Dad’s £35 raffle ticket wins him a £3.5m house - plus £100k in cash

A dad who bought a £35 raffle ticket has described the "surreal" moment he was told it had won him a £3.5million house.

Will Satherley, 40, a financial risk analyst from Cardiff says the only thing he's ever won before were six cakes in a pub quiz, but he is now the proud owner of an incredible mansion in the Cotswolds.

Located just outside the idyllic village of Chipping Campden, the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw prize is a four-bedroom, countryside retreat complete with 10m heated swimming pool.

But as well as the house, which comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, Satherley has also been given £100,000 in cash.

Read more: Forget the usual retirement age – I quit work at 35 with £1m in savings, Yahoo Life UK, 11-min read

He is also free to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it.

If he decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a life changing £10,000 a month from rental income.

Speaking of the moment he learnt he had won the house, Satherley, who lives with his wife Carrie, 40 and their two sons aged four and seven, says: “I’d been working in the garden and was covered in wood chippings when I saw a couple of missed calls.

Read more: Woman who was widowed at 22 travels the world to complete her late husband’s bucket list, Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read

"I almost ignored them, I’m glad I didn’t as it was Omaze calling to let me know I’d won a prize.

"When the team arrived I couldn’t comprehend that I’d actually won the Grand Prize, it was so surreal, my wife and I work in finance so it’s fair to say we’re not used to this level of excitement!

“We didn’t know how best to celebrate as we were still in shock, so we just had a few friends over and shared takeaway pizza and a bottle or two of fizz.

“That night I kept checking my emails to make sure I hadn’t imagined the whole thing, in the end I couldn’t really sleep so I went back out to finish the gardening at 4am! The neighbours must’ve wondered what I was up to!"

Unbelievably, Satherley says the next day he got another email telling me I’d won a £10 gift voucher from Omaze too.

"I thought I must be the luckiest man in Wales!"

The dad-of-two adds: “Winning this house is a dream come true, we both work in finance, but you don’t have to be good with numbers to know that £35 to £3,500,000 is a pretty good return!

"It’s a life changing win for all our family.”

Watch: Mortgage rate hikes threaten a 'significant drag' on housing market, Nationwide warns

As well as making Will a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds, also raised a staggering £2,150,000 to support the NSPCC, something Satherley is thrilled about.

"As a parent it is a charity that is very close to my heart, so we’re really pleased that the draw raised so much money for the NSPCC," he adds.

Read more: Woman in long-term relationship been on seven holidays this year without her partner, Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read

He is now planning on running the Cardiff half marathon for the NSPCC in October.

"My run might not match the £2,150,000 Omaze raised but every little helps – I can start training in my new home gym now!”

Commenting on the family's win James Oakes from Omaze, says: “We’re delighted that Will and his lovely family have won their dream home in the Cotswolds – whilst contributing towards our biggest ever raise of £2,150,000 for NSPCC in the process – a charity that is close to his heart."

Additional reporting SWNS.