Dad wins $4.5 million house in raffle

By SWNS staff reporter.

A dad who has only ever won cakes in a bar quiz has scooped a $4.5 million (£3.5M) house in a raffle.

Will Satherley, 40 - a financial risk analyst - is the latest Omaze winner of a stunning home in the Cotswold in England.

Lucky Will from Cardiff has won the incredible property after buying a ticket for £35 ($45).

He says the only thing he has ever won before was six cakes in a pub quiz.

The latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw prize is a four-bedroom, countryside retreat complete with a heated swimming pool.

It is located just outside the idyllic village of Chipping Campden.

Will has also been given £100,000 ($128,000) in cash - plus the house comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.

He is 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 up to £10,000 a month from rentals.

Will has been working as a financial risk analyst in Cardiff for 13 years.

His wife Carrie, 40, also works in finance for the Welsh Government and they have two sons aged four and seven.

Will said: “I’d been working in the garden and was covered in wood chippings when I saw a couple of missed calls.

''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 neighbors must’ve wondered what I was up to!

“Unbelievably, the very next day I 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.

“We love the Cotswolds and have holidayed here before, it was always a bit of a nightmare trying to find a place to stay during the summer but looks like we won’t have that problem this year.

Will added: “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!

''The best thing we’d ever won as a family before this was six fairy cakes in a pub quiz in Machynlleth North Wales, this definitely tops that - it’s a life-changing win for all our family.”

He added: “I’m running the Cardiff half marathon for the NSPCC in October – 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 – 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!”

Will’s beautiful 4,250 sq ft property has been contextually designed to sit comfortably in the surrounding landscape and built using local Cotswolds stone.

A combination of traditional Cotswold architecture has been blended with striking contemporary elements that successfully links to the past and the present.

Floor-to-ceiling windows provide the property with a feeling of openness, with glass doors framing views over the gardens.

The heart of the house is an open-plan kitchen and dining room that provides a welcoming sociable hub for modern family life.

''The kitchen area has been designed ergonomically and integrates the clean lines of the Siematic units with Silestone worktops.

The layout incorporates a comprehensive range of Siemens appliances including two ovens, a microwave, coffee machine, two plate warmers, dishwasher, integrated fridge and freezer.

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.

James Oakes from Omaze, said: “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.''