Omaze winner scoops beautiful £3m mansion after daughter suspected 'he only won a toaster'

A lucky father from Luton has won the keys to a stunning six-bedroom house in Somerset worth over £3 million – as well as £100,000 in cash – as part of a campaign that raised £3,500,000 for the RSPCA.

Michael Maher (53), originally from Essex, has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw – and is now the proud owner of a spectacular countryside retreat complete with a tennis court and picturesque gardens.

The idyllic property comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered. Michael is free to either live in the incredible house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.

If Michael decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of between £6,000 – £8,000 per month.

Michael – who bought his £3,000,000 winning entry for just £10 – and his wife of 16 years Amanda (54), have lived in their rented 4-bedroom house on the outskirts of Luton for the past eight years.

The couple live at home with their two children, a son aged 19 and daughter aged 17 – as well as a four-year old cocker spaniel called Ludo. Michael also has two sons aged 32 and 27 and a grandchild aged two from his first marriage.

Michael has been working in the IT industry for the past 25 years and Amanda is an admin assistant at a local school.

When Omaze first contacted Michael to tell him he’d scooped a prize, his daughter dismissed his chances of winning anything big by saying he’s “probably only won a toaster”.

An overjoyed Michael said: “I had a call from Omaze saying I’d won a prize – obviously I was intrigued but my daughter was somewhat sceptical and told me not to get too excited as I’ve probably only won a toaster. Luckily for me it turned out to be a £3 million pound house – that also happens to come with a toaster!

“We went to the pub to celebrate and then on for a nice curry – it was your average Friday night really, apart from the fact we’d just become millionaires!

“When they told us we’d won the house in Somerset, the first thing my daughter said was that she’d had the best kebab in her life last time she was there, so she was delighted we now own a house in such a culinary hotspot. I thought she might be more impressed with the tennis court to be honest, but you can never tell with teenagers!

“I’m actually rubbish at tennis, but maybe I’ll improve as I’ve got no excuse not to practise now!

“My son and daughter asked us if they can quit their Saturday jobs now that we own a mansion – we said absolutely not, we want them to stay grounded. Going from a rented house in Luton to owning a six-bedroom house in the countryside is just mind blowing.

“This house is truly spectacular in real life, the open plan kitchen and living area is spot on for us – and the garden is just incredible, it’s so big we’ll have to put a bell on our dog otherwise we might lose him!”

Michael joked: “We have family all over the world and plenty of room for them to come and stay now – if we decide to give them the address that is!

He continued: “I subscribed to Omaze because it’s a great way to support different charities month in, month out. Also, the chance to win a £3 million pound house for a tenner isn’t bad either. We’ve owned property in the past but have been renting for the last eight years – and obviously we’ve been working towards owning our own property again – this win means that dream has now come true, and our family’s future is secure.

“We’re not sure what we’re going to do long term yet – we’ll definitely spend some time here and enjoy it as a family – whatever we decide, it’s going to change all our lives for the better.”

Michael’s new home is set amidst acres of mature woodlands, an orchard and rolling fields – electric gates reveal a gravel drive leading to the exquisitely renovated property that’s framed by a stone walled, Italianate garden.

The main house showcases a classical stone façade – flanked by pronounced single storey pavilions on either side – providing a satisfying symmetry to the property.

Once inside the masterfully renovated 3,850 sq ft house, the winner’s guests will be greeted by a spacious reception hall with elegant wood panelling and a curved staircase.

The luxurious property provides a host of exceptional entertaining spaces. It has retained its historical character with many desirable period features such as ornate cornicing in the well-proportioned drawing room, which also has a stone fireplace to provide a warm and cosy place for Michael to spend time with family and friends.

The heart of the house is the expansive open-plan kitchen and family room. The bespoke kitchen is designed by Tom Howley. The kitchen is fitted with Miele appliances throughout.

A spacious yet homely orangery adjoins the kitchen – creating a beautifully light and airy open-plan living space with a calming ambiance – which has been cleverly divided into a dining area and family sitting room. The centre piece is a stylish double-sided log burner; there is also under floor heating throughout the entire house to ensure the winner stays toastie over the festive season.

French doors lead off each side of the orangery, providing access into the kitchen garden to the south and formal gardens to the east and north. There are electrically operated skylights and the doors are fitted with solar blinds. Just off the kitchen, there is a boot room, a large utility room, separate lavatory and plant room.

On the first floor, there is a light and spacious main bedroom with en suite bathroom and built-in wardrobes, as well as a subtly integrated air conditioning unit. There are four further double bedrooms (one with en suite), each with inviting views over the sumptuous surrounding scenery.

The charming gardens and grounds are made up of manicured lawns, fabulous herbaceous borders, woodland and fields – creating an idyllic setting.

Another garden accessed directly from the kitchen has numerous raised beds and is watered from a private well – along with a built-in gas BBQ. There is also a fruit garden as well as a greenhouse and potting shed.

The property also boasts an extensive oak framed triple garage and workshops to the north-west of the house with a separate access onto the driveway.

The house is just eight miles away from the Georgian Spa city of Bath, which offers a comprehensive range of shopping, educational and recreational facilities – as well as many cultural attractions including the Theatre Royal and the famous Roman Baths. There is also a regular commuter train service running from Bath to London Paddington which takes a little over an hour.

As well as making Michael a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Somerset, also raised £3,500,000 for the RSPCA, the oldest and biggest animal welfare charity in the UK, who have been rescuing animals for 200 years, and help hundreds of thousands of pets, wildlife and farm animals every single year.

Animal neglect and abandonment calls to the charity are now at a three-year high, and many RSPCA centres are already full to bursting with unwanted pets. The RSPCA rescue, rehabilitate, rehome and release animals in desperate need of care.

The money raised will enable the RSPCA to continue carrying out its vital work – and help their frontline officers to rescue even more animals in desperate need of help. £3.5million is enough money to keep 50 RSPCA inspectors / rescue officers helping animals on the frontline for a whole year.

Chris Sherwood, RSPCA chief executive, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that the Omaze house draw has raised an incredible £3,5000,000 for the RSPCA in just six weeks. As we enter our 200th year, this will help our frontline teams rescue animals at a time when the charity has seen abandonment and neglect reports sadly reach a three-year high.

“With the cost-of-living crisis taking a heavy toll on animals, we’re incredibly grateful to have partnered with Omaze for a second time and we’d like to thank everyone who entered the draw and helped to raise funds for our vital animal welfare work.

“We’d also like to wish Michael a huge congratulations on being the winner of this stunning house in Somerset, and to thank all of those who entered the prize draw for their support for animal welfare!”

The RSPCA is the first charity partner to benefit from Omaze’s updated donation model, which not only enables it to increase its guaranteed minimum donation tenfold, rising from £100k to £1 million – but has also seen the highest ever raise for an Omaze charity partner to date.

This is the second time the charity has teamed up with Omaze. The first partnership, in 2022, raised £1 million, bringing the total already raised for the RSPCA by Omaze to £4,500,000.

James Oakes from Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Michael and his family have won this beautiful home in Somerset, whilst also contributing to the £3,500,000 raised for the RSPCA – our biggest ever raise for a charity partner.

“Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this spectacular property in Somerset, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a real win-win for both charities and entrants. We’re incredibly proud that the Omaze community has raised more than £28 million for good causes across the UK.”

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, Mallorca are available now at omaze.co.uk. The draw closes on Sunday 28th January 2024 for online entries and Tuesday 30th Jan 2024 for postal entries.

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