A small but iconic bit of TV history is on the market for just under $3 million. The Brentwood, California, residence that served as the exterior for the main characters’ home in the iconic sitcom The Golden Girls is on sale for the first time ever, and 360aproko spoke with the property’s owner, James Barry, who opened up about his memories of the famous locale.
James, 65, is the trustee of the home, where he also grew up. James is the son of David Noble Barry III and his wife, Margaret Carr Barry, who built the house in 1955. The pair lived their until their deaths — David died in 2017 and Margaret in 2019.
In regards to fans visiting the home from outside, to get a glimpse of the legendary property, James said that people are always respectful.
“Even the times I have gone back to the home recently, there is always someone walking by, parking in front or taking a picture,” James shared. “They are very respectful. Sometimes they ask me questions. It’s an older show, and the interest from young people is incredible. A lot of the people who come by are super young.”
Looking back at when his parents rented the house out to be used for the show — which aired from 1985 to 1992 — James said his parents agreed for the home to appear in the series for just a small fee in return.
“It’s too bad they didn’t get some form of royalty out of it,” James said with a laugh.
The four bedroom, three and a half bathroom home has long been surrounded by exotic plants, which provided a great background for the sitcom, which was set in Miami, Florida. The house is famous for its blend of Hawaiian and Japanese styling.
Only the exterior of the house was used for filming, while the interior was a sound stage that was modeled on the floorplan of the house itself. James said that his family later loaned the show’s executives the home’s original blueprints in order to build the replica at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
“They offered to fly my parents [at the time] and put them in Florida for the opening, but they didn’t go,” James says. “They weren’t interested in something like that. I’m not sure they even saw the show more than once or twice. They weren’t sitcom people.”
With the home now on the market, James said he hopes a family will buy the property and love it, just like his family did.
“Most of the homes in the neighborhood have been torn down and made into mansions,” James explained. “We’re the only house up and down the street that doesn’t have a gate.”
In regards to prospective buyers, James said he saw an interview on TV in which Property Brothers stars Jonathan and Drew Scott — who helped renovate The Brady Bunch home last year as part of HGTV’s A Very Brady Renovation — joked about buying the home, which could be an interesting project.
James also shared that the home next door belongs to J.J. Abrams’ father, Gerald W. Abrams, who “doesn’t want a mansion built” next to his home.
“He’s thinking about buying it and keeping it the same and renting it, so he doesn’t have to watch or hear construction,” James added
