HGTV to air show on Hilton Head vacation-house hunt

Home & Garden Television has turned its cameras on the Lowcountry once again for a new show called “Vacation House For Free.”

In the series, couples select and renovate a property with the help of host Matt Blashaw while learning how to get top dollar for their vacation rental.

Sunday’s episode will feature Atlanta couple Marc and Celeste Schwitters searching for a vacation home on Hilton Head Island. The episode will air at 10 p.m. on HGTV.

Less than two weeks ago, a Beaufort Marine couple were featured on the HGTV show “House Hunters.”

“I love HGTV,” said Celeste Schwitters. “I was looking at the website, saw their new show and said, ‘That’s perfect. That’s us.’ ” She applied to be on the show and was selected.

The Schwitters love vacationing on Hilton Head and moved from their original home in Colorado to Atlanta to be closer to the island, Marc Schwitters said.

When they decided to buy a vacation property, they looked for a home with enough room to host their extended family and one that was close to the beach for their two boys, ages 8 and 11.

“The houses we saw in our price range were dated, so a lot of work needed to be done to bring it up to something more modern,” Marc Schwitters said.

The first part of the show involves the Schwitters looking at Hilton Head properties, and the rest is devoted to renovating their selection. The goal is to rent out the renovated home for maximum income part of the year, covering all their annual expenses.

Renovations included gutting the kitchen and opening the floor plan, said Mark Hammerle, owner of Pure And Simple Custom Homes, the company that handled the remodeling.

“There was no such thing as an open floor plan in the ’70s when a lot of the homes were built on the island,” he said.

Hammerle’s company handles many renovations on Hilton Head vacation homes. Some of the best ways to increase the value of a rental are to open the floor plan and update the kitchen, he said.

At the end of the show, host Blashaw reveals the refurbished rental.

“It was honest shock and awe. It was amazing,” Marc Schwitters said.

“We love it,” his wife echoed. “It is a dream come true, truly.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2014 at 7:57 PM with the headline "HGTV to air show on Hilton Head vacation-house hunt."