Gran received £4.5m Omaze mansion and bought it after dwelling there for only one summer time
Grandmother June Smith won a £4.5 million Omaze mansion in Cornwall but chose to sell it after one family summer – and the windfall changed her entire family’s lives forever
A grandmother who scooped a stunning £4.5 million Omaze mansion in Cornwall revealed the “best part” was selling it after just one summer to secure her entire family’s future.
Widow June Smith, who went from “living on a pension to owning a mansion” in one incredible stroke of luck, admitted the life-changing moment is “still sinking in” — and nearly three years later it “still feels like a dream” on some days.
The 77-year-old enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime summer at the Cornish waterfront property before selling it for millions, ensuring the financial security of her children and six grandchildren.
June, from Essex, bagged the six-bedroom, three-storey property overlooking the Fowey Estuary through the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cornwall, in 2023.
She had lost her husband, Ron, just a year before her windfall. The couple had been married for 43 years and brought up three children together, reports Cornwall Live.
June said her Omaze triumph allowed her to help the family climb onto the property ladder, clear mortgages and support new business ventures, giving her children and grandchildren the strongest possible start in life.
She said: “I went from living on a single pension to owning a mansion. It still sounds mad when I say those words out loud.
“I honestly thought it was a wind-up. I was just settling down for a quiet Friday night in front of the telly when suddenly Omaze was at the door telling me I’d won a £4.5 million house, I was gobsmacked!
“I always thought people like me don’t win things like that. I remember just standing there thinking, this can’t be real. The first thing I did was call my children to share the good news. The second thing I did was open a nice bottle of red. I’ll never forget that night, it changed our lives forever.
“My husband Ron died the year before I won, and I really do feel like he played a part in the win. He always wanted our family to be safe and secure. Winning with Omaze meant that dream came true, in a way we could never have imagined. I know he’s smiling down on all of us.”
When June first set foot at the Cornish property and looked out over the estuary, she described it as love at first sight.
“I just stood there and thought, wow,” she remembered. “Ron spent his life working in architecture and he would have absolutely loved this house.”
While June knew that selling the property would unlock a life-changing sum for her family, there was something she wished to do first.
She said: “I knew I wanted to release the huge amount of money by selling the house, but I also knew I wanted one big, proper family summer there before we did anything.”
June spent several months at the property with her children and grandchildren, even bringing her eldest son and his family over from Australia for an extended business-class visit.
She said: “My six grandchildren absolutely made the most of it. They ran wild around the house and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was the ultimate family holiday!
“The last time we holidayed in Cornwall we were all in a caravan. So to suddenly be together in a £4.5 million house was just mind-boggling. Those months together are memories we’ll cherish forever.”
After that summer, June sold the property for millions of pounds, explaining that the most significant benefit of her Omaze victory was what it allowed her to do for her family.
She explained: “Thanks to the money I also got with the house I could’ve easily kept it without a worry in the world.
“But selling the house meant I could help all my children with the next chapter of their lives,” she explained. “I’ve been able to help them get on the property ladder, clear mortgages and take away all the everyday money worries.
“They’re all in such a fantastic position now, especially at their age – it’s a world away from where I was at that stage in life!
“I’ve also been able to help start businesses for my children, which are now thriving, and that means they and my grandchildren have previously unimaginable financial security. Seeing the difference it’s made to them has been the best part of winning with Omaze, and I’ve still got plenty left for a rainy day!”
After becoming smitten with Cornwall, June bought another property in Fowey, reluctant to bid farewell to the county.
She revealed: “After that summer, I’d fallen in love with Fowey and knew I didn’t want to leave, so I used some of the money from the sale to buy a lovely place down here.
“We all love popping to the local pubs, tea and scones the Cornish way, walking along the harbour with fish and chips. I’ve also grown fond of the odd Cornish pasty, although they just call them pasties here of course! Everyone has been so welcoming, it really does feel like home.”
June described the windfall as providing her with financial security for life.
She said: “I still wake up and think it was all a dream some days. It’s taken away all my worries – that’s a priceless gift in itself. Omaze didn’t just change my life, it changed all my family’s lives.
“Winning with Omaze was one of the most special days of our lives, but it’s what it’s allowed me to do for my family that’s made every day since, so special.”
James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: “June’s story shows the true impact of winning with Omaze. Life-changing prizes that can transform an entire family’s future, while raising millions for vital causes.”
