneling and historic wallpaper, along with dramatic details such as a large chandelier and an ornate fireplace.

Chip and Joanna wanted to maintain some of the house's original features while making it work for a modern dweller.

A kitchen with white countertops and a big white refrigerator.
The kitchen changed locations. Lisa Petrole

For instance, Joanna explained in "Fixer Upper: The Castle" that the kitchen was originally in the basement, which she didn't think would work for a modern dweller.

The kitchen now sits on the main floor, so it's more functional. However, they maintained the original mahogany paneling on the walls, blending old and new.

The area also features a butler's pantry with additional appliances.

The couple transformed every room in the house.

A dining room with a tile fireplace and modern, round table.
The basement offers additional living space. Lisa Petrole

The basement was also completely refinished, and it now includes an entertainment room, guest room, laundry room, and game room (photographed above). 

The castle also has a conservatory and a library, as well as seven fireplaces.

The primary bedroom includes the castle's original flooring.

A bedroom with a white fireplace, big chandelier, and large windows.
The home has four bedrooms. Lisa Petrole

The upstairs houses a built-in library and three of the home's four bedrooms, each decorated by Joanna.

Some of the home's vintage charm is most obvious upstairs, like the diamond-paned windows and antique tile in the bathrooms, as detailed in the home's listing.

The castle is listed for almost $2.7 million.

A bathroom with green walls and a large bathtub.
The home will be sold furnished. Lisa Petrole

The listing states that the home will come furnished, so the future owners can buy a space designed and decorated by Chip and Joanna.

"All furnishings, accessories, and decor have been thoughtfully curated to complement the home's design and are included with the purchase, creating a truly turnkey opportunity," it said.

You can learn more about the castle here.

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Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn
Samantha Grindell Pettyjohn is a Senior Reporter at Business Insider with more than seven years of experience in the lifestyle space.At Business Insider, Samantha's coverage focuses on unique living situations, interior design, style, and books. Her work includes features on multigenerational living and one-of-a-kind houses, timely articles on celebrity fashion, live coverage of award shows and pageants, and fun pieces about popular book series. Samantha also loves reporting on celebrities on her beats, from HGTV stars Christina Haack and Tarek El Moussa to authors such as Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros.Samantha appeared on Scripps News and CBS in 2022 as a result of her coverage of the royal family, and in 2023, she won an Anthem Award for her work on Business Insider's package "Better Me."Samantha received her B.A. in English from Birmingham-Southern College in 2017, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She later earned her M.S. in Publishing from New York University in 2019. Samantha was previously a staff writer at Romper, and her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Mic, and Oprah.com. Today, Samantha lives in New York.Email her at sgrindell@businessinsider.com and follow her on X.ExpertiseHomes, celebrity style, the royal family, interior design, and multigenerational living.Popular ArticlesA family spent $69,000 turning their garage into an apartment so their son could live rent-free while launching his startupA family ditched their dining room and added a primary suite above the garage in a $1 million renovation of their homeShe moved across the country when her husband got into Harvard. Starting over was hard.Rebecca Yarros is working on the 4th 'Empyrean' novel. Here's everything the 'Fourth Wing' author has said about the book so far.Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Network pulls show after homeowners allege that makeovers ruined their houses