By Rosemary McCoy

A Sioux Falls couple’s search for a bigger house to start a family will be featured on “House Hunters.”

The episode on cable network HGTV airs at 9 p.m. Nov. 2. It’s the second time “House Hunters” has been to the city to follow someone through the process of choosing their next home.

When Stacy and Paige Harmsen decided it was time to look for a different house, they turned to Aaron Rietsema of Hegg Realtors, who helped them find their first home in the Cathedral area.

Rietsema was looking for a couple who would be willing to appear on the show with him, and the Harmsens said yes.

“He knows I love HGTV,” Paige Harmsen said of Rietsema.

A production crew followed the Harmsens and Rietsema for five days earlier this year as they looked at three houses that could work in their $250,000 budget. Among the contenders: a two-story bungalow in the central part of town, an updated ranch house on the west side and a two-story traditional house on the east side.

“It’s long days of standing on your feet, but it is fun,” Rietsema said. “We laughed so much.”

When the search involves a couple, the show often focuses on what each person is looking for. According to the description for the Harmsens’ episode, “He’s hoping for a three-stall garage and a finished basement. She wants a fresh, white kitchen and room for their family to grow. Can they find a house that ticks all the right boxes?”

They did, and they’re happy. Turns out, they found the house just in time for their growing family.

“Three days after HGTV left, we found out we were expecting,” said Harmsen, who is a radiology technologist at the Orthopedic Institute. Stacy is a behavior facilitator for the Sioux Falls School District.

The Harmsens and Rietsema are inviting friends, family and co-workers to a watch party. They’re excited to see how the show turns out.

The episode also airs at midnight Nov. 2.

Rietsema is just finishing up the taping of another episode with Lindsey and Casey Swenson that’s expected to air in March or April. The producers want to film a third piece in the spring, so Rietsema said he’ll be looking for another homebuyer that’s interested in sharing the hunt with a national audience.