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After selling just two years ago, a home featured on HGTV’s “Home Town” is back on the market.
In the Season 1 episode, “Homecoming,” Erin and Ben Napier renovate a four-bedroom home in Laurel, MS, for a pair of newlyweds.
By the end of the episode, the 3,328-square foot Craftsman is filled with surprises. There’s a roomy front porch, a breakfast nook made from a church pew, and a secret room off of the primary en suite.
So, it was no surprise in 2022 when the house sold quickly.
“Turnout for the open house was phenomenal,” then-listing agent Beau Davis told Realtor.com® at the time, noting that the sellers accepted an all-cash offer for the full list price of $390,000, minus $5,000 in seller concessions.
A ‘Home Town’ premium?
Now fans of the Napiers have another chance to make the home theirs—this time for $429,250.
That price represents a roughly 200% jump from the prerenovation price tag. On the 2017 episode, viewers are told the home was listed for about $140,000, but the sale price is undisclosed.
And considering the house is currently listed at $129 per square foot—while the median price per square foot in Laurel is $104—it might seem a little pricey.
Demand remains strong in Laurel
Even so, local real estate agent Ebonee Johnikin, with Stardom Realty Group, says the pricing (particularly for a renovated “Home Town” house) isn’t unheard of. She adds that the market in Laurel is getting more and more competitive. Johnikin isn’t the listing agent for the home but is familiar with the “Home Town” renovations, as she had her own house renovated by the Napiers.
“There are about 23% fewer houses on the market compared to this time last year,” she says. “This shows a strong demand for properties in our community. The average price of home sales has increased a substantial amount. I believe this is a testament to the desirability and value of homes in Laurel.”
She adds that this home “is in a prime location to walkable downtown. Buyers will fall in love with the community as much as they will with the home.”
Keep reading for a glimpse inside—and check out the feature Ben said was “the coolest part about the house.”
The home has a large front porch, a perfect spot for entertaining.
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On “Home Town,” Erin Napier wanted to give this living room a colorful fireplace.
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The Napiers opened up the wall between the kitchen and dining space, creating a better space for entertaining.
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The kitchen features counters and a grey tile backsplash.
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This breakfast nook was made from an old church pew.
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Touched by the Napiers
Built in 1910, this home was in rough shape when the Warren family bought it back in 2016. However, the Napiers gave the exterior some serious TLC with a paint job and the removal of an old screen around the porch.
Inside, the couple worked hard to make the home feel refreshed but still classic and cozy. Erin gives the living room a fresh coat of white paint then adds a splash of color with mosaic tile on the fireplace.
“That room is gonna be very white and neutral, and I needed something to be the focal point,” she says in the episode.
Meanwhile, the team updates the kitchen by removing part of a wall to open it up, adding a tile backsplash and replacing the cabinets.
In the episode, Erin calls this “the best kitchen we’ve done yet,” which, considering this is only Episode 3, just might be accurate.
There are four bedrooms in this vintage residence.
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Ben Napier shows off the secret door, which leads to an office space.
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One of the most unique features in this house is the “secret door” in the primary bedroom. The home already had a small doorway here, which leads to another room, but Erin and Ben decided to hide the feature by making it look like a section of paneling on the wall.
Ben dubs this feature “the coolest.”
There’s a large back porch with space for cooking and dining.
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Beyond the back porch is a large yard and an apartment above the two-car, detached garage.
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The post The ‘Secret Door’ House From ‘Home Town’ Season 1 Is Up for Grabs Again appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
