We all loved the Brady Bunch, even that home we all believed they lived in. Let’s jump into the juicy stuff first, then we’ll move onto the fun facts. Here’s the story…
Hopefully, I’m not breaking too many hearts by serving up a dose of reality, but the Brady Bunch house was actually just a stand-in. If you want to see can how celebrities use actual homes as their private hideaways to chill, read more here.
They didn’t film in it, they didn’t live in it and Alice didn’t slave over everyone’s laundry there. Nothing. Nada. In Fact, this home had just 3 bedrooms. Do the math (singing the theme song will help).
Courtesy: HGTV
Nonetheless, next to the White House, this is the second most photographed home in the entire U.S. I’m sure the tour buses have a lot to do with that bringing celebrity seekers and looky-loos over by the droves.
So many that the previous owners had to build a fence around the home to keep folks from peering into the windows and taking souvenirs like shrubbery and tree branches.
Let the festivities begin!
In 2018 the home finally hit the market for the first time since 1973, listed at a hair below US$1.9 million. NSYNC star Lance Bass waaaay overbid (in his words) and was led to believe he had won the home.
Turns out a mystery corporate buyer was willing to pay more- more as in any number that gets them that home. And I mean any number. Our half a million home buying splurge wasn’t going to cut it here.
Lance felt hoodwinked by the agents but was a good sport about it. Turns out the mystery buyer was HGTV and they paid US$1.6 million above asking closing the deal at US$3.5 million. And it was nice to see they kept the minimalist mid-century design with design.
The goal of HGTV was to restore the Brady Bunch house and make a big production out of it, which they did. You can see how it all went down and the final result here.
5 fun facts about the Brady Bunch Family.
- Maureen McCormick (aka Marcia) wanted to buy the house but backed off when she saw the fierce competition unfolding.
- It has an impressive lot size of 0.29 acres.
- The Brady kids had no idea where the actual house was growing up.
- Little Bobby now makes concrete countertops for a living.
For the role of Mike Brady, they considered Gene Hackman, but he was too much of an unknown at the time. No doubt the kids would have been better behaved!
Gene Hackman in ‘Unforgiven’
