‘Fixer Upper’: Chip Gaines Wanted to Travel to Film the Show, But Joanna Wouldn’t Allow It

Chip and Joanna Gaines reached massive fame with their HGTV show Fixer Upper. Though the two are no longer making new episodes for HGTV, they have a new show on discovery+ that is essentially the same concept.

Back when the couple was first starting out, Chip actually tried to make it work so the two could travel to new locations for the show. But Joanna wasn’t having it.

Chip and Joanna Gaines have only ever filmed in Waco, Texas

When Chip and Joanna started filming their show, they had settled into Waco, Texas, after both graduating from Baylor University. The two loved Waco and wanted to improve the city’s homes as much as they could. HGTV sent a production crew out to film the couple over the course of a week, and upon seeing the way the two interacted, the network knew Chip and Joanna were destined for success.

From that point forward, Chip and Joanna’s entire business has been run from Waco. When the two branched out into the hospitality industry, they opened a restaurant and a bed and breakfast in the city. And Joanna, who owned a home goods shop prior to becoming famous, opened it on a bigger scale with Waco’s Magnolia at the Silos. Chip and Joanna also own a bakery in the city.

Chip tried to make travel work, but Joanna didn’t want it

Joanna and Chip Gaines have said in past interviews that they never wanted to take their business out of state because their kids were so young. They didn’t want to be parents who traveled often and didn’t spend time with their children. But when the opportunity first arose, Chip tried desperately to make it work.

“in the beginning … Everyone was asking, ‘Can you come to New Jersey?’ or ‘Can you come to Florida?’” Joanna said. “And Chip was really trying to figure out how to make that work.” Joanna said the two were even asked to go to New Zealand at one point. “He spent like two days trying to figure out how we could get to New Zealand.”

Ultimately, Chip and Joanna decided that, as long as their kids were still young, they would only remodel homes in Waco to make sure they dedicated enough time to their growing family.

Chip and Joanna Gaines likely won’t be traveling for a while, since their fifth child is so young  

The couple has mentioned in the past that they’d consider traveling once their kids were more grown. However, that was before the two decided to have baby no. 5. Back in 2019, Chip and Joanna welcomed their fifth child, a son named Crew, who is about 10 years younger than their next oldest child.

Chip has since made jokes about having even more kids, though Joanna doesn’t seem to be on board. But with a toddler at home now, the two likely won’t be going anywhere for a while.