A lucky dad nearly lost out winning a £2M home - because he 'fancied a pint' at the pub.
Tom Steenson, 63, received a knock at the door telling him he'd scooped the four bed house and £250K in cash.
But at first he thought about not answering in case the call would “interfere with my trip to the pub''.
Bolton born Tom, who now lives in Maidstone, did open the door and discovered he'd won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Devon.
He said ''missing that pint made me a millionaire - it’s the best pint I’ve never had!”
He is now the proud owner of a contemporary, four-bedroom house near the picturesque coastal town of Exmouth.
It comes complete with a heated swimming pool as well as spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding scenery and coastline.
His new property comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
He also scooped a whopping £250,000 in cash to help him settle in and can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it whenever he wishes to become a cash multi-millionaire.
If he decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of between £6,000 to £7,000 per month.
Tom, who bought his multi-million-pound winning entry for just £20, as part of his Omaze subscription, was on his way to the pub when Omaze first knocked on his door to tell him he’d scooped a prize.
His wife of 35 years Carole, 58, answered the door.
She called Tom to say Omaze were at the door, but he almost didn’t answer as he thought it might “interfere with my trip to the pub!”.
He said: “Obviously I always answer when my wife calls and thank goodness I do!
"Missing that pint made me a millionaire - it’s the best pint I’ve never had!
“It was just another Friday really. I was off to get a haircut and then planned to go straight to the pub for an end of the week beer with pals, so I was out when Omaze came knocking.
“My wife answered and was sceptical at first, she initially thought the Omaze team were the police! She was joking, what's he done now!?
“She called me to say Omaze were at our house, but I very nearly ignored it as I thought it might interfere with my trip to the pub!
''Obviously, I always answer when my wife calls, and thank goodness I do as it really paid off this time!
“We didn’t know what I’d won at that point, so I asked her if it was the house, and she said I shouldn’t have thought so, neither of us expected it really.
“I skipped going to the pub and rushed home instead. Missing that pint made me a millionaire, it’s the best pint I’ve never had!
“Our daughter came over and we celebrated with a couple of bottles of champagne and a big Chinese takeaway! For once the fortune cookies were correct!”
On his new house he said: “The house is just magnificent, it looks like something out of a film! It’s not unfair to say it’s a bit nicer than where we currently live!
“My wife is a part time cleaner and cleans houses like this every now and then - but we never thought we’d end up owning one!
“We love the house, there's loads of space for all our friends and family to come and stay.
“The pool looks great! It’s a bit nippy today but if I had my trunks I'd definitely be tempted to dive in!
“Devon is beautiful, we love being in the countryside and by the sea. Waking up to these rolling hills and sea views will never get dull.”
RAISING MONEY FOR CALM On his connection to CALM he said: “The charity means a lot to me personally, I’ve had issues with my mental health over the years - I was struggling in 2019, it was a really tough time, but support networks like CALM helped me through a really dark time. I can’t believe where I am today, it’s one hell of a turnaround from then to now!
“I’m so happy Omaze has raised so much money for CALM - it’s such an important charity.”
On his big win: “This win means we’ll never have to worry about money ever again - it’s a dream come true. I could retire early, but my boss doesn’t have to worry as I’ll keep working for a while yet, I like to stay busy.
“Our grandkids are going to love this place, they’ve already planned a big pool party.
“Our son lives in Australia and if this place doesn’t get him back for Christmas, nothing will! We can fly him over now of course - maybe business class if he plays his cards right!
“We’ll definitely enjoy the house for a bit, but we’ll most likely sell it, maybe next year, as the money we’ll get is life-changing for the entire family.
“Thanks to £250k we’ve pocketed as part of the win, we could afford to stay here for ten years if we wanted to. Selling and banking the cash would enable us to help all our children and grandchildren - it's a generational legacy for our family. We could help our kids get on the property ladder now - it’s all very exciting!”
THE NEW HOUSE Tom and Carole have lived in their current 2-bedroom house in Maidstone since 2021. They have a son and daughter as well as two grandchildren. They also have a Cocker Spaniel called Dazzle.
Tom has worked in training and development for the motor industry for 38 years.
Tom’s new home is a magnificent example of modern architecture. It has been meticulously designed to celebrate the surrounding landscape - with full-height windows running the full length of the property, offering breathtaking views of the Devonshire countryside from almost every room, whilst also allowing natural light to pour in and fill the entire home.
The 4,200 square feet property combines elegant styling with high-quality, bespoke fittings and modern-day conveniences. It features sleek architectural lines and an open-concept design that seamlessly merges indoor and outdoor living.
It has an impressive atrium with a skylight overhead to provide a fantastic sense of space and light. The heart of the home is the double height sitting and dining room space, with a galleried landing above and sliding glass doors below that open onto the manicured rear gardens.
The well-proportioned kitchen and breakfast room also features sliding glass doors to the gardens and includes a large central island with a breakfast bar and Corian worktops, chic fitted units and integrated Siemens appliances.
The ground floor has a large open plan lounge and dining area for Tom to entertain or relax in. There is also a study overlooking the gardens.
Upstairs, the spacious landing provides a seating area that leads off into three beautifully appointed double bedrooms.
These include the generous main bedroom, complete with dressing room and en suite bathroom. The first floor also has a family bathroom with a separate walk-in shower.
Adjacent to the main house is an elegant guest annexe, with self-contained kitchenette and en suite.
The southeast-facing garden to the rear includes an elevated terrace, swimming pool, an area of lawn and far-reaching views across the surrounding fields and out to sea.
THE CHARITY WHICH BENEFITED
As well as making Tom a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Devon, raised £3.5 million for Campaign Against Living Miserably - CALM.
Someone in the UK dies by suicide every 90 minutes. It’s now the leading cause of death for young people and men under 50.
CALM's services have never been needed more. Its suicide prevention helpline answers a call every 59 seconds. The charity says that answering so many calls is a constant challenge.
The money raised from the partnership with Omaze is the single biggest donation in the charity’s history and will make a transformational difference. It will go towards CALM's suicide prevention services including their life-saving helpline to help more people find hope and a reason to stay, keeping more families and loved ones together.
The Omaze partnership was backed by comedian and CALM Patron, Romesh Ranganathan, who was delighted with the "unbelievable" amount raised.
Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM said; “We knew this partnership with Omaze would be game-changing for us, but this is way beyond what we imagined. £3.5 million is an unbelievable, life-saving amount and could mean we’re able to safeguard our suicide prevention helpline for the next 2 years and save so many lives in the process.
''At a time when our services have never been needed more, this money will be vital in ensuring people get the support they need to end their misery, not their lives.
“So, a massive thank you from everyone at Campaign Against Living Miserably! Every single person who entered the draw has helped us raise this incredible amount."
James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that Tom has won this special house in Devon, whilst also contributing to the £3.5 million raised for CALM, a charity that means a lot to him.
“Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, like this incredible house in Devon, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn't normally reach – it’s a real win-win for entrants and our charity partners. We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £63 million for good causes across the UK.”
Draw entries for the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw, on the Wirral, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Draw closes on Sunday 24th November for online entries and Tuesday 26th November 2024 for postal entries.
Entrants can also choose to subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize Draw each month. Omaze subscribers receive at least four times the number of entries compared to non-subscribers and can cancel their subscription at any time.
For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here