The Bachelor Mansion Seen on 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' Belongs to a Family

Viewers love watching ABC's The Bachelor and The Bachelorette to see people compete for love and romance. On the premiere of each season, the contestants meet the star of the show in front of a very expensive mansion. What viewers might not know is that the mansion is not just a prop. A real family owns and lives there when the two reality shows are not being filmed.

The mansion has been the primary filming location since 2007 except for season 8 in 2012. That time The Bachelorette was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina so Emily Maynard could be near her daughter.

Family of Six

The real residence of the mansion includes Marshall Haraden Sr., his wife, Joanna, and their four children. Haraden is a contractor who built the mansion himself after he and Joanna designed it together.

When the Haradens appeared in Good Morning America two years ago, the explained how their moving back and forth works. They related that they stay in their own residence only nine months out of a year when it is not used by the Bachelor franchise. For the other 42 days of the year, the entire family leaves their mansion in Agoura Hills, California and lives in a hotel. The family is already back in the house by the time viewers watch the shows on television. That's because filming is done far in advance before the episodes are aired.

The Mansion

The 7,590 square-foot structure is set on 10 acres of land. The property is estimated to be worth about $7.4 million. The mansion has six spacious bedrooms, nine bathrooms, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, an infinity pool with waterfalls, a guest house, and a detached garage. The driveway always looks wet because producers spray it with water so it will look better on television when the contestants appear and introduce themselves.

The formal name for the mansion is "Villa de la Vina." It is the primary setting for the first two weeks of filming for both shows. After that time, the episodes are filmed with the contestants in other parts of the United States and in the world including Canada, England, New Zealand, Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Paris, and Rome. After traveling to those exotic places, filming takes place in the hometowns of the four final contestants.

The mansion has been the primary setting for the show since The Bachelor launched in 2007. It was built in 2005 to be used by ABC. Officials requested that the facility include space to accommodate moving cameras and sufficient lighting. For instance, Haraden added high ceilings, extra power, and extra bathrooms.

It is not uncommon for people to stop by thinking they might get a glimpse of some of the contestants. However, they are often disappointed because the crew and contestants have moved on to filming in other locations. The family doesn't mind fans stopping by. They take them on a tour of the mansion and let them swim in the pool if they want to do so.

Even though the Haradens are fans of the shows, they admit that it is strange seeing the contestants doing and saying things in the same place where they have to go back to live.

The Transformation

Needless to say, the mansion has to be transformed from accommodations for a family of six to close to a hundred others including contestants, crew, the staff, and many cameras.

It takes only one day for all the belongings of the Haradens to be taken out. It is not a matter of hiding things in closets or under beds. Everything must literally be taken out of the residence and put in storage. That includes paintings off the wall, clothes and personal belongings, curtains from the windows, and televisions. Even dishes, glasses, pots and pans have to be taken out of the kitchen. It takes about two weeks for everything to be put back in place when the family returns. The process begins all over again when the franchise begins filming for another season that alternates between The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

Each season, the mansion is painted a different color to be appropriate for the gender of the person handing out the roses. Over the years, the Bachelor mansion has had close to 50 coats of fresh paint in different colors.

When the family members watch the rose ceremony, they no longer see their den where they usually play pool and other games. Instead, they see a more formal setting for the rose ceremony and a sitting room for discussions. The Haradens also see one of their bedrooms transformed into a deliberation room where the bachelor or bachelorette looks at portraits of the remaining contestants to determine who should be eliminated. A walk-in closet off of the upstairs master bedroom is large enough to hold all the contestants' suitcases. A storage room is off of the kitchen for extra blankets, throw pillows and other things the contestants might need. Also, a small glam station is set up across the hall from the kitchen where stylists help the women stay camera-ready under the many lights and cameras.

Viewers don't get to see the entire house. Some parts of the mansion never make it to the television screen such as the formal dining room, the guest house, and the well-stocked kitchen. The backyard has plenty of comfortable space for personal conversations.

We learned on season 14 during Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette that there are bunk beds upstairs in the mansion. We might never have known it if David Ravitz hasn't fallen out of one and landed on his face. He had to be taken to the hospital in the middle of the night. Ravitz was the contestant who wore a bright yellow chicken suit. Now the bunk beds come equipped with safety rails that host Chris Harrison jokingly call "chicken rails."

In rare cases, Haraden needs to show up on his property if something breaks or is not working properly. He says he tries to stay about from his mansion while filming is going on because he doesn't want to see what happens before it is aired on television.

Compensation for the Family

The contract is renewed each season, but the Haradens do not reveal how much they are compensated for moving in out of their residence twice a year. It is obvious that the compensation includes hotel expenses and rent for the use of their mansion.

The family admits it is a hassle to move in and out twice a year. It was tougher on the kids when they were younger especially because the filming interrupted their school schedule. They managed because the hotel they moved into is only two blocks from the kids' school. Now that all the children are adults, they do not live at home with their parents. Therefore, the move is not as much of a hassle now than it was when the kids were much younger.

Other Uses for the Mansion

The mansion is sometimes rented for weddings and featured in several commercials and series like Quantico. However, the house is more notable as the primary setting for The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

The family doesn't have to move out for weddings because the event is usually held outside the main entrance. That's where viewers see the contestants first meet and introduce themselves to the person who hands out the roses.