Chip and Jo’s ‘Home Team’ Boosts a Home’s Value—by $200 Per Square Foot

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It’s easy to forget that Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame were once rookies in the home renovation business. But now that they have their own network, they’re nurturing talented newbies who could become the next big thing.

On the new Magnolia Network show “The Home Team With Britt and Annie,” best friends and self-taught DIYers Annie Hawkins and Brittany Baker of Salt Lake City are building their home design business. And on the episode “Million Dollar Market Value,” they’re thrilled when they get a call from real estate agent Whitney, who might have a potentially profitable lead.

She’s working with a couple who want to list their home, but “to get top dollar, they’re going to have to have their living room, dining room, and kitchen renovated,” says Whitney. “The rest of their home has been remodeled very recently, but I was showing them some of your previous projects, and they want you!”

“This is only our second project as a full-time business,” Hawkins admits. “And even though this is only three rooms, it is 2,000 square feet of really expensive real estate.”

To add even more pressure, the owners want to put the home on the market in a mere 90 days.

“This is the largest-scale project we’ve ever done, so getting this completed on time will be a challenge,” says Hawkins. “But we are up for it!”

The $200,000 renovation budget the home sellers give them certainly helps. But you don’t need anywhere near that much to hear their advice. Check out what these rookie designers do, which might inspire some changes around your abode, too.

Add windows whenever possible

Living room with more windows and a glass door added

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Since this vacation home has such a spectacular view of the mountains, Baker and Hawkins decide to add windows wherever they can, which means in the living room and kitchen.

They also install a new windowed door in the living room. It’s not only about seeing out, but also letting more light in.

“We try to bring in as much natural light as possible,” says Baker. “It’s simple, it’s elegant, and it’s just so good for the soul.”

“Increased view, increased value,” says Whitney.

Light cabinets make a kitchen look bigger and brighter

Lighter cabinets seem to expand a kitchen.

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“This kitchen feels a little dated,” says Hawkins as she points at the dark wood cabinets topped by charcoal-spattered granite countertops that were big in the ’90s.

“We’re replacing all the cabinets because they’re looking pretty rough these days,” she explains.

For comparison, she holds up the rich blond wood that the new cabinets will be made of. The kitchen seems brighter already!

Wire-frame lights keep a high ceiling space open

Open, airy lighting

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As Hawkins and Baker go over their plans for the lofty, pitched ceiling in the living and dining area, they decide they want to go with the open flow. They don’t want to weigh the area down with heavy pendant lights or those kitschy antler chandeliers you see so often in luxury cabins.

“I’m thinking wireframe lights to keep it open and airy,” says Hawkins.

Panel the appliances for a sleek, modern look

Paneled refrigerators

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“The owners told us they want some panel-ready appliances,” says Baker, “which means we attach the cabinet faces to the front for a cohesive look.”

Dishwashers, ice makers, refrigerators, any and all can be paneled.

“The panel-ready appliances we ordered give the kitchen a really refined look,” Baker continues.

Pick a stain color where it will live

The team carefully selected the best color for the flooring.

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Hawkins and Baker are keeping the existing wood flooring, but it will be sanded and restained.

“We already know we want a lighter stain color,” says Baker. “But it’s really ideal to pick out stain in the actual space where the lighting is.”

They set up several wood samples on the floor, narrow it down to two, and find that they disagree on which is better.

So how to choose? They play rock, paper, scissors to settle their dispute.

Is this ‘Home Team’ project a hit?

In the end, when all the dust has settled, Whitney assesses the home’s new value.

“With everything you’ve shown me, I can safely say that you’ve easily added $200 per square foot,” she says.

In the 2,000-square-foot space they’ve worked on alone, that’s an increase of $400,000! Minus the $200,000 they spent, that’s an extra $200,000 for the homeowners.

“This was a challenging project,” says Baker. “We’ve never done anything to this scale. So that feels encouraging to know we can bring so much value to something that we’ve never done before.”

It looks like Chip and Jo’s latest prodigies are off to a great start!

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