Grandmother wins £3.5m house after spending £10 on raffle ticket
A gran was "absolutely stunned" to learn she'd won a £3.5m house after initially believing it was a hoax.
When Susan Havenhand, 71, from Somerset received a phone call to say she'd scooped an incredible six-bedroom house in the Cotswolds she refused to believe the news.
Her and her husband John, 70, were on holiday at the time and initially didn't believe the call was genuine, hanging up the phone to head out to a bar.
In order to convince the couple they were the actual winners of the house, officials at Omaze had to speak to their daughter Harriet, who lives next door, asking her to get in touch with her parents to persuade them to believe the news.
The retired school teacher is a long-time supporter of the RSPCA and bought a £10 ticket for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, which raised £1 million for the animal welfare charity, after seeing an advert on television.
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When an Omaze film crew went to Ms Havenhand’s house to reveal she had won her dream home, they found she was away on holiday in France.
“When we first got the call from Omaze to say we’d won, my husband was convinced it was an elaborate hoax," she explains.
"In fact he was so sure he told me to hang up and come to the local bar with him instead.
“I left it for an hour or so, but once I spoke with our daughter who was at home with all the film crew, I finally realised this is actually genuine.
“I was absolutely stunned, I went straight to the bar to celebrate with John, who still couldn’t quite believe it.
"We bought everyone there drinks all night, as we can definitely afford it now."
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The couple, who have three daughters Harriet, 42, Kate, 39, and Polly, 36, as well as ten young grandchildren, say the incredible win is really going to help them enjoy their retirement.
"We have ten beautiful young grandchildren who will absolutely adore this house - they all love tennis too, so we’ll be hosting our very own Wimbledon championships this summer," Ms Havenhand continues.
“We thought people never actually win these things, and even though we’re at the house now, it still feels like we’re dreaming, we keep waiting to wake up!
"It just goes to show you’ve got to be in it to win it!"
The couple have also been given £50,000 cash to help settle them in, but they are free to live in the house, rent it out or sell it.
If the family decide to use the house for holiday and long-term letting, estate agents estimate that the average monthly rental income is between £12,000 and £15,000.
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With some of the money the family plan on buying a new car.
"Our current one is 22 years old and has 160K miles on the clock," Susan Havenhand adds.
The luxury 10,000 sq ft, three storey home comes fully furnished and includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, en suite bathrooms, a heated outdoor pool, tennis court, sauna, gym and cinema room.
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There is just under two acres of outdoor space, complete with a pond, waterfall and its own private woodland.
In terms of location the impressive home is set in idyllic countryside, with the nature reserve Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, just a stone’s throw away.
The house comes fully furnished, mortgage free with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
As well as making Susan and John multi-millionaires, the draw has also raised £1,000,000 of crucial funds for the RSPCA, the oldest animal welfare charity in the UK.
Chris Sherwood, the RSPCA’s Chief Executive, said: “Partnering with Omaze has given our supporters a fantastic opportunity to help us change the lives of animals, and in doing so be in with a unique chance to change their own lives by winning an amazing home.
“We are really grateful to everyone who has taken part as all the money raised through this partnership will help support us in our vital animal welfare work rescuing animals that need our help.
''We are approaching our busiest time of year and this funding will help the RSPCA’s animal rescue teams to Cancel Out Cruelty this summer.”
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Ms Havenhand adds: “I’m so glad I entered as I’m a big supporter of the RSPCA - so even if I hadn't won, I was still helping to raise money for a fantastic cause.”
James Oakes SVP International at Omaze said: “We’re delighted that Susan has won her dream home - and was able to contribute to this fantastic £1,000,000 raise for the RSPCA in the process.
“Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. By offering an incredible prize like this stunning house in the Cotswolds, we give people the chance to win the house of their dreams, while also introducing the charity to audiences they wouldn’t usually be able to reach.
''This method of fundraising is helping to make a big difference to causes all around the UK.”
Additional reporting SWNS.
