A canary for the (UK property) coal mine - Omaze winners' "£4m" house

[Wight Flight]

1 hour ago, Delboy said:

 

I guess if you've got that kind of money in the bank, with no mortgage, a valuation is unnecessary.

It's always a mystery to me, when I dream of owning a multi-million pound home, how the estate agents think up a price.

 

The converse of that is i have known a few people that could buy almost any home they wanted. How do they choose?

[Frank Hovis]

19 hours ago, Delboy said:

 

I guess if you've got that kind of money in the bank, with no mortgage, a valuation is unnecessary.

It's always a mystery to me, when I dream of owning a multi-million pound home, how the estate agents think up a price.

 

 

IME they copy each other's homework.

The Omaze one in this thread was valued by Omaze at £3m.

The winners randomly added £1m to that valuation before listing in last year.  No takers.

Now they have relisted it this year by adding £0.5m to the Omaze valuation.

The Omaze valuation was at peak and prices have fallen since then so anyone paying £3.5m is paying too much.

(And that's before you get into the location of the house - a bleak hillside miles from the sea, right on a road so a magnet for burglars and pikeys if you have any garden furniture, and by a caravan park.)

I don't know whose dream house that might be, maybe someone who likes horror films and being scared.

 

[Frank Hovis]

17 hours ago, Wight Flight said:

The converse of that is i have known a few people that could buy almost any home they wanted. How do they choose?

 

The same way anyone else does.

You could buy (I accept that are huge tax implications which are staying your hand) anything from a studio flat to a Victorian rectory with acres of land and its own pool.

You visualise what kind of lifestyle you want and what you would want in a house to support that.

If you're almost never going to be there and don't want to do any gardening or maintenance then you buy a studio flat.

If instead you want to spend lots of time at home in pleasant environment then you wnat a big private garden and a decent view.  If you like doing DIY and maintenance then you buy a big rambling house.

 

It's similar to cars - you buy what suits you.

I have said elsewhere that if every type of car cost exactly the same to buy, run, insure etc. then there would be no more Ferraris and Lamborghinis than there are now as they are hugely impractical cars.

People have this idea of dream homes and dream cars and the reason they are labelled as such is at root their unaffordability; most of them however wouldn't actually like living in a huge house or driving a Ferrari. 

The dream is actually to be able to afford them.

 

[HousePriceMania]

55 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

IME they copy each other's homework.

The Omaze one in this thread was valued by Omaze at £3m.

The winners randomly added £1m to that valuation before listing in last year.  No takers.

Now they have relisted it this year by adding £0.5m to the Omaze valuation.

The Omaze valuation was at peak and prices have fallen since then so anyone paying £3.5m is paying too much.

(And that's before you get into the location of the house - a bleak hillside miles from the sea, right on a road so a magnet for burglars and pikeys if you have any garden furniture, and by a caravan park.)

I don't know whose dream house that might be, maybe someone who likes horror films and being scared.

 

Maybe omaze has bought it....

 

[HousePriceMania]

imagine you advertised a draw based on a £3.5M property that turned out to  be a £1M property and someone found out they'd bought a ticket under false pretences and were £2.5M worse off than they thought...I dare say someone might threaten to sue, possible ? 

[Frank Hovis]

37 minutes ago, HousePriceMania said:

imagine you advertised a draw based on a £3.5M property that turned out to  be a £1M property and someone found out they'd bought a ticket under false pretences and were £2.5M worse off than they thought...I dare say someone might threaten to sue, possible ? 

 

They are going to use independent valuers who will have PI insurance.

When people buy shared ownership houses, or increase their share, an independent valuer is used.

Though if Omaze genuinely thought this house was worth £3m then they should have stood behind that valuation by offering a cash alternative of similar order, say a choice between this £3m house or £2.5m cash.

Tbh I am negative about this house because I know its location, and how poor it is within that area, but some wealthy retiree from London isn't going to be able to assess that anywhere near as well.

[HousePriceMania]

Just googling omaze cornwall property £3.5M would ring them to this thread so:

a) anyone buying is probably an old fool 

b) it's not really being sold.

Worth keeping an eye on.  I've seen some stuff go SSTC round me and they are still there, 9 months later in one case.

[HousePriceMania]

I take that back, Dosbods doesn't appear on google 

That wont help the prospective buyers then.

On rightmove I am seeing no end of top priced properties listing, I'd wager someone from London will want to get out of the city with prices at the top....good luck with that.

 

[apples]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12287023/2-5million-Omaze-Lake-District-home-sale-sale-six-months-later-10-added-top.html

EXCLUSIVE: Widower who won keys to dream £2.5million Omaze Lake District home puts the house up for sale six months later – with 10% added to the price tag

• Grant Carson, 58, purchased 850 tickets for £100 in order to win the home
• The property is just a short drive from popular beauty spot Lake Windermere

Quote

A widower who won the keys to a dream £2.5million country home in the Lake District has put the house up for sale six months later – with 10 per cent added on to the price tag.

Grant Carson, 58, won the six-bedroom farmhouse plus £100,000 in an Omaze Million Pound draw in January of this year.

Mr Carson, from Glasgow, who was diagnosed with arthritis as a child, had given up his disabilities charity job of 27 years the previous month to become a freelance consultant.

His multi-million-pound win came after he bought 850 entries for £100 in the draw which raised £850,000 for the Dogs Trust charity.

At the time, he talked of moving to the Lakes and possibly buying a dog, but now it appears he’s changed his mind, and the house is on the market for £2.75million.

The beautifully finished five-bedroom 18th-Century farmhouse is set in more than eight acres of land offering incredible 360-degree panoramic views - just a short drive from Lake Windermere.

Estate agents Hackney & Leigh in Kendal describe the property as ‘a superb country home set in eight acres of meadow, pasture land and gardens, and its elevated location gives the most delightful southerly and westerly views over the surrounding area.'

Mr Carson had worked for a charity in Glasgow for 27 years helping disabled people with all aspects of life, and specialised in employment and accessible housing.

But in December 2022, he decided to embark on a new career path as a freelance consultant helping organisations to meet the needs of disabled customers.

His wife Ruth passed away in 2011. The couple had been together for over 25 years, meeting at college when they were teenagers.

He has lived in his three-bedroom semi-detached house in Glasgow for 17 years.

He was seven when he was diagnosed with chronic arthritis, which made regular long walks challenging.

But on taking the keys of the home, he said he could now 'definitely afford a dog-walker', adding: 'I love the Lake District, it's one of the most beautiful places in the country, I'm still pinching myself that I actually own a house here. I'm not sure what I'll do long-term yet, but I'm going to move in for a while and enjoy it.

'Whatever I decide, it's a truly life-changing win for me.

'Having worked at a charity for so long, I know first-hand how important it is to raise money, I think these Omaze draws are fantastic for the charitable sector.'

The farmhouse has a tree-lined garden with an extended patio area made with original farmyard cobbles, and is surrounded by wild hay meadows and rolling hills.

The property was renovated while retaining its original features.

Luxurious design details include stone flags in the the sitting room and window seats offering picturesque views down the South Lakeland Valley.

An open-plan kitchen and dining area has a Cumbrian oak floor and an open fire in the living area adds to the cosy, welcoming feel of the house.

The master bedroom is flooded with natural light thanks to triple-aspect windows and the ensuite bathroom boasts twin wash basins, a freestanding tub with shower and adjoining dressing room.

There is also a standalone guest suite with vaulted ceilings and its own kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and living space.

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: 'We're absolutely delighted that Grant won the Lake District House Draw - and was able to contribute to a fantastic £850,000 raise for Dogs Trust in the process.

‘As is the case for all of our winners, they are entirely free to sell, rent or live in their new homes.

‘Now that he has enjoyed the house for six months and decided to put it on the market, we wish Grant all the very best in the next exciting chapter of his life, as he walks away a cash millionaire.

'Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. By offering incredible prizes, like this beautiful house in the heart of the Lake District, we give people the chance to win the house of their dreams, while also introducing charities to audiences they wouldn't usually be able to reach.

'This method of fundraising is helping to make a big difference: we've now raised £15,400,000 for good causes across the UK.'

Mr Carson was not available for comment.

The lucky winner:

If you have £2.75million to hand and want to give Mr Carson an even bigger win:

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137083145#/?channel=RES_BUY

Edited July 13, 2023 by apples

[UmBongo]

There's now a house up for grabs in my home county on the north Norfolk coast. Worth £4.5 million. Situated at Blakeney.

Coastal house in Norfolk Omaze

 

[Wellesley]

18 hours ago, UmBongo said:

There's now a house up for grabs in my home county on the north Norfolk coast. Worth £4.5 million. Situated at Blakeney.

Coastal house in Norfolk Omaze

I do like this style of house, but chosen charity is RNLI so they can fuck right off.

[Rare Bear]

4 hours ago, Wellesley said:

I do like this style of house, but chosen charity is RNLI so they can fuck right off.

Funny, I though that too.

[Frank Hovis]

That makes one month "under offer".

Is that a long time?  It seems it.

I wonder what the offer is?

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134117282#/?channel=RES_BUY

[Delboy]

 

No longer "Under Offer", when I clicked on your link.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134117282#/?channel=RES_BUY

On 24/07/2023 at 11:10, Frank Hovis said:

That makes one month "under offer".

Is that a long time?  It seems it.

I wonder what the offer is?

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134117282#/?channel=RES_BUY

 

Perhaps the mortgage valuer said no?

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Delboy
words duplicated

[Frank Hovis]

6 minutes ago, Delboy said:

 

No longer "Under Offer", when I clicked on your link.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134117282#/?channel=RES_BUY

 

Perhaps the mortgage valuer said no?

 

 

It still is, says UNDER OFFER just over the location, WATERHOUSE.

[Delboy]

 

18 minutes ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

It still is, says UNDER OFFER just over the location, WATERHOUSE.

My error, you're right it still says "under offer".

I don't visit the basement very often, only to check on this thread.

Still, managed to bump it to the top, making it easier to find.

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Delboy
Too many words

[Frank Hovis]

The other Cornish Omaze one has just gone up for £4.5m.  Nice house, nice location but an absolutely tiny plot for the price.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137865764#/?channel=RES_BUY

[Gloommonger]

1 hour ago, Frank Hovis said:

The other Cornish Omaze one has just gone up for £4.5m.  Nice house, nice location but an absolutely tiny plot for the price.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137865764#/?channel=RES_BUY

"Contents available by separate negotiation"

If i paid 4.5 mill I would expect the Omaze contents to be included. Greedy fucks.

[Frank Hovis]

5 minutes ago, Gloommonger said:

"Contents available by separate negotiation"

If i paid 4.5 mill I would expect the Omaze contents to be included. Greedy fucks.

 

Tbf they are less greedy than the Rock / Wadebridge house winners.  That house was valued by Omaze at £3m but they put it on at £4m, now £3.5m

This house was valued by Omaze at £4.5m and has gone on for that, albeit, as you say sans contents.

[apples]

19 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

The other Cornish Omaze one has just gone up for £4.5m.  Nice house, nice location but an absolutely tiny plot for the price.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/137865764#/?channel=RES_BUY

Go on, help a "widowed grandmother" out:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12359593/Widowed-grandmother-puts-dream-4-5M-home-market-three-months-winning-luxury-six-bedroom-Cornish-property-25-Omaze-raffle.html

Widow cashing in after winning luxury Cornish mansion says 'the money will make a huge difference' to her six grandchildren - as family enjoyed one 'magical' holiday to the waterfront pad before selling up

• June Smith was given the keys in May but the house is now listed on Rightmove 

Quote

A widow cashing in after winning a luxury Cornish mansion in a £25 raffle says the money from the sale of the £4.5m-valued property will make 'a huge difference' to her six grandchildren.

June Smith, 74, was given the keys to the huge three-storey house overlooking the Fowey Estuary just weeks ago in May, and told of how she called her children and then opened a bottle of red wine after her triumph in the Omaze draw.

The property was said to be the biggest-ever house prize to be given away in a draw in Britain and came mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.

But despite pledging at the time to 'definitely keep it for a while' and to take advantage of its built-in yoga studio, Pieds Dans L Eau has already appeared on property website, Rightmove.

Ms Smith said today that she was looking to sell so that the money could help her children and grandchildren 'with the next chapter in their lives' - after the family enjoyed one 'magical' summer holiday together.

'Winning this house has been an incredible experience, I still can't believe it all actually happened to me, it still feels so surreal,' she said.

'I wanted to enjoy at least one family holiday here before I put it on the market. 

'We all came and stayed together and absolutely love the house and Cornwall - and my six grandchildren have certainly made the most of it. 

'The house is just wonderful and it's been a magical holiday that we'll remember forever.

'I knew winning this house would be life changing for all my family, and that's why I've decided to sell now, as I want to use the money to help all my children and grandchildren with the next chapter in their lives. 

'The money is going to make such a huge difference to all of us.'

The listing describes the house as 'a striking, state-of-the-art waterfront home commanding an elevated position over the Fowey Estuary with uninterrupted, panoramic views.'

Viewings are strictly by appointment with agent JB Estates while the site's mortgage calculator estimates monthly repayments of £26,467 over 25 years.

The sale is not the first time a prize draw winner has made such a decision.

Britain's first Omaze winner, policeman Ian Garrick, from Mablethorpe, Lincs, didn't hesitate when he heard he had won a £1million-plus house in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire in November 2020.

'I sold it as soon as I could,' he told MailOnline earlier this year. 

'I didn't want to move across the country and leave friends and family, but it did change my life as it enabled me to take early retirement from the police and lay down solid foundations for financial security for me and my sons.'

Ian's wife Julie had died from cancer five years earlier and he said the £1million-plus gift gave him and his sons James, 32, Callum 24 and Nathan 21, a boost after years 'in limbo'.

Last April, NHS worker Catherine Carwardine, 60, from Wolverhampton, won a £3million six-bedroom house overlooking Lake Windermere. 

Beforehand, she and her her husband Chris had been fostering children at their five-bedroom house in Telford, Shropshire, for five years.

She revealed earlier this year that she is renting out the property.

Meanwhile last August, operations manager Uttam Parmar, 58, from Leicestershire, won a four-bedroom Cornish house with panoramic views of the Camel Estuary. 

He and his wife Raki, 53, initially put the house on the market for £4million - but since decided to hang onto the property as a holiday home.

Ms Smith had tears of joy after winning the property when she revealed that the last time she stayed in Cornwall was in a caravan and how her late husband, Ron, would have loved it. 

Ron, to whom she was married for 43 years, died last year when he suffered a heart attack at 74. Ms Smith has lived in her two-bedroom detached house in Essex for the past 17 years. 

She worked as a bookkeeper before she had children while Ron worked as an architectural designer all his life. 

After winning the draw, Ms Smith was given the freedom to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it, with local estate agents estimating it could achieve £5,000 to £7,000 per month from long-term rentals - and up to £14,000 a week for peak season holidays.

Ms Smith, who has three children and six grandchildren, said at the time that Ron would have 'absolutely loved the design of this house' and will be 'looking down with an approving smile'.

She could not believe she had won the grand prize, saying: 'People like me don't win things like this.'

Ms Smith said: 'I was just settling in for a standard Friday night in front of the telly - then the next thing I knew I'd won a mansion, I couldn't believe it. The first thing I did was call my children, the second was to open a bottle of red!

'My husband Ron died last year, but I'm sure he played a part in this win - he won it for all of us. Ron always wanted us to be financially secure as a family - and this house gives us that security.

'He spent his life working with architecture, he'd have absolutely loved this house - it's a work of art. We used to come for family holidays in Cornwall and stay in a caravan, but now we own a £4.5million mansion - it's just unbelievable.

'The house is truly stunning and the views are simply breathtaking, even the rain couldn't dampen our spirits when we first came here, it was love at first sight.

'It has its own yoga studio, so maybe I'll take that up, although my son says it would make a great bar too.

'I've got six beautiful grandchildren and have now got plenty of room for all of them to come and stay - we're going to have the best summer holiday ever.

'Having spent some time at the house, I'm definitely going to keep it for a while, whatever I decide to do long term it's a life changing win for our family.'

Ms Smith has three children - Katherine, Wesley and Rory. Katherine and Rory live in East Anglia with two children each, while Wesley lives on the Gold Coast of Australia with his wife and two children.

The house provides spectacular views along the estuary as well as the architecture of nearby Fowey and the surrounding Cornish countryside.

The property, which comes with furnishings included, was designed by the West Country architects Harrison Sutton.

It has a bright and airy entrance hall, with an adjacent home office that provides panoramic estuary views with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides of the room. 

The main sitting room has a double-sided log fire, with a cinema and snug room complete with an 85in TV on the other side, that leads out to a west facing patio.

A kitchen and breakfast room features a central island and glazed sliding doors on two sides that lead out onto a cantilevered balcony. 

In addition to Smallbone units and Sub-Zero appliances, there are two dishwashers, a hot water tap and a Wolf cooker with a Teppanyaki cooker and griddle.

A secondary kitchen pantry sits on the other side of the hallway, next to a dining room.

A cantilevered staircase leads up to the first floor, where a large open landing leads to the main bedroom, which has glazed walls on two sides. 

In addition to a dressing area, there is an en-suite bathroom with a walk in shower.

A ground floor bedroom with en-suite bathroom is accessed from the sitting room. The bedroom also has access to the balcony in front of the sitting room. 

A secondary staircase leads from the sitting room to a guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom and access to a shared balcony.

A yoga studio sits in one part of the garden and at the far end there is a seating area with views down the estuary.

The draw also raised £2.1million for the end-of-life charity Marie Curie.

"The money is going to make such a huge difference to all of us":

Edited August 2, 2023 by apples

[Frank Hovis]

On 30/07/2023 at 15:22, Delboy said:

 

My error, you're right it still says "under offer".

I don't visit the basement very often, only to check on this thread.

Still, managed to bump it to the top, making it easier to find.

 

 

It is now no longer Under Offer.

And the weather has cooled along with the housing market.

Given that Omaze themselves only valued it at £3m, which would anyway have been generous, the next price drop is awaited.

Maybe it will just be, as last time, "Offers in Excess of" being changed to "Guide Price" as an initial step down.

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134117282#/?channel=RES_BUY

 

[Delboy]

14 hours ago, Frank Hovis said:

 

It is now no longer Under Offer.

And the weather has cooled along with the housing market.

Given that Omaze themselves only valued it at £3m, which would anyway have been generous, the next price drop is awaited.

Maybe it will just be, as last time, "Offers in Excess of" being changed to "Guide Price" as an initial step down.

 

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/134117282#/?channel=RES_BUY

 

 

Cheeky buggers want to charge extra for the furniture, which were included in the original prize.

"Contents available by separate negotiation (minus personal effects)."

That's me out.

 

[One percent]

5 minutes ago, Delboy said:

 

Cheeky buggers want to charge extra for the furniture, which were included in the original prize.

"Contents available by separate negotiation (minus personal effects)."

That's me out.

 

Just tell them that you have your own furniture and you want full vacant possession. 

what the hell are they going to do with a house full of furniture 

[spunko]

On 26/06/2023 at 14:29, Frank Hovis said:

 

 

People have this idea of dream homes and dream cars and the reason they are labelled as such is at root their unaffordability; most of them however wouldn't actually like living in a huge house or driving a Ferrari. 

 

 

That is absolutely true.

The other elephant in the room is that if you're unhappy before you've won an Omaze £4m house, I'd be willing to bet you're still going to be just as unhappy afterwards.

But people never see it like that, they think all their problems will be solved if only they could have a few £m in the bank. But most people create their own problems.

[Bornagain]

8 minutes ago, spunko said:

That is absolutely true.

The other elephant in the room is that if you're unhappy before you've won an Omaze £4m house, I'd be willing to bet you're still going to be just as unhappy afterwards.

But people never see it like that, they think all their problems will be solved if only they could have a few £m in the bank. But most people create their own problems.

This is so very, very true.

Some people are happy when very poor whilst others are miserable when very rich.

But its probably better to be rich and miserable than poor and miserable.