The Fixer Upper Homes in Waco, Texas: Are They Worth Staying In?
If you've spent any time researching where to stay in Waco, you've probably come across the two vacation rentals that keep showing up at the top of every list: the Barndominium and the Little House — the actual properties from HGTV's Fixer Upper, available to book on Airbnb and VRBO.
And if you're like most people who find them, your first reaction is some version of: wait, you can actually stay in those?
Yes. You can. And the question most people have before booking is whether the reality lives up to what they're imagining.
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is below.
What Are the Fixer Upper Vacation Rentals?
There are two properties. They're different from each other in size, feel, and who they're best suited for — so knowing the distinction before you book matters.
The Barndominium is the one that stopped the country when the episode aired. A working horse barn on 16 private gated acres in Lacy-Lakeview, Texas, transformed by Chip and Joanna Gaines into a dramatic, warmly layered farmhouse with high ceilings, exposed beams, and a design that made it instantly one of the most talked-about episodes in the show's run.
Joanna's original furnishings are still in place. The upstairs kitchen — one of the most distinctive architectural features of the renovation — is still there. The soaking tub, the rain shower, the two-story 800-square-foot covered deck overlooking a 25-acre spring-fed lake — all of it exactly as designed and maintained beautifully.
It sleeps 16+ guests across 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Available on Airbnb and VRBO.
The Little House is the Season 2, Episode 1 property — the fan-favorite "Little House on the Prairie" episode where a pair of coffee shop owners asked Chip and Joanna to build their dream home. Original wood floors, original ceilings, the fireplace Chip famously unearthed from inside the walls during filming, and Joanna's original furniture still arranged exactly as it appeared on screen.
The back deck is shaded by a 200-year-old oak tree. The backyard comes stocked with lawn games. The neighborhood is quiet and residential, about 10 minutes from Magnolia Market.
It sleeps 8 guests across 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Available on Airbnb and VRBO.
What Guests Actually Say
The reviews across both properties are remarkably consistent, which is itself worth noting — consistent reviews across a large number of stays usually means the experience is reliably delivering what it promises.
The things that come up most:
The properties look exactly like the episodes. This is the first thing most guests mention. There's a specific moment — usually within the first hour of arrival — where the gap between what you've seen on screen and what you're standing in closes entirely. The room is the room. The furniture is the furniture. It lands differently than most people expect it to.
The Barndominium deck and lake are the highlight. Guests describe the covered deck overlooking the spring-fed lake as the best outdoor space they've experienced in a vacation rental. Multiple reviews mention staying on the deck longer than planned — evenings that started at sunset and ended well past midnight because nobody wanted to go inside.
The Little House feels like a real home. The review language for the Little House consistently uses words like "warm," "cozy," and "homey" — which sounds generic until you realize how rarely vacation rentals actually produce that feeling rather than just promising it. The original materials, the original furnishings, and the care with which the property has been maintained create a specific quality that guests notice immediately and don't stop noticing for the entire stay.
Both properties are well-maintained. A common concern with high-demand vacation rentals is that they look better in photos than in person. The reviews for both properties consistently say the opposite — that the properties met or exceeded expectations, with clean, well-kept spaces that reflect genuine care from the management team.
Is It Actually Worth the Price?
This is the question that matters most for most people considering a booking, and the answer depends on how you look at it.
If you're evaluating the nightly rate in isolation — just the dollar amount — it's on the higher end of what most vacation rentals in the region charge.
If you're evaluating it against what you're actually getting, the math looks different.
For the Barndominium: the nightly rate divided across 16 guests puts the per-person cost in a range that compares favorably to a mid-range hotel room — and a hotel room doesn't come with a private lake, 16 gated acres, a fully equipped kitchen, or the specific experience of staying in an iconic Fixer Upper renovation. For larger groups especially, the value equation is strong.
For the Little House: divided across 8 guests, the per-person cost is similarly competitive with hotels that offer a fraction of the space, none of the character, and none of the history. For a group that wants something genuinely special rather than just somewhere to sleep, it's worth it.
The guests who feel most strongly that the properties are worth it are almost always the ones who came specifically for the Fixer Upper history and the ones who used the property as a genuine base for a full Waco weekend rather than just a place to sleep. The guests who feel more neutral are usually the ones who treated it as a hotel — checked in, slept, checked out — without engaging with what the property actually offers.
What to Know Before You Book
Book early. Both properties fill up consistently, particularly for spring and summer weekends. If you have specific dates in mind, check availability as soon as you've decided — the window between "available" and "booked" closes faster than most people expect.
The Barndominium is for larger groups. At 16 beds and 2 bathrooms, it's built for groups. A couple or a family of four would likely find it more space than they need. For 8 or more people, it's exactly right.
The Little House has one bathroom. Three bedrooms, one bathroom — which means morning coordination for larger groups. For a couple or a small family it's fine; for 8 people it requires some patience during the morning rush.
Both are pet-friendly. A pet fee applies. Check the current listing for details.
You're in the actual houses. Not inspired-by, not decorated-in-the-style-of — the actual properties, with the actual furnishings, in the actual locations. That's the thing most worth saying clearly to anyone who is still on the fence.
The Verdict
Worth it? Yes — with the caveat that "worth it" depends on what you bring to the trip.
If you show up expecting a hotel and treat it like one, you'll have a fine stay and come away feeling neutral. If you show up understanding what these properties are — the original homes, with Joanna's original design still intact, in a city that has become one of the most visited in Texas specifically because of the show that made these houses famous — and you give the trip the time and attention it deserves, the answer is unambiguously yes.
The Barndominium deck at sunset over the spring-fed lake is as good as it looks in the photos. The Little House fireplace on a cool evening is the real thing. Watching the episode in the room it was filmed in is the kind of experience that doesn't have a hotel equivalent at any price.
Book one of them. Come for a full weekend. Give the trip enough room to show you what it actually is.
You won't regret it.
📩 Check availability for the Barndominium and the Little House on Airbnb and VRBO and see what dates are open for your group.