A GRANNY has scored a stunning £3.5million Cotswolds mansion for just a tenner.
Susan Havenhand, 71, scooped the plush pad with its own gym, pool and cinema – plus £50,000 in cash – after entering the Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
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The former secondary school teacher, originally from Sussex, bought her winning entry on the last day of the competition after seeing an advert on TV.
And days later she was so stunned to receive the news she would be walking away with the top prize she thought it was a hoax.
The 10,000 sq ft, six-bedroom house comes fully furnished and includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, heated outdoor pool, a sauna, gym, cinema room, tennis court, and en suite bathrooms.
There are just under two acres of outdoor space, complete with a pond, waterfall and private woodland.
The opulent property is surrounded by glorious countryside, with the nature reserve Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just a stone’s throw away.
It has been built using local stone and timber to ensure it sits well within the local environment, having been designed with the Cotswolds topography in mind.
The house comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
Plus, Susan will be given £50,000 cash to help her settle in, and is free to either live in the property, rent it out or sell it.
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The grandmother and her husband John, 70, share daughters Harriet, 42, Kate, 39, and Polly, 36 – as well as 10 young grandchildren.
A film crew arrived at their home to share the good news, but they were away in France and struggled to take it all in.
The stunned winner said: “When we first got the call from Omaze to say we’d won, my husband was convinced it was an elaborate hoax.
“In fact he was so sure he told me to hang up and come to the local bar with him instead.
“I left it for an hour or so, but once I spoke with our daughter, Harriet, who was at home with all the film crew, I finally realised this is actually genuine.
“I was absolutely stunned, I went straight to the bar to celebrate with John, who still couldn’t quite believe it.
“We bought everyone there drinks all night, as we can definitely afford it now.”
I was absolutely stunned, I went straight to the bar to celebrate.
Susan Havenhand
Susan added: “We’ve worked in education for a combined 80 years, so this is really going to help us enjoy our retirement.
“We have 10 beautiful young grandchildren who will absolutely adore this house – they all love tennis too, so we’ll be hosting our very own Wimbledon championships this summer.
“We thought people never actually win these things, and even though we’re at the house now, it still feels like we’re dreaming.
“We keep waiting to wake up. It just goes to show you’ve got to be in it to win it.”
Susan said she hopes to spend some of her winnings on a new car as their current one is “22 years old and has 160,000 miles on the clock”.
And she will also be supporting the RSPCA, because as well as making its grand prize winner a multi-millionaire, the Omaze draw nets the charity £1m.
‘LIKE A DREAM’
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said: “Partnering with Omaze has given our supporters a fantastic opportunity to help us change the lives of animals, and in doing so be in with a unique chance to change their own lives by winning an amazing home.”
James Oakes, SVP International at Omaze, added: “We’re delighted that Susan has won her dream home – and was able to contribute to this fantastic £1,000,000 raise for the RSPCA in the process.”
This was the eighth Omaze Million-Pound House Draw in the UK and brings the total raised for good causes to £5,750,000.
The latest property up for grabs is a four-bedroom, £3m home in Cornwall, which will raise funds for Blood Cancer UK.
The draw closes on 31 July for online entries, and 2 August for postal entries.
Entering the competition does not guarantee you will win the property advertised if not enough tickets are sold.
You may instead win a smaller cash prize, or, in some cases, nothing at all.
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What are the home raffle catches to watch out for?
MANY of the people who choose to raffle off their home may have had difficulties selling it on the open market so it’s important to look into the details of the property on offer.
- If your questions about the property on offer aren’t answered by the competition’s website you should contact the organiser to find out more.
- Check whether the property is freehold or leasehold. If leasehold, check how long is left on the lease and how much it might cost to renew.
- Find out whether there is a service charge, ground rent or other ongoing expenses.
- Some of the most impressive properties like castles and manor houses can have huge running costs that you might not be able to afford.
- Have a look at the selling price of other homes nearby on websites like Zoopla and Rightmove to make sure that the valuation promoted in the competition is realistic.
- Find out whether your legal fees will be covered as part of the prize.
- You shouldn’t be required to pay stamp duty if you win as the purchase price of the property is effectively just the cost of an entry ticket or nothing if you used the free route.
