'I won 2million Omaze home here's why I flogged it for cash six months later'

Simon Williams, 42, won the keys to a stunning five-bedroom, four bathroom cottage in Devon last October, as well as 100,000 in cash, and had the option to either keep or flog off

Adam Cailler Senior reporter and MSN lead

08:12, 24 Oct 2024Updated 08:21, 24 Oct 2024

He flogged it for good reason

A fortunate father of two, who last year bagged the keys to a stunningly refurbished Devon cottage worth over 2 million and an additional 100,000 in cash, has told why he decided to sell up after six months of fun at the property.

Simon Williams, 42, hit the jackpot in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw last October, which saw him secure a gorgeous five-bedroom house nestled amidst captivating woodland, bordering Dartmoor National Park.

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[Omaze Million Pound Draw winner Simon Williams also got a new Tesla]

Omaze Million Pound Draw winner Simon Williams also got a new Tesla

The house was mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees taken care of. Simon had the option to live in the incredible house, rent it out for extra income or sell it whenever he fancied becoming a cash multi-millionaire.

Simon, whose winning entry came from his 25 monthly Omaze subscription, opted to keep the house for half a year to relish the "once in a lifetime property" with his family. He hosted massive family gatherings for Christmas and Easter - something he couldn't do at his previous home.

He loved spending quality time at the "breathtaking" property, but confessed that his favourite pastime there was using the ride-on lawnmower that came with the house. After savouring the house for several months, he decided to sell his grand prize and pocketed over 2 million - which he used to purchase his dream five-bedroom house in Sussex.

[Who doesn't love riding a lawnmower?!]

Who doesn't love riding a lawnmower?!

He revealed that one of the deciding factors in choosing his new home was that the trees in the garden reminded him of the Omaze house in Devon.

Simon, an aircraft engineer who hails from Kent and lived in a three-bedroom house in Sussex for a whopping 15 years, almost missed out on his life-changing win because he mistook the winning call for a pesky cold caller.

He said: "I can still remember my rollercoaster of emotions on the day I found out - laughing, crying, staring into the abyss - it was so surreal. 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.

[He bought his dream home instead]

He bought his dream home instead(Image: Mark Field Photography)

"I love Devon, and thanks to the money I also got, keeping the house was an option, but Ive 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 - its secured my familys future. It's pretty obvious to say that it was easily the best 25 Ive ever spent!

"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! " Not only did Simon bag himself a millionaire lifestyle, but the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Devon also raked in 1,700,000 for Macmillan in a mere six weeks.

The latest raffle promises another lucky duck will snag a plush pad in Devon worth a whopping 2 million, plus a cool 250,000 in cash.

['I never in a million years expected to win']

'I never in a million years expected to win'

The lucky winner of the third Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Devon will be handed the keys to a modern, four-bedroom house near the charming coastal town of Exmouth. The property boasts stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscape and coastline, a guest annexe, and a heated swimming pool.

In addition to making its Grand Prize Winner a multi-millionaire, Omaze has pledged a minimum donation of 1 million to their charity partner, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The draw is supported by comedian and CALM Patron Romesh Ranganathan.

Entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Devon, can be made now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 27th October for online entries and Tuesday 29th October 2024 for postal entries.

Participants can also opt 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.

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For full terms and conditions, visit www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.

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