On a February 2024 episode of “Fixer to Fabulous,” Jenny and Dave Marrs renovated this four-bedroom, three-bathroom home for Dave’s uncle and aunt, Bob and Jill Marrs.
The Bella Vista, AR, home was a total transformation, with personal touches like a custom room for Bob’s fishing gear and a new deck where the couple can sit and enjoy the lake view. And while the design is divine, the best part was the location: just two doors down from Bob’s brother and sister-in-law (Dave’s parents).
So, it’s surprising that Jill and Bob listed the property soon after it was finished.
Of course, we have to wonder: Why are they leaving? Did the pair decide they don’t want to be too close to relatives, after all? Or maybe the renovation was not quite to Jill and Bob’s tastes. Or perhaps they thought the renovation was so wonderful that they didn’t want to miss out on a sizable profit.
Whatever the reason, they haven’t had much luck unloading the property. It’s been on the market for over 100 days and had its price reduced from $1,600,000 to $1,450,000.
But perhaps the biggest problem with this listing is the price: even at the lower price, it’s a lot to ask of a buyer.
In Bella Vista, the average price per square foot is $206, while this house is priced at $454 per square foot. (The home last changed hands in 2023 for $800,000.)
Read on to see if this house is worth the price. Perhaps a “Fixer to Fabulous” fan would pay extra to be neighbors with the Marrs family.
In the “Fixer to Fabulous” Season 5 episode, “Home Reno Brings Family Ties,” Jill complains that she doesn’t like the exterior stonework.
Removing this stone would be tricky, so Jenny decides to change other parts of the exterior to make this stone seem nicer: painting the siding black, installing black windows, and replacing the leaky roof with a black metal one.
“Everything feels modern,” Jenny says when the renovation is done. “And before, the stone was just so ugly, but now it works.”
While Dave and Jenny are able to work around the exterior stone, they can’t ignore the giant stone fireplace in the living room.
“It’s huge and it steals the show, and the lake is the show,” Jill says, pointing to the water view.
The team removes the top part of this fireplace and covers the rest of it with white mortar, softening the look of the feature.
Jenny and Dave also make big changes in the kitchen, taking down a wall, replacing the cabinets, and creating an island.
“We’ve literally more than doubled the size of this kitchen,” Dave says. “That’s what’s important to most people.”
To finish the living space rehab, Jenny and Dave suggest enclosing the sunroom to create a formal dining area. Meanwhile, they add a new deck beside it. This upgrade costs a pretty penny, but it adds more livable space.
“We’ve got about 600 square feet of back deck,” Dave says. “It’s another whole room.”
Jenny and Dave decided to take some space away from the main bedroom to create a bigger closet. They also upgraded the main bathroom, adding a double vanity, a big soaking tub, and elegant gray flooring.
In addition to a renovated residence, the home offers a private boat dock on Lake Windsor.
Now, all the owners need is a buyer who appreciates all the upgrades to this lovely abode and loves the lake-front setting.