Maureen McCormick Opens Up About Wanting to Buy the Brady House Before HGTV
Maureen McCormick and several of her former Brady Bunch co-stars recently completed work recreating the family's home from the beloved sitcom as part of HGTV's new series,A Very Brady Renovation.
McCormick and her on-screen brother Barry Williams -- who starred as Marcia and Greg Brady -- walked the red carpet at the premiere party for the upcoming show in Los Angeles on Thursday, and spoke with ET's Kevin Frazier about the iconic house.
As it turns out, long before HGTV finally purchased the house amid multiple offers from other interested parties -- including Lance Bass -- it was McCormick herself who had her eye on the iconic property and wanted to buy it.
"I did, but then I saw the whole bidding war," McCormick, 63, explained.
According to the actress, she had something of a heads up about the house going up for sale, and thought that she was the only one who could really appreciate it.
"I heard about it before anyone did," she said with a smile. "I had a little insider knowledge and I really wanted to [buy it]."
Ultimately, it didn't work out. However, once HGTV bought the place, they almost immediately contacted McCormick with the plans for the renovation, which were extensive to say the least.
Since the show was shot on a sound stage, the famed Brady House was just used for the exterior shots, meaning the inside looked nothing like sitcom abode.
So, as part of the special, HGTV icons Jonathan and Drew Scott of The Property Brothers, Mina Starsiak and Karen E. Laine of Good Bones, Leanne and Steve Ford of Restored by the Fords, Hidden Potential star Jasmine Roth and Flea Market Flip's Lara Spencer teamed up with McCormick, Williams, Christopher Knight, Eve Plumb, Mike Lookinland and Susan Olsen to completely design and remodel the interior to match (as closely as possible) the on-screen digs of the famous TV family.
"When I first walked in, I really didn't think that they could do it at all," McCormick admitted, adding, "I would say that the staircase was probably the biggest challenge."
And now, the buzz about the renovation is having some possible real-world impact on the Studio City neighborhood in which it stands.
"I've heard that everybody's house prices have gone up in the neighborhood," McCormick shared. "Which [makes sense]. I would like to live in that neighborhood, right? And have something happen?"
"I hope it's been a really good, positive thing," she added, referring to the whole, extensive renovation experiment. "I've met some of the neighbors and they've been so lovely to us."
Fans can see how their efforts have paid off when A Very Brady Renovation premieres Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV.
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