HGTV selects Island home for new remodeling show

They say theres no such thing as a free lunch. But on Marco Island, there might just be a free vacation home.

Thats what Jim and Lara Hicks are soon to discover after participating in a new show on cable network Home & Garden Television.

Vacation House for Free, which launched earlier this year, aims to help homeowners find and renovate a home that can then be used as their own vacation property and also to generate additional income as a rental, ideally enough to pay the mortgage on it.

The Hickses live in Ohio but had rented seasonally near Marco in the past. Jim Hicks said they wanted to visit the area again, but also wanted to find a home that complemented their lifestyle a place they could let friends use, and which would be a good fit for their family of four children.

They also wanted to act mindfully. Jim Hicks is the founder of a Thirst Relief International, a nonprofit that explores long-term, sustainable clean water solutions around the world. He and Lara also work with DoTerra essential oils. Jim Hicks describes himself and his wife as frugal people who are very conscious of the needs around the world.

It wasnt long before the Hickses found a home on Marco Island that would fit their needs, but was also in want of some updating.

We found this awesome place that needed a complete renovation, Jim Hicks recalled of his Island home.

While Jim and Lara dreamed about how to make the renovation a reality with their home-buying budget, their oldest son 12-year-old Ashton got online and started doing some research. Ashton found the HGTV Vacation House For Free online casting call and encouraged them to complete it.

At first, the Hickses dismissed it, but when they read the fine print, they realized the house they hoped to renovate was a great fit for the show. The concept of Vacation House for Free is to take a fixer-upper in a tropical United States destination and work with local renovation experts as well as the HGTV team to improve the property so it becomes not just a vacation home but also a income-generating rental.

We said, man, thats exactly how we want to do it, Jim Hicks said.

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HGTV selects Island home for new remodeling show