‘The Bachelor’ Fans Will Get a Never Before Seen Look Inside Iconic Reality Show Mansion—as It Undergoes Dramatic HGTV Makeover

"Bachelor" fans are set to be treated to an intimate look inside the franchise's most iconic property, the aptly named "Bachelor Mansion" as it undergoes a one-of-a-kind makeover at the hands of several of the reality series' former stars.

Members of "Bachelor Nation," the dedicated fanbase of more than 1 million dating show devotees, will be given an up-close-and-personal tour of the property in a new six-episode collaboration with HGTV, "Bachelor Mansion Takeover," which will premiere on the home renovation network March 2.

The series will pull a cast of contenders from various "Bachelor" franchise series who are set to compete to redo the famous site of countless limo exits, ugly cries, last‑chance toasts, backstabbings, and rose ceremonies.

Instead of chasing roses, 12 former "Bachelor" franchise contestants will compete for a $100,000 prize, ensuring a fiercely fought competition that will be hosted by the dating show's longtime emcee—and former star—Jesse Palmer.

What's more, they will be competing against the clock as it counts down to "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Taylor Frankie Paul's debut as "The Bachelorette."

The final results will then be judged by Tayshia Adams, a television personality who appeared on "The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette," and "Bachelor in Paradise," and Tyler Cameron, a runner-up on "The Bachelorette," a model and, most important for this series, a general contractor.

But perhaps more important for true "Bachelor" fans, the show will offer something that no version of the dating series has given them: true insight into the sprawling property and its crumbling design, which is sorely in need of a makeover.

“For the first time ever we’re pulling back the curtain and revealing the mansion as you’ve never seen it before,” Palmer said in a statement.

“Our 12 contestants have already lived through the twists and turns of 'The Bachelor' franchise. They know this is not going to be easy. And the clock is ticking because this renovation has to be finished before a new season of 'The Bachelorette' begins.”

A number of Bachelor Nation vets will get fresh design starts on the "Bachelor Mansion Takeover."

Hannah Brown will help critique the completely reimagined men’s and women’s bunk rooms, and other Bachelor Nation favorites will drop in to weigh in on spaces like the pool area or the rose room as the season unfolds.

Guest judges will also include designer and franchise fan Nate Berkus, actress and franchise fan Rachel Bilson, former "Bachelorette" and home makeover specialist JoJo Fletcher, HGTV host and designer Christina Haack, and former "Bachelor" Sean Lowe.

The 12 competitors are all described as “legends” from across "The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette," "The Golden Bachelor," and "The Golden Bachelorette," including Dean Bell, Jill Chin, Noah Erb, Allyshia Gupta, Tammy Ly, Sandra Mason, Sam McKinney, Brendan Morais, Courtney Robertson Preciado, Jeremy Simon, Christopher Stallworth, and fan favorite "Golden Bachelorette" Joan Vassos.

The dozen players begin as a big group and are gradually whittled down, not just at the end of episodes but sometimes in the middle of challenges, thanks to reality‑show twists with names like “fate cards.”

In one early challenge, a numbers‑driven task even offers a shot at immunity—think less word problems, more renovation math—before anyone has swung a hammer in earnest. It all adds a layer of competitive tension that feels more like a rose ceremony than a typical HGTV elimination.​

The history of the Bachelor Mansion is a reality show in and of itself. Known to insiders as the Villa De La Vina, it's located in Agoura Hills, CA, in the Santa Monica Mountains, and is visible from Kanan Dume Road, the well traveled canyon road that leads from Agoura Hills to Malibu.

It was built in 2004 by contractor Marshall Haraden, who owns it to this day. Haraden designed the house with his wife for their family, and personally oversaw construction. They lived in it for several years before ABC came calling for a permanent home base for the show.​

The show began shooting there starting with Brad Womack’s season 11 in 2007. After nearly two decades’ worth of suitors, the mansion badly needs a makeover. All those backdrops with artificial flowers, the cramped bunk rooms, the dated kitchen, and just about every surface worn out by heavy production equipment, insane foot traffic, and millions of tears, could use a glow-up, stat.

Beyond all that usage, the home is also the permanent residence of the Haraden family, who pack up and move into a hotel for about six weeks, twice a year, while the show takes over for each production cycle. Crews clear out much of the family’s furniture, redecorate almost every room, and transform everyday spaces into television sets.

The rose‑ceremony room, for instance, is reportedly a game room with a pool table and bar when cameras aren’t rolling. Then the house eventually flips back to “normal” once everyone moves out and the set dressing disappears.

At various points in its history, Villa De La Vina has also surfaced as a short‑term rental. It should come as no surprise that fans would pay a premium for the opportunity to stay in the same location where world famous romances both bloomed and withered.​

Some contestants have complained about the fact that the living is not easy in the Bachelor Mansion. Many have critiqued the famous bunk rooms for their rows of beds, cramped sleeping quarters, limited storage, and virtually no privacy, as well as the crowded bathrooms and chaotic crouching over suitcases just off camera—contestants have to store most of their clothes in their suitcases, which leads one to wonder if there are also specific ironing rooms on the premises.

One of the mansion's drawbacks that most viewers are not aware of is the fact that it's located in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone. During the 2018 California wildfires, the mansion was in the direct danger zone; the fire destroyed a neighboring home and a production building on site, and the main house itself narrowly escaped the flames.

While the fledgling design competitors can't fix the location, there's a lot they can do about the crowded bunk rooms, utilitarian kitchen, and prep spaces where contestants get ready for rose nights.

Competitors have been instructed to pull inspiration from Tuscan villas and Santorini seaside palettes for the men's rooms. For the women's room, they're to channel a broader Mediterranean fantasy, complete with soft, sun‑washed colors and fabrics that move beautifully on camera.​

Outdoors, the iconic pool area, famous for countless group dates and cocktail parties that give viewers a chance to see more of the contestants than usual, will be upgraded into more of a modern resort hangout, with better conversation zones and visual framing for those wide night shots.

Other workhorse spaces, like the mixer rooms, terraces, and kitchen, will be rethought with traffic flow, noise, storage, and camera angles in mind, reflecting the reality that this house has to function as a set, a workspace, and, at least some of the year, as someone’s actual home.​

Unlike with the famous "Barbie House Challenge," this show is not a one-off, where the house will immediately undergo another makeover and then be sold after the cameras stop rolling. The new renovations will show up in the next round of "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" episodes.

It turns a design show into a kind of prequel season, one where the star isn’t the lead handing out roses but the house that has seen it all and is finally getting its own happily‑ever‑after renovation.​