The Omaze dream house prize is one of the most sought-after competitions but there has been plenty of occasions when the reality has fallen short of the fairytale for many of the unlucky winners
Nanny wins £3million mansion on the Wirral
With a new show arriving on Channel 5 looking at the Omaze dream house competition, eyes are fixated on the latest winners across the UK. Whilst the properties up for grabs are worth millions, and the success story of winning sounds like an ideal scenario, it hasn’t always worked out like that.
With a new competition live now with the chance to win a stunning £4,000,000 Highland retreat set on the shore of Perthshire’s Loch Rannoch, and nestled within woodland meadows and complete with tennis court and jetty, the competition is sold as the opportunity to ‘live in, rent out, sell up’. Plus, as if that’s not enough, £250,000 in cash.
In December last year, a 24-year-old nanny became the youngest Omaze winner in history – no doubt leaving many envious of her incredible good fortune. But as previous successful entrants can attest, an Omaze win may well bring about a whole new set of challenges.
Lauren Keene was thrilled to learn that she’d won a contemporary five-bedroom house in the Wirral, complete with breathtaking coastal views, a cinema room and a heated outdoor swimming pool. Those who’ve previously gotten lucky in the property draw know all too well, however, how the dream can all too quickly become a nightmare, from eyewatering hidden costs to dismaying flood risks.
Here, the Mirror takes a look at the less glamorous side of winning the Omaze Million Pound House Draw…
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Cliff-side mansion ‘brink of collapse’ fears
Foundry worker Glen Elmy was initially left “gobsmacked” after winning Stealth House – a breathtaking James Bond-style pad in Devon, complete with an infinity pool and stunning views of the ocean. His excitement quickly turned to dismay, however, when he learned that coastal erosion was apparently putting mansions like his at risk.
Just three days after his win, however, as reported by the Mail Online, Glen, from Walsall in the West Midlands, handed the keys to the house back to Omaze and is said to have instead asked for money equal to its £3 million value. It’s understood that he hasn’t set foot in Stealth House since. Also, despite reports, claims that the house is ‘falling into the sea’ have been thoroughly denied.
An Omaze spokesperson said: “As with all its properties, Omaze carried out extensive professional surveys, searches and inspections prior to purchasing the house in Devon. Omaze can confirm that none of these reports raised any material concerns with the property, including in relation to coastal erosion. The property is fully insurable.”
Family’s ‘lifetime of headaches’
A family of four were delighted when they discovered that, thanks to their Omaze win, they’d be moving into the Willowbrook House, an idyllic property nestled in Radford, a picturesque Cotswolds hamlet just six miles away from the celeb-filled town of Chipping Norton. It was only after their windfall, however, that local residents warned Darren Wordon and his family that their seemingly perfect property was situated in a valley that floods every single year.
Back in 2021, neighbour Julia Boardman told the Mail Online: “This valley has been flooding for hundreds of years, it is just the natural way of things. Before, there was just a cottage at the side of the plot, which never flooded, and the water was able to flood down and drain slowly away in the stream. Then they built this horrendous house. The local council was so weak that it never managed to stop it, and we ended up with this house.”
A spokesman stressed that the period of exceptionally heavy rain occurred before Omaze owned the property. “A blocked culvert within the vicinity of the property referenced caused water to temporarily pool and back up towards the property,” they said. “The culvert was unblocked and bypassed, allowing water to dissipate immediately and prevent any further issues.
“Omaze then had a specialist engineer carry out works to further secure the property against future extreme weather events well before Darren took ownership of the property, which was in pristine condition. Darren was made aware of everything and had no issues with the property whatsoever for the duration of his ownership – he and his family very much enjoyed their time there before selling.”
In August, The Sun reported that Darren and his wife Mandy—who never had any problems with it—have since sold the property, which, of course, any winner is at liberty to do.
Unaffordable upkeep forces family to leave after just eight weeks
A couple who won themselves an otherwise “fantastic” £3 million home on the Cornish coast were ultimately forced to move out after just eight weeks, as they were unable to afford the upkeep, according to reports which Omaze denies. Uttam Parmar and his wife Raki, from Leicestershire, loved the four-bedroom eco-mansion, which boasts striking views of the Camel Estuary but decided against keeping it.
Even though the property was given to them mortgage-free, with legal fees and stamp duty covered, it was still just too costly for them to live in, according to the Mail. In an interview with the Mail, David Adams, head of David Adams Luxury Property, shed light on some of the issues of running a dream property that could come as a “huge shock” to initially delighted Omaze winners.
He revealed: “If you are used to living in a normal home where you pay a couple of hundred pounds a month in electricity, maybe a few thousand a year in council tax, it comes as a huge shock when they receive the first bill for £20,000 or £30,000. It is completely unsustainable, and at that point, a lot of people will decide it’s not for them.”
David went on to explain how costs such as underfloor heating, air conditioning, monitored security, and complex electrical systems requiring IT professional expertise are just some of the steep costs these mansion owners must deal with.
Mr Parmar, who won the property for £25, told Omaze: “As much as we’ve loved our time here, our lives are primarily based elsewhere, and it is such a hugely valuable asset to not use more regularly, so we decided to sell. I know the next owners will enjoy this house just as much as we have.”
‘Fishbowl’ home
A 74-year-old grandmother decided to put her Omaze home on the market after just one visit, and locals say they don’t blame her as it would be like living in a “fish bowl”. June Smith was thrilled to win the six-bedroom property in Fowey, Cornwall, back in August, with the £4.5 million house offering gorgeous views of the estuary. Although it was certainly luxurious, some locals weren’t too keen on the idea of the car ferry passing by the floor-to-ceiling windows dozens of times each day and felt they’d have no privacy.
One neighbouring resident told the Mail Online: “You couldn’t pay me to move in there, it’d be like living in a goldfish bowl. It has stunning views of Fowey and the estuary, but that goes both ways. When you go across on the ferry you can see the bed and all the furniture through the windows. Plus, when the big china clay ships go by, they must have a fabulous view in.”
Ms Smith told Omaze that she sold the property after one visit with her family and “used the money to help all my children and grandchildren with the next chapter in their lives”.
Selling at a loss
Meanwhile, Marilyn Pratt, then 68, won a £2.9million Fulham house in April 2021 but sold it just eight months later to help her two daughters and grandchildren financially. Unfortunately, the property sold for £100,000 less than its value when she first won it. Marilyn and her husband David then opted to remain in the two-bedroom south-east London house they had shared for 40 years.
Omaze’s second ever winner Marilyn Pratt said: “We decided to sell the house so we could release the money to help both our daughters – one of which bought her first house, the other already owned a house, so used it help pay off the mortgage and keep some for a rainy day.”
An Omaze spokesperson said: “All Omaze winners are free to decide if they live in their new house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it whenever they wish, to become a cash multi-millionaire – the choice is entirely theirs.
“Omaze Grand Prize winners receive £250,000 in cash to maintain their new property and help them settle in. Estimated running costs for each house are available for entrants to view on the Omaze website. If they decide to keep the house, they could afford to comfortably stay for many years using just the £250,000 settling in money.
“As with all Omaze properties, there is no mortgage, stamp duty or legal fees to pay – and the properties come with all the furniture featured in the adverts. Omaze styles each property with well over a hundred thousand pounds worth of furnishings and essentials, so they are all ready for a winner to enjoy.
“As well as the £250,000 they receive, it’s worth bearing in mind that if a winner was already paying rent or a mortgage for their previous property, the money saved could also go towards the running costs of their new home. Alternatively, if they do already own a property, they could choose to keep it and rent it out as a supplementary income.
“Should winners wish to rent out their new property, they can achieve long-term rental values of thousands of pounds a month. Whatever their circumstances, all Omaze winners have several fantastic life-changing options available to them.
“Omaze is immensely proud to have created 32 millionaires whilst also raising more than £67 million for good causes in the UK since it launched here.”
This comes as youngest winner Lauren shares her joy at bagging her “Hollywood Hills”-inspired Wirral mansion, which has allowed her to move out of her dad’s two-bed flat. The mortgage-free property also comes with all legal fees covered.
Should Lauren decide to rent out the property, she could well rake in around £8,000 per month—not bad for a £20 entry fee. Lauren and her partner Ryan Mitchell, who have been together since they were both 18 years old, had been saving up to buy their own place, but this incredible windfall has changed their prospects considerably.
Remembering the moment she realised her life had changed forever, Lauren revealed: “It was just an ordinary Friday, really; I was heading for a McDonald’s after work when I got a call from Omaze telling me I’d won something. I was sceptical – and hungry – but went straight home to see what I’d won.
“The next thing we knew, the Omaze team were all there telling us we’d won a £ 3 million mansion. I was gobsmacked. It was definitely worth missing my McDonald’s for, it’s made me a multi-millionaire. We ended up celebrating with a Maccies afterwards, and it was a very, very happy meal.”
How does Omaze work
You need to buy entry into Omaze’s prize draw. Each competition will have a starting date and time and an ending date and time, as advertised on TV.
Don’t miss The Omaze Dream House: Are You Missing Out? on C5 at 8pm on Thursday, 20 March.
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