Omaze winner makes huge mistake seconds after scooping £4.5m Cornwall house

Lisa Morgan (58) has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Cornwall, which raised £4,900,000 for the RSPB, and is now the proud owner of a contemporary, four-bedroom house near Falmouth, on the Cornish coastline, complete with spectacular panoramic sea views, a heated swimming pool and its very own terraced tower to take in the surrounding scenery.

The stunning property comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered. Lisa has also been given £250,000 in cash to help her settle in - and can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it whenever she wishes to become a cash multi-millionaire.

If Lisa decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of £5,000 per month.

Lisa, who bought her £4,500,000 winning entry for just £25 as part of her Omaze subscription – has worked as an NHS nurse for nearly 40-years, after being inspired to join the medical fraternity by her auntie Peg.

She celebrated her 26th wedding anniversary with husband Andy (60) last week. He has worked as an electrical engineer for the past 30-years. The couple said their big win was the “best anniversary present ever”.

The pair have been working hard to try and pay off the mortgage on their current house in Merseyside, where they’ve lived for the past 20-years - so they can eventually enjoy a more comfortable retirement. Lisa exclaimed that after winning the Grand Prize “they can’t get more comfortable than a £4.5 million mansion!”

Lisa and Andy have two children, a son who works in London and a daughter who is studying Sports and Exercise Sciences at University.

When Lisa found out she’d scooped the Grand Prize, she realised she didn’t have any champagne to celebrate with, so sent her daughter to get a bottle, but ended up getting locked out, spending her first moments as a millionaire sitting on a doorstep.

A shellshocked Lisa said: “I was in utter disbelief when I found out I’d won, but the first thing that ran through my mind was that we didn’t have any champagne to celebrate with, so my daughter ran out to get a bottle, but left me locked out - so we quite literally had to put our celebrations on ice - thankfully my new place comes with a spare set of keys!

“I’ve been a nurse for 40-years and absolutely love my job - but on a nurse’s salary I never in a million years thought I’d end up with a £4.5 million mansion!

“I didn’t have much time to let anything sink in, as the morning after I'd won, I worked back-to-back 11.5-hour shifts at the hospital over the weekend, so I just parked it in my mind and got on with work.

“My husband and I have worked so hard to try and save enough money to pay off our mortgage, so we can retire comfortably, now seeing our new home I don’t think we could get much more comfortable than this!

“I thought we’d both end up working until our 70s - but this win means we’ll never have to worry about money ever again - it’s amazing for our family’s future. The whole thing is just so surreal, things like this don’t happen to people like me.”

On her new home she said“ This house is gorgeous, it's just absolutely stunning, walking down the drive and seeing that view for the first time made it feel real - it’s truly breathtaking - the sea views are spectacular!

“We’re going to make so many memories here, I’ll be getting my brother on the barbie and I can’t wait to jump in the swimming pool - I wish we’d brought our cozzies!

“The best thing we’d ever won before this was a hamper at a Christmas raffle, this definitely tops that! The family are going to love it here, I think we’ll do Christmas by the coast this year!

“Thanks to £250,000 we got as part of the win - we can afford to stay here for ten years without having to lift a finger if we decided to, it’s an incredible position to be in.

“If we decide to stay it would be magical - but if we sell it to bank the cash - that will also be game changing for the entire family. It’s the best dilemma in the world!

She added: “We always give as much as we can to charity, that’s why we subscribed to Omaze draws because even if we hadn't won - we’ve still contributed towards a very worthy cause.”

Lisa’s new home is an outstanding example of modern architecture. It has been meticulously designed to celebrate the coastal landscape - with plenty of glazing to offer breathtaking views of the sea and Cornish countryside from almost every room - whilst also allowing natural light to fill the entire home.

The main entrance hall leads into an elegant open-plan living space with a bespoke kitchen, dining room and luxurious sitting room area. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows and sliding doors lead onto a spacious terrace that wraps around the front elevation of the house, and offers more views of the coast and picturesque landscapes.

The generous dining terrace leads directly from the kitchen and provides an idyllic space for entertaining guests alfresco anytime, day or night. The property has built-in speakers throughout so the winner can enjoy surround sound quality music from anywhere.

The central stylish staircase to the lower ground floor leads to the main bedroom, with a deluxe en suite bathroom and dressing area. This floor has a further three double bedrooms, two of which are en suite, as well as a family bathroom, utility room, plant room and a chic wine room.

A second staircase is located within the striking tower at the southern end of the house and connects the cosy ground floor snug to the first-floor office as well as a fantastic sundowner terrace.

The landscaped gardens at the property complement the house and surrounding landscape perfectly.

There is a lawn area, extensive terracing, a sheltered sundowner terrace and an abundance of colourful plants and shrubs which are well suited to a coastal garden.

The beautiful south-facing garden has been designed to take full advantage of the setting, with outstanding sea views across to the iconic Pendennis Castle and St Anthony’s Head Lighthouse.

The terracing creates a spacious dining area, and there are several sheltered spots within the grounds to enjoy the tranquil waterfront surroundings.

There is an outdoor kitchen and additional dining area, together with a sunken fire pit and private direct access to the South West Coast Path.

There is also a heated outdoor swimming pool with views of the ocean. There is also a hot tub and pool house, which could equally be used as a home office or additional accommodation. The property also has ample parking, garaging and a garden store.

From the bottom of the garden and following the South West Coast Path, the house is within walking distance of the beautiful beaches of Maenporth and Swanpool. Alternatively, the quieter beach escape Nansidwell, is only a short walk and offers the perfect location for a secluded break.

The house is conveniently located just over 3 miles from the historic town and port of Falmouth.

As well as making Lisa a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, London, raised £4,900,000 for the RSPB, the UK’s largest nature conservation charity - in just six weeks. It’s Omaze’s biggest ever raise for a charity partner.

The RSPB protects and restores habitats, saves species, and helps to end the nature and climate emergency so that wildlife, wild places and people can thrive.

The funds raised will be used to support the protection and restoration of one of nature’s greatest superpowers: peatland.

These wet, boggy landscapes are home to some of the UK’s rarest birds and other incredible wildlife – from skydancing Hen Harriers, to hares and even insect-eating sundew plants. They filter much of our drinking water, can help reduce the risk of flooding and have a vital role to play in the fight against climate change.

Peatlands hold more carbon than all the world’s forests combined and when in a healthy, natural state keep it locked away. But around 80% of UK peatlands are damaged and deteriorating. Instead of absorbing carbon they are leaking their vast stores back into the atmosphere. To tackle the nature and climate emergency these amazing landscapes must be protected and restored urgently.

The money raised will help the charity bring these precious places back from the brink.

Beccy Speight, Chief Executive for the RSPB, said: “On behalf of everybody at the RSPB, I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to every single person who entered this draw.

“Nature is in crisis and the UK is now one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. The money we receive from the Omaze campaign will go directly to help protect and restore our precious UK peatlands – one of nature’s greatest superpowers.

“This incredible support allows the RSPB to continue our vital work to protect habitats, save species and help to end the nature and climate emergency. Together, we can save nature!”

The partnership was backed by businessperson, TV personality and RSPB ambassador Deborah Meaden, who was left “almost speechless” by the incredible amount raised in such a short space of time.

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Lisa has won her dream home in Cornwall, whilst also contributing to our biggest ever raise of £4,900,000 for the RSPB.

“Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, like this incredible house in Cornwall, whilst also introducing charities to large new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a win-win for entrants and charities. We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £56 million for good causes across the UK.”

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Yorkshire, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 29th of September for online entries and Tuesday 1st October 2024 for postal entries.

Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize and Early Bird Prize, each month. Omaze subscribers receive double the amount of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time. When Omaze has two draws running simultaneously, subscribers are entered into both, with a £10 subscription providing 30 entries into both house draws - meaning 60 entries in total for just £10.

For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.