Breaking bad home is “not for sale”

Photo: Ryan In America

The home featured in the AMC TV series Breaking Bad is “not for sale”, its owners have made clear.

The property, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, rocketed to fame when it was asked to be used for the pilot episode of the show as the home of Walter White, a fictional chemistry teacher who turns into a drug kingpin after being diagnosed with cancer.

Since then, Vince Gilligan’s series has become a worldwide phenomenon, building up an audience of millions thanks to AMC’s deal with Netflix to screen the new episodes in the UK every Monday just hours after their US broadcast.

Crowds of people now line up outside to take photos of the landmark, a wave that has reached a peak as the show arrived at its long-awaited finale at the weekend. The home’s value is estimated at around $200,000 but could be worth millions more if its owners wanted to sell it on to a devoted fan.

For Fran and Louie Padilla, who have lived there since 1973, though, their property’s newfound value is nothing compared to its sentimental worth. Nonetheless, they also have made a significant amount from AMC’s location scouts, Fran told The New York Times: “It didn’t make us rich, but it was nice.”

The same is true of many of the town’s business, reports the paper. Locations such as Twisters, which doubles a fast food restaurant Los Pollos Hermanos on the small screen, have seen visitor numbers soar, while ABQ Trolley Co. Started a weekl Breaking Bad tour last year. It frequently sells out.

“No one would recognize the inside anyway -- 'cause all inside scenes are shot on a sound stage,” adds TMZ.com, adding that Fran describes the interior decor on the show as “hideous”.