The Airbnb Waco Fixer Upper – Sunday Morning Coffee

Today I am sharing how and why I bought our Airbnb Waco fixer upper. It has been the best remodel project and investment ever!

Before Chip and Joanna Gaines brought their widely popular show Fixer Upper to television, I didn’t know much about Waco, Texas. The Fixer Upper show gave the world a whole new view of this quaint Texas town. Including me! And now we have an Airbnb Waco fixer-upper home.

Season 2, Volume 7

Thanks for joining me for Sunday morning coffee. Today I am sharing my weekly thoughts about entertaining, decor, crafts, and recipes and some thoughts about our Airbnb Waco home remodel.

Waco, Texas … I get asked all of the time how I ended up with a Waco Airbnb fixer-upper.

It all started with a couple, Chip and Joanna, who invited us into homes in and around Waco. While growing up in a quiet Texas town the Gaines got a break with a TV show that turned homes with potential into beautiful homes that were absolutely gorgeous.

They did it with charm. And humor. And humility. In the process of renovating the homes, Chip and Joanna shared their marriage, their family, and before they knew it, they had also transformed a quaint Texas town with potential into something pretty incredible.

I was and am a huge fan of all things Fixer-Upper and Magnolia. The Fixer Upper show hit a chord within me. The show revealed not only the renovated homes but also revealed a new genre of decor, known as Farmhouse. The style was something that I had always embraced, a mix of vintage and new.

In 2018 I visited Waco for the first time. I rented Clint Harp’s home (who was also on the Fixer Upper show) to teach two Art Marketing workshops. Six months later we bought a home in Waco, Texas.

I do have to mention that the home prices in Waco were a tiny fraction of the cost in Los Angeles. After spending hours studying the real estate market and the tourist potential in Waco, I realized I could buy a neglected home and fix it up and rent it out as a short-term rental.

Our home is on a half-acre lot with a two-hundred-year-old oak tree. While it had a very large lot and a gorgeous oak tree with years of character and history, it also had was a dilapidated home that needed not only major work but a tremendous amount of vision.

This is what it looked like when we bought it.

And this is what it looked like when I finished the remodel.

Our home is located one mile from the Magnolia Silos and Market and Baylor University. My plans included remodeling this fixer-upper home into a farmhouse-style home with a large wrap-around porch. I was so excited to remodel this home and share it with those who want to come to Waco to feel the magic that is Magnolia.

What I did not anticipate happening, was that I would fall in love with Waco. That I would meet good friends. Really good, thoughtful, amazing friends. That I would feel so comfortable not only in our home but in this town.

The house was originally two bedrooms and one bathroom. It had a front porch that was what I will generously describe as rickety. My plan was to expand the home to three bedrooms, two bathrooms and add a wrap-around porch.

As with every renovation project, there were surprises. The first step was to demo the plaster. I really, really, really hoped that we would find shiplap underneath. Not only did we find shiplap behind the plaster on the walls, but we also found gorgeous wood above the plaster ceilings. This made the ceilings 10 1/2′ tall.

Now for the less glamorous side of renovation. The foundation was a mess and needed major work. While foundation, electrical, and roofing are not very exciting, it is one of the most important parts. Because we were reinforcing the foundation, redoing the electrical and roofing, I made the decision to take off the roof and switch it so I could add the wrap-around porch to the house.

The wrap-around porch was so important to me. It is quintessentially southern. I will be honest, it was not easy to add this porch. But, it was worth all of the aggravation, sweat, and extra cost that it took to make it happen. It is an old southern tradition to paint the ceiling of your wrap-around porch a version of blue, like the sky. I painted the ceiling of the porch Sherwin Williams Sky High, the name seems so appropriate.

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During the renovation, I visited Waco at least once a month. I would stay at a local hotel and when I wasn’t at the house supervising the construction, began visiting some of the local shops. Some days I enjoyed wandering through the Magnolia Market and Silos and some of my new favorite stores in Waco, The Findery and Joanna Gaines’s first store, the Little Shop on Bosque.

I have found so many of the wonderful vintage items that fill our Waco home in Texas. The Findery is right down the street from the Magnolia Market and Silos. When you go to Waco, you must go to the Findery. They have two locations, the Findery Marketplace on Webster and the Findery on 8th.

The Findery Marketplace is focused on home decor. The Findery on 8th has home decor but also has clothing, jewelry, and an adorable cocktail bar called the Boiler Room.

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The Round Top Antiques Show

Our Waco house is just a little over two hours (120 miles) north of Roundtop, Texas. There are so many pieces of furniture and decor in the Waco house that hold such fond memories of visiting the Roundtop Antiques Fair. The Fair is held twice a year, spring and fall. This year, the spring fair is March 28-April 2.

The fall fair is October 24-29. The vendors set up for weeks and weeks prior to the fair. There are literal treasures to be found. So, if you are thinking of going to Roundtop, make a stop in Waco and stay at my house!

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My 100 Year Old Waco Home is the perfect home for families or a Magnolia visit with girlfriends. It’s also a great home for wedding parties, Bear fans visiting Baylor University, or a stop on the way to a vintage antique fair.

The home has an open living concept with a large adjoining living room, dining room, and kitchen area. The three bedrooms have four double beds and one king bed. The tables in the dining room and porch seat 18 people which is perfect for family gatherings.

The decor in our AirBnB Waco may be vintage, but the house has all of the amenities you will need for a comfortable stay. The beds are really, really comfy!

So guess what … we are getting ready to start another big remodel!

Something New

Yes, we are starting a big remodel.

I did talk about our plans to remodel our beach house a year ago. Of course, that’s when I thought we would be starting our remodel. But the city of Ventura took about a year longer than we expected to approve our plans. But that’s ok because we now have our building permit!

So what are we doing in this remodel? Well, we are adding two bathrooms and two bedrooms and are raising the roof in our family room (see photo below) so our tall sons can actually walk to the window to see the view. We are opening up the living room and redoing the kitchen, and adding a third-floor deck!

Our kitchen is so tiny and I can’t wait to have a more open space to cook and entertain.

So when do we start construction?

March 15th!!!!

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Last week was so much fun! I loved sharing our Waho Airbnb and I appreciate all of your enthusiasm. I also shared a fun new DIY … a jute basket! And the table I created with Hobby Lobby is amazing. All of the items are linked in my blog post and they are 40% off.

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Here are some of my favorite decor items I used to decorate out AirbnB Waco TX.

Ready to set a table Waco style? Here is everything you need!

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This week I have three fun DIY’s involving paper flowers, a pillow, and a basket. Yay! I am also sharing how to mix colors (with paint and in your decor), a healthy fun breakfast idea, and more!

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• Hello Spring – S2/V7
• Our Family Sports Story – S2/V6
• Abstract Art – S2/V5
• Valentine’s Day Decor – S2/V4
• Winter Home Decor – S2/V3
• Winter Decor Ideas – S2/V2
• A Winter Color Palette, Season 2/Volume 1

Pin the image below to your decor boards on Pinterest (just click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest!

For more real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @My100YearOldHome