A lucky dad has said that missing out on a pint has made him a millionaire after winning a £2 million home. Tom Steenson, 63, received a knock at the door telling him he'd scooped a four-bed house and £250k in cash as part of an Omaze draw.
Tom was heading to the pub when his wife of 35 years Carole, 58, called to say there was someone from Omaze at the door. At first, he thought about not answering in case it would 'interfere with his trip to the pub,' but once he headed back home they discovered he'd won a dream home.
Tom, originally from Bolton, is now the proud owner of a contemporary, four-bedroom house near the picturesque coastal town of Exmouth, which came complete with a heated swimming pool as well as panoramic views of the surrounding scenery and coastline.
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The new property also came mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, as well as scooping a whopping £250,000 in cash to help him settle in. Tom can now decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it whenever he wishes to become a cash multi-millionaire.
If he decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of between £6,000 to £7,000 per month.
Tom, who bought his multi-million-pound winning entry for just £20, as part of his Omaze subscription, said: "It was just another Friday really. I was off to get a haircut and then planned to go straight to the pub for an end of the week beer with pals, so I was out when Omaze came knocking.
“My wife answered and was sceptical at first, she initially thought the Omaze team were the police! She was joking, what's he done now? She called me to say Omaze were at our house, but I very nearly ignored it as I thought it might interfere with my trip to the pub.
''Obviously, I always answer when my wife calls, and thank goodness I do as it really paid off this time. We didn’t know what I’d won at that point, so I asked her if it was the house, and she said I shouldn’t have thought so, neither of us expected it really.
“I skipped going to the pub and rushed home instead. Missing that pint made me a millionaire, it’s the best pint I’ve never had. Our daughter came over and we celebrated with a couple of bottles of champagne and a big Chinese takeaway. For once the fortune cookies were correct."
On his new house he said: “The house is just magnificent, it looks like something out of a film! It’s not unfair to say it’s a bit nicer than where we currently live.
“My wife is a part time cleaner and cleans houses like this every now and then - but we never thought we’d end up owning one. We love the house, there's loads of space for all our friends and family to come and stay.
“The pool looks great. It’s a bit nippy today but if I had my trunks I'd definitely be tempted to dive in. Devon is beautiful, we love being in the countryside and by the sea. Waking up to these rolling hills and sea views will never get dull.”
Tom, who now lives in Maidstone, added: “This win means we’ll never have to worry about money ever again - it’s a dream come true. I could retire early, but my boss doesn’t have to worry as I’ll keep working for a while yet, I like to stay busy.
“Our grandkids are going to love this place, they’ve already planned a big pool party. Our son lives in Australia and if this place doesn’t get him back for Christmas, nothing will! We can fly him over now of course - maybe business class if he plays his cards right!
“We’ll definitely enjoy the house for a bit, but we’ll most likely sell it, maybe next year, as the money we’ll get is life-changing for the entire family.
“Thanks to £250k we’ve pocketed as part of the win, we could afford to stay here for ten years if we wanted to. Selling and banking the cash would enable us to help all our children and grandchildren - it's a generational legacy for our family. We could help our kids get on the property ladder now - it’s all very exciting."
Tom’s new home is a magnificent example of modern architecture. It has been meticulously designed to celebrate the surrounding landscape - with full-height windows running the full length of the property, offering breathtaking views of the Devonshire countryside from almost every room, whilst also allowing natural light to pour in and fill the entire home.
The 4,200 square feet property combines elegant styling with high-quality, bespoke fittings and modern-day conveniences. It features sleek architectural lines and an open-concept design that seamlessly merges indoor and outdoor living.
It has an impressive atrium with a skylight overhead to provide a fantastic sense of space and light. The heart of the home is the double height sitting and dining room space, with a galleried landing above and sliding glass doors below that open onto the manicured rear gardens.
The well-proportioned kitchen and breakfast room also features sliding glass doors to the gardens and includes a large central island with a breakfast bar and Corian worktops, chic fitted units and integrated Siemens appliances.
The ground floor has a large open plan lounge and dining area for Tom to entertain or relax in. There is also a study overlooking the gardens. Upstairs, the spacious landing provides a seating area that leads off into three beautifully appointed double bedrooms.
These include the generous main bedroom, complete with dressing room and en suite bathroom. The first floor also has a family bathroom with a separate walk-in shower. Adjacent to the main house is an elegant guest annexe, with self-contained kitchenette and en suite.
The southeast-facing garden to the rear includes an elevated terrace, swimming pool, an area of lawn and far-reaching views across the surrounding fields and out to sea.
As well as making Tom a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Devon, raised £3.5 million for Campaign Against Living Miserably - CALM.
On his connection to CALM he said: “The charity means a lot to me personally, I’ve had issues with my mental health over the years - I was struggling in 2019, it was a really tough time, but support networks like CALM helped me through a really dark time. I can’t believe where I am today, it’s one hell of a turnaround from then to now. I’m so happy Omaze has raised so much money for CALM - it’s such an important charity.”
Draw entries for the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw, on the Wirral, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 24th November for online entries and Tuesday 26th November 2024 for postal entries.
Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize Draw each month. Omaze subscribers receive at least four times the number of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.
For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.
