BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – HGTV's blog, announced David Rennie of Shelton, Connecticut, as the winner of HGTV Dream Home 2016 sweepstakes on Monday, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.
HGTV received more than 127 million entries for the mansion, which is worth $1.5 million.
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Rennie won a 2016 GMC Acadia Denali, a $250,000 cash prize provided by national mortgage lender Quicken Loans, and a new boat, which totaled to be valued at over $1.5 million.
He didn't know he won untill the production crew surprised him at his hometown church.
“It was incredible,” Rennie said about the ambush his daughters and minister helped plan, according to the blog post.
The 3,150-square-foot riverfront home off of South Tropical Trail on Merritt Island is the same one where 37-year-old James Sands was electrocuted in October while working on a dock during the renovation phase of the HGTV project. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office later said the electrocution was accidental in nature. He fell off the dock and into the Indian River Lagoon after being electrocuted.
Brevard County Fire Rescue crews worked to resuscitate him on the way to Cape Canaveral Hospital, but he was pronounced dead by a doctor upon arrival.
The home was chosen as part of the show's 20th annual design project and remodeling effort and construction began last May.
Rennie described in the blog how it was life-changing and that even before winning, he is lucky to be alive.
"After being diagnosed with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease), David received a kidney transplant in March 2015," according to the blog post.
“I thought I won the lottery with the kidney. That was life changing, but so is this. We just never thought it could get any better."