A man who scooped up a stunning £2m property in a prize draw nearly missed out after he ignored the call telling him he'd won.
Simon Williams, 41, is the latest winner in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw and is now the proud owner of a renovated cottage in Devon. But the dad-of-two almost failed to claim the home as he initially thought the phone call informing him of his victory was spam.
"I got a call at work from a number I didn’t recognise," he said. ''I’d been getting nuisance spam calls all day trying to sell me something and was at my wits end so I nearly didn’t answer – but I’m very glad I decided to pick up now. When I found out I’d actually won the house I was in sheer disbelief."
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The aircraft engineer, originally from Kent but living in Sussex, was also given a cash prize of £100,000 as well as the swanky new home. He is now looking forward to bringing his two daughters, aged 11 and 13, to the property in a part of the country he loves.
"I absolutely adore Devon," he added. "My late father used to bring me here for family holidays when I was a child, it’s such a beautiful county and it holds so many fond memories for me.
"The house itself is unbelievable, even better in real life. I’m not sure what I’m going to do long-term yet – but I’m definitely bringing the family here for a holiday so we can all enjoy it."
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The property, which sits in a woodland on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, boasts five bedrooms, a new kitchen and dining area and landscaped gardens. If Simon decided to rent it out, local estate agents estimate he could rake in close to £3,000 a month.
Simon said he had entered a number of Omaze draws to support its partnership with cancer charity Macmillan. His dad passed away from the disease when Simon was in his 20s, and he and his family received support from the organisation.
"I’m thrilled that this partnership with Omaze has raised so much money for them to continue helping families just like they helped mine," he continued.
The Devon House Draw alone raised a whopping £1.7m for Macmillan and will allow the charity to continue supporting families who need it. Gemma Peters, Chief Executive at Macmillan Cancer Support said: "This extraordinary amount of money will mean we can provide support, through diagnosis and beyond, to so many more people living with cancer and their loved ones, just like the support Simon and his family received.
"As a charity that relies almost entirely on public donations, we’re so thankful to the Omaze community for raising such an incredible amount of money."
James Oakes from Omaze, said: "We’re thrilled that Simon has won this beautiful house in Devon, whilst also contributing to the £1,700,000 raised for Macmillan in the process – a charity that means so much to him and his family.
"Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. By offering incredible prizes, like this wonderful property in Devon, we give people the chance to win amazing houses, whilst also introducing charities to audiences they wouldn’t usually be able to reach."
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