A gran told she'd won a £3.5m home thought it was a hoax and went to the pub - then bought everyone drinks when she realised it was true. Grandmother-of-ten Susan Havenhand, 71, received a phone call to say she'd scooped the mega plush pad in the Cotswolds.
But Susan and husband John were on holiday and initially refused to believe it was genuine - and he told her to hang up so they could go to a bar. Officials at Omaze then had to speak to their daughter Harriet, who lives next door, to contact them and convince her parents they had actually won.
Susan and retired college manager John, 70, then celebrated by buying a round for everyone in the French boozer. Her £10 ticket won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw - a stunning £3,500,000 six-bedroom house.
It has panoramic views of idyllic Cotswold’s countryside – whilst helping to raise £1,000,000 for the RSPCA. The couple have three daughters Harriet, 42, Kate, 39, and Polly, 36 - as well as ten young grandchildren.
An Omaze film crew went to Susan’s house in Somerset to reveal that she’d won - but the lucky winner was away on holiday in France. Susan said: “When we first got the call from Omaze to say we’d won, my husband was convinced it was an elaborate hoax.
''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.
“We’ve worked in education for a combined 80 years, so this is really going to help us enjoy our 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.
“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! 'We can probably get a new car - our current one is 22 years old and has 160K miles on the clock!
“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.”
The luxury 10,000 sq ft, three storey home comes fully furnished and includes a state-of-the-art kitchen, en suite bathrooms, heated outdoor pool, tennis court, sauna, gym and cinema room. There is just under two acres of outdoor space, complete with a pond, waterfall and private woodland.
The house has been built using local stone and timber, to ensure it sits well within the local environment, the landscape was designed with the topography of the Cotswolds in mind. The property is surrounded by glorious 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 and all stamp duty and legal fees are covered. Susan has also been given £50,000 cash to help her settle in - and is free to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it. If she decides 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.
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.”
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.”
