Inspiration Furnishes Jobless Man a New Life : Prize: Bill Hyland got to new IKEA store in Tustin first. Now he has a work offer and also hopes that his brother will like his winnings enough to buy them.

A week ago, Bill Hyland was homeless, jobless and had to borrow a lawn chair from his parents to sleep on.

On Wednesday, the 41-year-old man had another problem: just what to do with the leather couch, pine wall unit and other furniture totaling $3,000 that he had just won from the new IKEA store in Tustin. He accomplished the feat by camping in front of the home furnishings store for seven days and being the first person in line at its grand opening.

Hyland said he hatched the plan May 12. He had just run out of money and had checked out of a motel that had been his home in recent weeks. Just as he was deciding on his next step, he saw “an opportunity,” Hyland said: an ad announcing a grand prize of $3,000 worth of furniture for the first person in line on IKEA’s opening day.

“I thought that if I’d won, that I could definitely get some money” selling the furniture, Hyland recalled. “More importantly in my mind, I also believed I would get some exposure from this and someone would offer me a job.”

Hyland, an electrician, lost his last job two years ago. Since then, he has worked odd jobs for menial pay and has been living in motels, homes of friends, churches and shelters.

He took a bus to his parents’ home, borrowed their lawn chair and persuaded his father to buy him groceries. The next day, he set up camp right in front of IKEA’s door and explained his position to store security officers, who then allowed Hyland to use a restroom for the week.

On Friday, two days after Hyland began his camp-out, John Wilson, who owns his own general contracting business, heard about Hyland’s campaign and offered him a job.

“I think the guy is a great entrepreneur who has a lot more going for him than just perseverance,” said Wilson, 36. “He had a plan and knew just what to do. He wasn’t just going to stand back and wait for something, he went out and did something about it.”

Hyland said he hopes that his brother will buy the couch and other winnings from him.

“My brother just got married, and I knew he was going to need furniture,” he said. “I figure I could sell it to him for less than what it’s worth, and it would be somewhat like a wedding present.”

Hyland’s brother is away on his honeymoon, so IKEA is holding the furniture until he comes back next month.