'I won a stunning £3 million mansion in Cornwall after entering a draw for just £25 – the whole thing still feels like a dream'
A former dinner lady has won the keys to a stunning five-bedroom house in Cornwall worth over £3 million – along with £100,000 in cash – after entering a draw for £25.
Rose Doyle, 73, has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw – and is now the proud owner of a coastal retreat complete with a hot tub and panoramic views of the surrounding Cornish countryside.
The luxurious property comes mortgage free and with all legal fees covered.
Rose, who lives in Birmingham, has also been given a whopping £100,000 in cash to help her settle in.
She can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.
If the grandmother-of-four decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of between £3,000 - 4,000 per month.
Rose, who bought her winning entry for just £25, retired from her job as a sales assistant at an insurance resale company after 17 years.
She also had a second job as a dinner lady at a local primary school.
Her husband Tony, 65, has worked as a gas engineer for the past 25 years but is eyeing up an earlier retirement after their big win.
The couple, who have been together for 46 years, have lived in the same three-bedroom house in Birmingham which they bought for £15,000 44 years ago.
They have two children and four grandchildren, two of which – Blake, 16, and Rosie, 14 – are currently living with them.
When Omaze first contacted Rose to tell her she’d scooped a prize she initially thought she might have won a holiday to Cornwall, and had no idea she’d actually won the grand prize.
Rose said: “I’ve been an Omaze subscriber for a while and to be honest, because I know I’ve entered every draw automatically, I don’t keep track of all the houses each time, so had no clue what we’d won at first.
"We thought maybe it was a little holiday to Cornwall or a few hundred pounds – we didn’t think for one minute that we’d won a £3 million pound house there – things like this just don’t happen to people like us. When they confirmed the prize I was an emotional wreck.
“All our neighbours came out into the street to say congratulations - they were all so happy for us - they know how much this win means to our family.
“After everyone had left, we had a couple of large brandies to calm our nerves, the whole thing still feels like a dream - we keep expecting someone to wake us up any moment.”
She added: “The house is absolutely gorgeous - I’ll never get bored of walking onto the balcony and taking in these stunning views, it’s just fabulous. We love all the furniture that came with the house - all we have to do is bring our toothbrushes - and swimming costumes for the hot tub.
“We’ve been to Cornwall once before back in the eighties for a family holiday - we never imagined we’d own a £3 million mansion here one day, I just can’t comprehend it.”
Rose joked: “My sister Moreen just bought a caravan in Brean, but I think this just about tops that! We’ve got a large extended family, so we’re going to be very popular this summer, the phone won’t stop ringing as they’ll all be wanting to book their holidays down here.
“My husband still works full-time providing for our family and he was finally thinking about retiring soon - but this win means he’ll be retiring that little bit sooner!
“This win is life changing for us - it’s fantastic for our family’s future - they won’t have to struggle as much as we had to.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet - we’ll definitely enjoy it as a family for a bit - whatever we decide to do, it's going to change all our lives for the better - it’s a true miracle.”
Rose’s new home is located just a few minutes away from St Agnes beach and sits in an elevated position that offers breathtaking views of the idyllic village, as well as one of Cornwall’s famous historical Engine Houses.
A private driveway leads to a landscaped courtyard with ample parking - all framed by trees and nature-filled gardens.
The house itself is an outstanding example of modern architecture and has been finished to an exceptional standard. The design celebrates the encompassing environment with plenty of glazing - allowing natural light and picturesque scenery to fill the home.
The spacious entrance hall with a natural stone floor and vaulted ceiling leads through to the open plan kitchen, dining and family area - with herringbone oak floors throughout - which forms the heart of the home.
The kitchen has a vaulted ceiling and features bespoke hand-built units with a long breakfast island seating area, a range of units with Corian worktops, built-in fridge/freezer, three ovens and all the usual appliances you’d expect to find in a high-end property.
There is also a walk-in pantry with oak shelves and an “American” style drinks fridge/freezer.
The cosy family room is incorporated into the open plan kitchen/dining area and the space also has a large stone fireplace.
Sliding doors seamlessly lead to a stone terrace that provides an ideal setting for outdoor entertaining. The large living room has a stone fireplace, triple aspect sliding doors on each elevation and vaulted ceilings.
The ground floor also provides two double bedrooms and a bathroom with free-standing bath and large separate shower.
The boot room is a unique feature of the property and connects through to large coat cupboards, shoe storage and an airing cupboard - whilst also leading through to the utility room.
A stunning granite staircase leads up to the first floor with a glass balustrade landing and a large sliding window to the front. The main bedroom has stunning views over St Agnes and access to a rear balcony with more beautiful views.
The dressing area has handcrafted fitted wardrobes, a seated vanity area and a Juliet balcony.
The en suite bathroom features a freestanding bath and large walk-in shower.
The second bedroom has aspect windows to the rear and side, with a large Juliet balcony, access to the rear balcony, a vaulted ceiling, built-in wardrobes and drawers, and a sliding door to the en suite bathroom that has a freestanding bath and separate shower.
The third bedroom has a sliding door to the rear balcony, vaulted ceiling, built-in wardrobe and a mezzanine den, providing an ideal space for children. The balcony has a glass balustrade with more outstanding views over St Agnes.
Additionally, there is a garden/studio room, a multipurpose space suitable for a home office, with a window looking up to the house.
The front of the house has an elegant, southeast facing stone terrace which is an ideal spot for morning breakfast. The gardens have been landscaped beautifully and extensively planted, with borders made up from native trees, shrubs, plants, and hedging.
A large level lawn area leads down to the lower lawn.
To the rear, there is another large terrace area with a hot tub hidden by substantially planted borders, and steps that lead down to the lower lawn areas, all retained by dry stone walling.
As well as making Rose a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cornwall, raised £3.1 million for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - the world’s leading independent conservation organisation which is working to conserve endangered species, protect and restore habitats, and address global threats to the planet such as climate change, the food system and deforestation.
Tanya Steele, CEO at WWF, said: “At such a crucial time for our planet, we’re thrilled and so grateful to Omaze and to everyone who entered the Omaze Million Pound House draw in Cornwall, who have raised a phenomenal £3.1 million for WWF.
“The money raised through this draw will go towards our vital work protecting wildlife and restoring nature, both on our doorsteps in the UK and around the world.
“Thank you Omaze, and to everyone who entered. This partnership will help us considerably in our fight to bring our world back to life.”
James Oakes, chief international officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Rose and her family have won this incredible house in Cornwall, whilst also contributing to the £3.1 million raised for WWF.
“Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this lovely house in Cornwall, 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 £37 million for good causes across the UK.”
Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cheshire are available now at omaze.co.uk
The draw closes on April 28 for online entries and April 30 for postal entries.
For full terms and conditions, see omaze.co.uk
