Almost every Omaze dream home has been sold — but I’m keeping mine

As prize draws go, this one is pretty impressive.

Enter for £10 (or buy a bundle of entries for £25 to £150) and walk away with a house worth millions, with no stamp duty, mortgage or solicitors fees to pay.

The Omaze Million Pound House Draw draw began in 2020, with ticket sales raising money for charities like Marie Curie and the RNLI.

Winners have bagged luxury mansions across the country, from a £3 million semi-detached in Islington, London, to a James Bond-esque property on the north Devon coast.

But most winners barely even step over the threshold – they prefer to have the cash, an option stated in the terms and conditions of the draw. You can put the house on the market, which almost every new home owner has decided to do.

The Mail recently pointed out, that of the 14 luxury properties that had been won by August 2023, just three were still being lived in – 10 of them had been sold on, while one was being rented out. 

And the trend has continued this year. Lisa Morgan, from Merseyside, said she is dealing with ‘the best dilemma in the world’ over what to do with the £4.5 million house in Cornwall shewon this year.

Rachel Reid, who won a £3 million house in Surrey said that she’ll ‘most likely sell it to bank the cash.’ Adding: ‘The huge amount of money will change our lives, and the lives of our children forever.’

And Chris Milnes, who won a £3 million home in Dorset, said he’ll be cashing in, rather than moving in, so he can ‘give my children the start in life I never had’.

But when Eliza Yahioglu, 57, learnt that she’d won the mega prize, she decided to take a different route. She up-rooted her life, and moved in.

Eliza was living in London, with her husband, Gokhan, and their children, Carl, 24, and Leyla, 21, when she discovered she’s won a picturesque farmhouse over 200 miles away in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

‘I was on holiday celebrating my birthday when we found out,’ she said. ‘So many thoughts went running through my head when we got the video call to say we’d won.

‘I just couldn’t believe Jo from the Omaze TV adverts was standing outside my front door.

‘I was convinced there must’ve been a mistake and they’d called the wrong person, then I started to realise something really big was happening – all of that in 30 seconds – it was crazy!’

Like all past winners, Eliza had the option to either live in the beautifully renovated 17th century mansion, or rent it out or sell it.

She said: ‘As soon as I walked through the front door, it stopped being a house and immediately became our home.

‘The house was amazing, even nicer than it looked in pictures.’

So, after she ‘instantly fell in love with it’, Eliza knew she had to keep it.

It also meant that Eliza could finally achieve a long-held dream: ‘I’ve lived in London for almost 40 years, but I’m a proud Yorkshire lass at heart. Some of my family are still based up here.

‘We’d always dreamed of having a place in Yorkshire one day, close to what I’ve always called home – now that dream has come true!

‘I’ve loved returning home to my Yorkshire roots, my accent definitely comes back stronger as soon as I hit the A1!

‘It’s so nice that my children get to have a genuine connection to the area where I grew up – that’s been a wonderful experience.’

It’s meant that Eliza and Gokhan had to leave their life in London, to start afresh in Harrogate, where they now live full time, although they still own their property in the capital.

They’ve now been living in their Omaze home since August 2023.

Eliza said: ‘I can’t believe it’s been a year already, it feels like only yesterday – it’s still sinking in now if I’m honest.

‘I still come downstairs some mornings and do a double take because I can’t believe I’m actually standing in my kitchen, it’s still very surreal at times!’

And Eliza loves hosting in her new pad, located close to the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

‘We’ve loved having friends come up and stay with us, as well as letting them use it with their families too – it’s a home that’s built for sharing,’ says Eliza.

‘We had 16 people here for Christmas, thank goodness it came with an Aga to cope with all the Yorkshire puddings!

‘The kids have stayed here with all their friends from university – the house looked pristine after they’d left so they’re welcome back anytime! We all just love it up here!’

The couple also plan on having people affected by blood cancer to use the house in between treatments, as the £1,950,000 raised for this particular draw went to Blood Cancer UK.

She added: ‘It was very special to see how much was raised – it was such an incredible amount of money.

‘We’re planning on having people and families affected by blood cancer to come and stay – they can have the place all to themselves and just get away from it all.’

Now, the family are continuing to become part of the local community: ‘Everyone in the area has been so welcoming, we love all our neighbours.

‘We absolutely adore the local pub The Queen’s Head in Kettlesing – the landlords Louise and Glen are real legends, even giving us a lift home after a long lunch!’

And keeping the house – rather than opting for cash – is a decision Eliza doesn’t regret.

‘Winning something so valuable in bricks and mortar is brilliant – I joke that I’d have burned through the money if I’d won it in cash!’ she says.

‘This house is something we can all enjoy together as a family – and is a lasting legacy for my children – it’s something that will help their futures.

‘The win means I’ve already been able to help my son get on the property ladder. I’m also looking forward to retirement even more now.

‘Some people I speak to say they thought Omaze was a scam, but I assure them and anyone else that it’s definitely real.’

Although Eliza does admit that winning a home on her birthday, meant her husband had to pull out all the stops to top it this year.

‘My husband had a tough job topping,’ she said. ‘Although the weekend in Stockholm was a lovely one.

‘The ABBA museum almost swung it!’

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