A MUM-of-two has won the keys to a stunning £3million mansion along with £100,000 in cash – but thought her friends were playing a prank on her.
Lucky Sarah Stocks, 43, thought her pals were winding her up when she got a phone call to say she had scooped the huge jackpot in the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
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But she is now the proud owner of a stunning countryside retreat.
Speaking of the moment she got the call from the Omaze team, spellbound Sarah said: “It was just another Friday when I got a call saying I’d won an Omaze prize.
“My first reaction was that my friends were playing an elaborate practical joke on me!
“I didn’t think for one second I’d actually won anything, but the next thing I knew the Omaze team were on my front lawn telling me I’d won a £3 million house in the Cotswolds, it was crazy!
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“I still couldn’t believe it even when I got to the house – I kept expecting one of my friends to jump out a wardrobe and shout gotcha!
“The house is absolutely gorgeous inside and out, the kitchen and dining area is probably bigger than our current house, it’s just unbelievable!
“I love being surrounded by so much picturesque countryside – the Cotswolds is such a beautiful part of the world.
“The village seems idyllic and most importantly there is a lovely pub two minutes down the road – what more could you ask for!”
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Sarah, whose £3 million winning entry came from her monthly £10 Omaze subscription, lives in a rented four-bedroom house in Essex with her two children, her partner Brett and his two children.
She has worked in Human Resources for the past two years.
You could win an incredible £3m mansion with hot tub & views of Poldark country – plus £100k in cash – for just £10
Sarah added: “We’re currently renting and our plan was to save as much as possible to one day get a little bungalow when the kids have left home – as buying a four-bedroom house for us all now just isn’t possible.
“I can’t believe we now own a five-bedroom house that you could fit five bungalows in!
“I work from home so it’s safe to say my office has just had a big upgrade!
“Whatever we decide to do with the house long-term, this win is truly transformational for my family’s future – it’s changed our lives forever.”
Sarah’s new home is a 4,700 sq ft property located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, near Charlbury.
The Cotswold stone house offers wonderful views overlooking rolling fields and the idyllic surrounding countryside.
The house features an open plan bespoke kitchen with an island, solid stone worktops, oak interiors, French door refrigerator with ice and filtered water and Gaggenau appliances.
There is an expansive dining room and well-appointed sitting room that will provide the perfect space for Sarah to relax with family and entertain friends.
The ground floor also has two bedrooms with bathrooms, a walk-in larder, a cosy study, cloakroom, laundry room with solid oak worktop, Miele washing machine and dryer as well as a spacious vaulted double reception room.
Upstairs offers three large bedrooms with en suite bathrooms featuring Studio Ore bronze brassware and fixtures from Water Monopoly and Lefroy Brooks.
It also boasts an annex building with a double garage, home office and gym complete with shower room.
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Sarah can enjoy hiking hillside trails, shopping at nearby Bicester Village, exploring Blenheim Palace, taking a day trip to Oxford or venture into London, which is only 90 minutes away.
The luxurious property comes mortgage free and with all legal fees covered.
Sarah has also been given a whopping £100,000 in cash – and can decide to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it.
If Sarah decided to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of between £5,000 – £7,000 per month.
As well as making Sarah a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds, raised £3 million for Great Ormond Street Hospital’s (GOSH) charity, the first contribution towards Omaze’s £10 million pledge over the next five years to help build a new Children’s Cancer Centre.
Sarah added: “As a mother I’m obviously delighted that the draw raised so much money for GOSH Charity.
“I entered Omaze draws as I fell in love with the dream of winning one of the stunning houses, but always thought if I didn’t win, I’m supporting a worthy cause which is a nice feeling.”
The pros and cons of a house raffle
In an ideal world, the pros are obvious.
You open up bidding and perhaps bring in more than the property is worth and the lucky winner is certainly quids in, if tickets cost, say £5.
It’s a win-win situation.
In 2017, Dunstan Low raised almost £1million raffling his six-bedroom Lancashire manor house worth £845,000.
Low walked away with the asking price and gave the remaining £153,000 to charity after covering his legal costs.
But issues can arise through tough gaming laws, confusing small print and scams.
Experts warn those entering competitions should be cautious, as a high proportion of the prized pads never change hands.
In January 2019, a Dorset woman who “won” a £3million mega-house received only £110,000 after the millionaire couple behind the raffle decided to keep their home and pocket £500,000.
In 2021, National Trading Standards received 15 complaints ranging from homes being re-raffled over and over with no winner to draws being extended and winning prizes being changed.
A draw which sparked an investigation by National Trading Standards had raffled the same home four times over. Each time, the host offered a smaller prize instead of the house keeping around 40% of the money from every draw.
“Consumers entering house raffles must go into it with their eyes open,” said Alison Farrar for the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team.
“Make sure you are aware of the terms of the raffle before entering.”
The advert should explain what happens if not all tickets are sold. It should spell out if a lesser cash prize is offered, when the raffle closes and when the draw will take place.
If the date of the draw keeps changing the organiser is struggling to sell tickets.
Check the odds of winning. Competitions that specify the number of tickets they need to sell give you a chance of working out the odds.
Look for hidden bills. Lots of adverts state that stamp duty and legal fees will be paid for. If they don’t you need to foot the bill.
Check you can afford the maintenance and council tax for the house too.
Before handing over your cash, read past reviews of the organiser’s raffles, look at how long they’ve been established and whether there have been previous winners.
If it’s a homeowner hosting their first raffle, then it’s a case of buyer beware.
“If the house raffle isn’t for charity and it isn’t free entry or a proper competition then be wary,” said consumer expert Martyn James of Resolver.
“There are numerous reports of these raffles collapsing and dodgy, questionable practices around who wins. Always check with the Gambling Commission before entering.”
To report a misleading advert call the Advertising Standards Agency on 020 7492 2222.
If you’ve paid for a ticket with no chance of winning or the prize keeps changing report the draw to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Every day, around 750 children and young people from across the UK are seen at GOSH for life-changing treatment and care.
The hospital has always depended on charitable support to give seriously ill children the best chance to fulfil their potential.
GOSH Charity provides funding beyond what the NHS covers to help provide world-leading care, expertise and facilities.
Liz Tait, GOSH Charity’s Director of Fundraising, said: “We are completely blown away that the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in the Cotswolds has raised an incredible £3 million for GOSH Charity in just six weeks.
“This donation will be invaluable in helping us to build a world-leading new Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital, helping to save more children’s lives and beat childhood cancer once and for all.
“We’re thrilled to have partnered with Omaze for the second time, and look forward to continuing our amazing partnership over the next five years.
“We’d also like to wish Sarah a huge congratulations on being the winner of this stunning house in the Cotswolds and thank everyone who entered the prize draw – their support for seriously ill children is amazing and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
This is the second time the charity has teamed up with Omaze. The first partnership, in 2021, raised £500k.
James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Sarah and her family have won this beautiful house in the Cotswolds, whilst also contributing to the incredible first instalment of £3 million towards our £10 million pledge to help build the new Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
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“Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this lovely house in the Cotswolds, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a real win-win for both charities and entrants.
“We’re incredibly proud that the Omaze community has raised over £34 million for good causes in the UK.”
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