Here's a story of a lovely house that recently sold for a loss.
The home, better known as "The Brady Bunch house," in Studio City, Calif., went on the market in May for $5.5 million and sold on Monday for just under $3.2 million to a self-described fan with no intention of living there.
Its new owner is Tina Trahan. Together with her husband, former television executive Chris Albrecht, Trahan is something of a collector of iconic real estate who has, over the years, been buying up floors of Stone Manor, a colossal lakefront property in Wisconsin that's nearly 125 years old.
When the famed 1970s sitcom home first appeared on the market, Trahan reportedly told her agent she was "obsessed" with the single-story, mid century ranch style house, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"I thought that was hilarious," she said, adding that she intends to use the home for charity and fundraising events.
"Nobody is going to live in it," Trahan told the WSJ. "No one is going in there to make pork chops and applesauce in that kitchen. Anything you might do to make the house livable would take away from what I consider artwork."
Technically, only exterior shots of the house were used on television. The actual show was filmed on a soundstage. But when HGTV purchased the home in 2018 – outbidding *NSYNC singer Lance Bass at $3.5 million — the network rebuilt it to replicate the house in which the motley Brady crew lived.
During the process of A Very Brady Renovation, designers more than doubled the size of the home, from 2,500 square feet to 5,500. Much of that came with the addition of a second story. Now, according to the listing, there are five bedrooms and five bathrooms which have been "meticulously restored."
By the end of the project, which also involved some cameos from the the former cast, HGTV had spent an additional $1.9 million.
According to the listing on the Compass real estate site, "From the infamous staircase that anchors the home, to the bright orange formica kitchen counters, to the blue bunk beds and pink twin beds, and let's not forget about the groovy attic. ... Curated furnishings and accessories are included in the sale and will take you back in time to a unique era. This is a collector's dream."
Indeed, the house is filled with iconic mid century furniture, including avocado green Knoll-style Tulip chairs and a pedestal table in the kitchen with a matching refrigerator, low slung credenzas, and the Mondrianesque paneled screen above the staircase.
The listing also notes that some of the fireplaces, appliances and fixtures throughout the home are "decorative only."
Those are likely among the reasons that Trahan described the purchase as "the worst investment ever."
Reflecting on her latest acquisition and its aging fans, Trahan said, "I can't even say the word investment — I'm going to say liability."
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
