Take one part home renovation, one part helpful housing market tips, and throw
in an HGTV veteran who at any minute might bust out some dance moves from his boy band days, and
you’ve got HGTV'S "Vacation House Rules": a truly Canadian show that truly does have everything.
Unlike other HGTV shows that tell the viewer which city where the episode takes place in,
"Vacation House Rules" is a bit more of a mystery.
But worry not, we've got the answer for you: "Vacation House Rules" is filmed in and around
Ontario, Canada. The Cinemaholic noted that episodes in Season 1 filmed in Ontario locations
like Haliburton Highlands, Muskoka, and Wasaga Beach. For Season 2, host Scott McGillivray,
designer Debra Salmoni, and the rest of the crew filmed in various spots around Southern Ontario:
Trent Lakes, Trent Hills, Minden, Blue Mountain, Collingwood, and Kawartha Lakes to be specific.
According to the Toronto Sun, the first episode of the season was shot in Trent Lakes,
where the average rental property goes for $300 a night — which means that
these vacation property owners can make a pretty penny with the right investment.
If you're watching "Vacation House Rules" on HGTV thinking that host Scott McGillivray looks
familiar — that's because he should. He's been an HGTV mainstay, both in Canada and the U.S.
since 2008, starting with the long-running series "Income Property," for which he also served as
executive producer. An accomplished real estate investor, McGillivray helped first-time homebuyers
on "Income Property" turn part of their home into an income-generating rental property. In 2013,
the series won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Lifestyle Program.
"Income Property" isn't even McGillivray's only previous HGTV series. On "Buyers Bootcamp,"
McGillivray worked with rookie real estate investors to help them renovate their first
property and make a profit, while learning all the ins and outs of the process. Then there was
"Moving the McGillivrays," a 10-episode HGTV Canada series, which introduced viewers to
McGillivray's wife and two young daughters as they all worked together to build their dream home.
Although Scott McGillivray is heavy on the real estate investment side of things,
he's really a Jack of all trades. He doesn't just hire contractors to
do the work — he does a good amount of it himself.
If you've seen "Vacation House Rules," you probably know that McGillivray sometimes likes
to incorporate his own DIY projects. For example, on the Season 2 premiere episode of the series,
he incorporated a 3D wall composed of blocks of wood to add a big
impact without making a huge investment. "It's an interesting feature that pays
tribute to the wood and the nature of things that are going on here."
Although Scott McGillivray has been an HGTV mainstay for some time, his career in real estate
and construction goes back much further. In fact, it seems his interest stems back to his childhood,
where he watched his father get hands-on around the house. McGillivray told Remodeled -
"I've always been into it. Even as a kid, I was into woodworking,
carpentry, building furniture just as a hobby."
However, it wasn't until college that his personal interest began to shift toward a potential career.
The business major bought his first rental property during his third year of college
with the help of his student loan money when he was both looking for a new place to live
and a potential topic for his thesis project. As he explained to Hoss Magazine -
"I fell in love with real estate renovations. I became a licensed contractor when I was 26."
The apparently prolific contractor even claimed that he owned 25 properties by age
25 and his business profile hasn't slowed a bit. McGillivray's television career may have
been prompted by a friend's suggestion — though he didn't stop there. Today,
he owns his own production company, McGillivray Entertainment Media.
On "Vacation House Rules," Scott McGillivray leads each vacation home renovation — with
a little help from designer Debra Salmoni. So, who exactly is McGillivray's designer sidekick?
According to her LinkedIn page, Salmoni is the Owner and Lead Designer of her own design firm,
Debra Lillian Design. From the looks of her website,
Salmoni prefers minimalistic design that delivers high impact.
Notably, Salmoni shows off her design on her Instagram page. In one post,
she shared a beautiful finished bathroom design for one of her clients. For fans who want to work
with the "Vacation House Rules" star, she offers a form on her website to get in contact with her.
For "Vacation House Rules" star Scott McGillivray, it's all about the education
and value he can provide to both his clients and his TV viewers. He told Remodeling -
"I actually do try to give people value to the show.
When you're watching the show and you're not getting value, what's the point?"
To that end, the value that McGillivray provides doesn't end with his clients. He
offers a wealth of tips on how to make decisions that generate the best return on your investment.
"I'm gonna share with you today, the million dollar blueprint. You are a real estate investor,
and there's a business model to it."
Of course, his show includes his tried-and-true tips, but there's a lot more where that comes
from. There's his blog, available on his website, that includes helpful articles,
such as "5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Buy a Vacation Home." Then there's his podcast,
"The Real Estate Rebel," where Scott and the guests he has on give valuable information on
how to navigate the housing market. And, if that's not enough for you, you can also tune
into McGillivray's digital series, "Scott's House Call," where he meets with individuals
to help them with a specific real estate or business issue in exchange for homemade food.
With his years of real estate experience, "Vacation House Rules" star Scott McGillivray
enjoys helping his clients renovate their vacation properties and setting them up
for financial success. However, McGillivray can even relate to his clients on another
level — he actually owns his own property near one of the show's shooting locations:
Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada. As he said in an interview with The Highlander -
"It's nice to stay close to where I am doing properties. It's a beautiful area.
I think it's underestimated. There's a lot of potential here for growth. Some other areas
are just saturated and overdone and it's maybe not quite as difficult to get into."
However, the real estate investor and HGTV star
doesn't have only one property. Good Housekeeping notes that McGillivray and his wife and daughters
split their time between their main home in Ontario and another home in Fort Myers, Florida.
We know that Scott McGillivray has a personal appreciation for the Ontario,
Canada vacation towns where he and his crew film their hit HGTV show,
so it comes as no surprise that he and his team find pleasure in supporting the local communities,
as the host explained in an interview with The Highlander -
"We're here to support the local community,
be balanced with what we do and be respectful about it and find affordable ways for people
to have a slice of that dream, too, that other people get to live all the time."
Even though vacation homes could be considered a luxury that not everyone is lucky enough to
afford, Scott is adamant that the show is not just for the financial elite, adding -
"We're not a show that goes in and says, 'Let's tear this down and build something
that's a 100,000-square-foot mega mansion.' Our show is way more grassroots than that."
Adding to these "grassroots" efforts, it's clear that McGillivray goes out of his way to help
others. On Instagram in October 2020, he reflected on a meaningful project he undertook to help
deserving families with his HGTV crew before the global pandemic put a pause on almost everything.
In the end, as the host shared with The Highlander, it's all about the people McGillivray
meets and the effect that his work has on people's lives. According to The Haliburton County Echo,
McGillivray does his best to ensure that the viewers learn just as much as his lucky clients.
If you've seen episodes of "Vacation House Rules," it's clear that host Scott McGillivray
and his designer partner, Debra Salmoni, get along really well — most of the time at least.
"I have an extra pair if you need 'em."
"You've had gloves this whole time?"
"Yeah — we're staining."
"I'm gonna kill you!"
Their natural on-air chemistry together is super enjoyable to watch.
So, what's their relationship like off camera?
Well, it turns out that McGillivray and Salmoni are close friends both on and off camera. Salmoni
shared a photo of the two of them on Instagram with the caption confirming the pair's friendship.
In an Instagram post the following year, Salmoni posed alongside McGillivray,
referred to him as Scotty and captioned the photo -
"Got to hang out with one of my favourite pals today! Haven't
seen this fella or our fabulous crew in a month!!"
Salmoni also appears to be close with the rest of the "Vacation House Rules" crew.
In another Instagram post, she shared an image of herself on set
and commented on how much fun she has with the crew.
If you've watched "Vacation House Rules" and wondered how you could get your own vacation
property featured on the show — that is, if you're lucky enough to have one — we have all the info
for you. Just go to the official website for the show, and fill out the casting registration form.
However, first you should find out if you're eligible to appear on the show. In
order to be considered, you must own an Ontario, Canada-based vacation property, and you must have
at least $75,000 of your own money to put toward a renovation. In addition, you've got to have some
time on your hands: You'll need to be available at least five or six days during the renovation
period, which takes up to 10 weeks. Lastly, you need that special HGTV charisma; the production
team seeks people who are, quote, "fun, outgoing, and super passionate about real estate investing."
The application form also asks for photos of yourself and your partner
and/or family, as well as pics of both the inside and outside of the property.
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 obviously had a major effect on the entire world.
In an interview with The Highlander, Scott McGillivray shared how the pandemic,
as it did with the rest of the world, gave the "Vacation House Rules" crew some extra challenges,
including filming outdoors during the winter and sleeping in tents. McGillivray said -
"Boy, was it cold. As a team it has been hard,
working harder to make everything work, and fewer people doing more work."
Always one to keep it real, McGillivray took to
Instagram in October 2020 to share his experience getting a COVID-19 test.
"3,2,1 coming back out. There you are."
"Oh… that'll make your eyes water."
So as bad as those nose swab tests and vaccines can be,
know that even your favorite HGTV stars had to do it, too.
However, despite the constraints of the pandemic, McGillivray has seen firsthand
that not only are people changing their lives to focus on things that are meaningful to them,
but also that the vacation rental industry is back in a big way, explaining to the Toronto Star -
"Not only are people vacationing closer to home, but work-from-home culture has proven
that you don't need to be in the city to do your job. More and more people are working
remotely from the cottage."
We already shared that the "Vacation House Rules" cast and crew support the
local communities where they shoot. In fact, this even includes local designers and manufacturers.
While many HGTV shows regularly feature call-outs to Wayfair,
"Vacation House Rules" incorporates materials and decor from locally-owned Canadian businesses.
For example, designer Kate Golding noted on her website that the HGTV series
featured one of her designs in an episode, with the designer writing -
"Huge thanks to Scott McGillivray and Debra Salmoni for featuring my Ontario
wallpaper in the Malibu Beach House episode of HGTV['s] 'Scott's Vacation House Rules.'
I loved the beautiful renovation of this charming cottage!"
From a quick look around the designer's website, it's obvious why the team selected
one of her designs, as Golding has many Canadian-themed collections.
The same episode features an awning from ShadeFX,
a manufacturer of outdoor structures and retractable and freestanding canopies and roofs.
The manufacturer's website also noted how McGillivray used a couple of the company's
retractable canopies to enhance a pergola outside the vacation home.
Though he may have been born to remodel and sell houses, Scott McGillivray has pursued
other interests in his past, though he may not always want to be reminded of them.
"Doesn't seem to matter where I go, this always comes up somehow,
somewhere SOMEBODY digs up your past and says, 'Were you in a boy band?'"
That's right. Around the same time he became a real estate investor,
he was also in a boy band called Next Element,
and you better believe that he was rocking the Justin Timberlake-esque bleached-blond curls!
So it would make sense that McGillivray might try to use his musical talents in other areas
of his life, including his home renovation show - as it turns out, McGillivray sings
the theme song to "Vacation House Rules"! He explained how it came about during an interview
with DJs Roz and Mocha on radio station KISS 92.5 FM, with McGillivray saying -
"During post-production, I started picking up my guitar and I started
thinking about some music stuff and came up with the theme song for the show."
And don't think his song was picked just because he was the host.
Speaking with Breakfast Television, McGillivray said that he anonymously
submitted the theme song to HGTV — and that they chose his to use for the show!
If you're like us, you probably watch "Vacation House Rules" and dream of
owning your own vacation house rental — or, at least, staying in one of the show's properties.
Well, we spotted one of them available! In Season 1's "Carriage House," Scott,
Debra and the crew renovated a property in Prince Edward, Ontario, Canada,
owned by couple Laura and Dale. The final reveal showcased the gorgeous wide-plank
hardwood flooring, vibrant paint colors, and black-and-white granite kitchen countertop,
which serves as a partial backsplash above the stove — not to mention the bathroom,
featuring the same flooring along with wood cabinets and black and gold accents.
The highly-rated Airbnb listing encourages guests to, quote, "live like a local and enjoy all the
convenience of downtown village life, with no driving necessary, in this leafy setting
overlooking the park." Along with an outdoor patio, tennis courts, and children's playground,
the home is a beautifully updated 2 bedroom space that's sure to help make for a relaxing vacation.
Interestingly, we spotted some changes from the show's reveal: namely,
newly white paint covering the formerly green walls and the stone surrounding the fireplace.
What's not included? The man behind the renovation:
McGillivray, himself. One can only wish.
We were all super excited when HGTV renewed "Vacation House Rules" for a second season
of 13 episodes. While we, of course, wanted a third season, too, fans may have been surprised
that the cast and crew started filming it before HGTV officially renewed the show again. From a
peek at the social media pages of show stars Scott McGillivray and Debra Salmoni, it looks
like filming began in the summer of 2021 — while the second season of the show was still airing!
On August 21, 2021, McGillivray shared to Instagram an adorable photo of himself and
his wife, Sabrina, with one of their two daughters holding up a microphone while the other appears to
capture them on camera. And the photo contained a couple clues about the episode they were
filming — like the colorful signs that seem to be hinting towards a vacation home on the beach.
One Instagram post from McGillivray's designer partner Salmoni, however,
seemed to leave nothing up to the imagination. On August 5,
2021, she posted a photo of herself and her co-star and wrote -
"Shooting season 3 with this fella. We have some incredible transformations well underway."
With season 3 of "Vacation House Rules," Scott McGillivray and his design partner,
Debra Salmoni, are back for more vacation house remodels, which all follow McGillivray's
tried-and-true set of rules. So what can viewers expect this time around?
According to McGillivray in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada,
this season will definitely be their longest yet, with 12 episodes and remodels planned.
"It's the most episodes we've ever done, and it's the biggest projects
that we've ever taken on during one of the most challenging times, of course."
McGillivray is clearly referring to filming this entire season in
the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn't damper his enthusiasm, as he added -
"I'm excited because people are getting great ideas, they're being inspired, [getting] real
solutions to being able to acquire dream vacation properties and a way to afford it as well."
Fans of "Vacation House Rules" are in for a treat,
as Season 3 of the HGTV summertime series features Scott McGillivray's own vacation house remodel!
Yes, the host is renovating his own vacation property along with his wife and daughters,
in a separate four-part HGTV special this season called "Scott's Own Vacation House."
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada,
McGillivray divulged more details about the project, including how it came about.
And, as it turns out, it was not at all intentional, with McGillivray revealing -
"This is a bit of a happy accident to be honest."
While filming the third season, he discovered a property, which was described as, quote,
"a huge project that someone could really take advantage of."
The project was so massive, in fact, that, according to McGillivray,
it was obvious why no one had taken on the challenge. So, he decided to take it on himself.
"And then I said, 'Well, I like taking on big and difficult things.'"
For the project, McGillivray was happy that his daughters were going to be a part of it, saying -
"Getting my kids involved was important to me. They're at that age when they ask
a million questions. And they're interested, so I want to nurture that interest in what I do."
Who knows? Maybe they'll even turn it into a family business
and have their own show one day! Check out one of our newest videos
right here! Plus, even more List videos about your favorite home renovation shows are coming soon.
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