Omaze winners who abandoned mega-mansions – from ‘flood’ to ‘erosion danger’

Winning a home price hundreds of thousands of kilos for subsequent to nothing seems like a dream come true, however some Omaze prize winners discover themselves dealing with a nightmare.

Omaze is a for-profit firm that companions with charities in fundraising attracts, giving folks the prospect to win mansions for as little as 20p. Winners additionally obtain money to assist with operating prices.

It beforehand emerged most UK winners have tried to flog their new houses lower than a yr after successful. In August it was reported that of the 14 Omaze winners up till then, simply three nonetheless lived within the house they gained.

READ MORE: Curse of Omaze home draw as professional reveals why winners promote mega mansions inside weeks

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The Daily Mail experiences Omaze winner Darren Wordon, an IT marketing consultant from Bath, found the £2.5million Cotswolds mansion he gained in June 2021 sat in a valley that floods. The report acknowledged Darren solely realised after shifting into the five-bedroom Willowbrook House along with his spouse Mandy and their two kids.

Neighbour Julia Boardman instructed the Mail the house has flooded twice earlier than with water going “through the back door and out of the front door”. Another resident instructed the publication the household had considerations concerning the floods. The Wordons moved out and bought the home for £2.15m final December.

An Omaze spokesperson instructed the Daily Star: “During a period of exceptionally heavy rain before the prize draw launched, a blocked culvert within the vicinity of the property caused water to temporarily pool and backup towards the property. 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 before the winner took ownership of the property in pristine condition. The winner had no issues with the property whatsoever for the duration of their ownership.”

An analogous case is that of foundry employee Glen Elmy, 54, and spouse Debbie, 60, who gained the £3m Stealth House in Devon. Mr Elmy mentioned after the massive win: “There’s no other house like it in the country, so why would we want to sell it?”

The spectacular, triangular construction is made predominantly of glass and options an infinity pool, a big media room, gardens and uninterrupted panoramic views of the Bristol Channel and rugged North Devon shoreline.

However, the Mail experiences the couple moved out inside three days after studying of coastal erosion threatening the property, apparently then demanding the money equal of the £3m price ticket.

An Omaze spokesperson instructed the Daily Star: “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 cliff erosion.”

Operations supervisor Uttam Parmar, 59, was one other who determined to maneuver. He entered by paying simply £25 and ended up with a four-bedroom Cornish mansion with panoramic views, price a staggering £3m.

He mentioned he and spouse Raki, 53, could not afford the maintenance. They had advertise inside eight weeks of successful, regardless of the very fact the home got here mortgage-free, fully-furnished and with authorized charges and stamp obligation paid for.

Charity employee Grant Carson, 58, gained a five-bedroom, 18th-century farmhouse within the Lake District with an estimated worth of £2.5m however put it up on the market simply six months later. The Mail experiences it’s now beneath supply, solely after the value was dropped to £2.35m. But regardless of the value drop, Grant’s life has nonetheless modified eternally because of the draw.

Another individual in an identical place was widowed grandmother-of-six June Smith who reportedly visited the £4.5m waterside mansion she gained in Cornwall simply as soon as earlier than deciding to place it up on the market. She paid £25 to enter the competitors and received the house mortgage free with stamp obligation and authorized charges coated.

Although she initially wished to maintain it within the household, Ms Smith finally listed the house for £4.5m. She mentioned the cash can be used to assist her kids and grandchildren.

An Omaze spokesperson instructed the Daily Star: “As promoted, all Omaze winners are free to either live in their house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire. All houses are advertised by Omaze at a value determined by independent professional surveyors at the time the prize draw launches. As with any property sale in the UK, market conditions at the time of sale can influence the sale process. The majority of Omaze winners who have decided to sell their prize and become millionaires have done so in good time.”

Omaze beforehand mentioned it “is delighted to have created 20 millionaires and also raised £25 million for good causes since launching in the UK”.

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