A dad who won a £2million home has sold up after six months of family parties there – and says the highlight was the lawnmower. Simon Williams, 42, bagged the stunning five-bedroom property in Devon last year in an Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
He hosted huge family get-togethers for Christmas and Easter – something he hadn’t been able to do at his previous property. After enjoying the house for several months he decided to sell his big prize and banked over £2 million and used it to buy his dream house in Sussex.
Reflecting on the life-changing win he says his favourite part of the home in Devon was the sit-on mower. Simon says he sold it to a friend as part of the move ‘but is allowed to see it on weekends’.
He said “I can’t believe it’s been a year since I won! ‘Winning an Omaze house was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, it’s still hard to comprehend it all actually happened to me!
“I’m a father so obviously the births of my children were the best days of my life, but winning the house came a very close second!! I can still remember my rollercoaster of emotions on the day I found out – laughing, crying, staring into the abyss – it was so surreal.
“Believe it or not, one of my highlights of the house was the ride-on lawnmower that came with it! I’d happily spend hours on that thing! ‘I ended up selling it to a friend at work when we moved, but he does let me see it on weekends.”
Simon won the keys to a beautifully renovated cottage in Devon worth over £2 million, as well as £100,000 in cash. The house came mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
Simon had the choice to either live in the incredible house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it. Simon, whose more than £2 million winning entry came from his £25 monthly Omaze subscription, decided to keep the house for six months so he could enjoy the “once in a lifetime property” with his family.
He hosted huge family get-togethers for Christmas and Easter – something he hadn’t been able to do at his previous property. He enjoyed spending quality time at the “breathtaking” property, but admitted his favourite thing to do there was using the ride-on lawnmower that came with the house.
Simon, an aircraft engineer originally from Kent, previously lived in a 3-bedroom house in Sussex for 15 years. He has two daughters, aged 12 and 14. When Omaze contacted Simon to tell him he’d scooped a prize last year, he almost didn’t pick up as he thought it was a nuisance cold caller.
On the Omaze house: “We spent lots of time enjoying the house before I sold it – and loved every minute we were there, including bringing all the family together to celebrate last Christmas and Easter in style. ‘It felt so good to have all that space and host everyone for the first time, and in such an amazing house as well! We made some very special memories there.”
On selling up he said: “I love Devon, and thanks to the money I also got, keeping the house was an option, but I’ve built a life in Sussex, so I decided to sell up and bank the cash. ‘The house sold very quickly and the money from it has been truly transformational for all of us – it’s secured my family’s future. It’s pretty obvious to say that it was easily the best £25 I’ve ever spent!
“People still come up to me and ask if it was real, did I really win a £2 million house!? I just say it definitely is, and I’ve got pictures to prove it! Winning an Omaze house is life-changing, but it hasn’t changed me – I’m still the same person, I think I’m still wearing the same jeans that I did before the win.
”We have treated ourselves to a few nice holidays and I got a new car. I needed to get one anyway but could afford an upgrade after the sale, so I got a Tesla – makes the commute to work that little bit more comfortable. I’ve not gone on any mad spending sprees, so I have plenty leftover for a rainy day and my daughters’ future.
“I am still working and everyone treats me exactly the same – although I think I make more teas now than before I won. ‘Thanks to the win I can think about retiring a bit sooner, but I’m in no rush to take up golf just yet!
On his new house in Sussex: “I bought a lovely 5-bedroom house in Sussex with a beautiful garden, very close to where I used to live – so I still see all my friends and family – I can just have a lot more people over for a Sunday lunch now! My new place has trees just like in the garden at the Devon house – that played a deciding factor in choosing it.
”I used to holiday in Devon as a child so it was always close to my heart. We’ll still be going to Devon for family holidays, we absolutely love it there.”
On entering the draw: “I entered the draw because I absolutely loved the house – but also because Macmillan is such an incredible charity. ‘I lost my father to cancer when I was in my early 20s, and they supported my father and us back then, so I know firsthand just how important the work they do is.
“I’m so happy that the partnership with Omaze raised so much money for them to continue helping families just like they helped mine. I still enter Omaze draws as I love supporting different charities every month. If I won a second time I’d probably feel too guilty, so I would have to give it back!
“I never in a million years expected to win – but I did – so my advice to anyone thinking about entering is to go for it!”
As well as making Simon a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Devon also raised an incredible £1,700,000 to support Macmillan in just six weeks. The money raised helps Macmillan Cancer Support to continue to do whatever it takes to ensure people living with cancer get the right support for them, every step of the way.
Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support said: “We were beyond thrilled that £1,700,000 was raised by Omaze. This extraordinary amount of money means we can provide support, through diagnosis and beyond, to so many more people living with cancer and their loved ones, just like the support Simon and his family received.”
James Oakes from Omaze, said: “We’re delighted that Simon and his family decided to enjoy his stunning house in Devon for a few months, before selling up and banking the cash to become a multi-millionaire. Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. By offering incredible prizes, like the beautiful house in Devon, we give people the chance to win amazing houses, while also introducing charities to audiences they wouldn’t usually be able to reach. We’re incredibly proud that the Omaze community has already raised over £60 million for good causes across the UK.”
The latest draw guarantees that one lucky person will win another house in Devon, worth over £2 million, as well as £250,000 in cash. The winner of the third Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Devon will get the keys to a contemporary, four-bedroom house near the picturesque coastal town of Exmouth, complete with spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding scenery and coastline, a guest annexe as well as a heated swimming pool.
As well as making its Grand Prize Winner a multi-millionaire, Omaze has guaranteed a minimum donation of £1 million for charity partner, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The draw is backed by comedian and CALM Patron Romesh Ranganathan. Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Devon, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 27th October for online entries and Tuesday 29th October 2024 for postal entries.
Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize and Early Bird Prize Draw each month. Omaze subscribers receive four times the number of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.