A Leicestershire couple who lucked out by winning a £3m mansion in Cornwall from a £25 lottery ticket in the Omaze Million Pound House draw have put the luxurious property back on the market just eight weeks after getting the keys.
Uttam Parmar, 58, and his wife Raki, 53, landed the breathtaking house, complete with five acres of land, on the Camel Estuary on August 12, 2024. However, by October 8 they had relisted it, citing one major problem with their stunning four-bed prize. “It is a fantastic house in a beautiful Cornish location but the price of it comes with a price to keep it and we can’t afford to. We are selling it and not keeping it as a holiday home”, Uttam said.
“We considered moving there and staying there but with all the costs etc, it was a lot so we decided to sell it. We have an agent dealing with it and we’re leaving him to sort it out”, he told MailOnline.
The huge win also included £50,000 in cash. What’s more, the house was mortgage-free, with stamp duty and legal fees taken care of. Nevertheless, after a few weeks “chilling out” in the mind-blowing home, the couple decided to put it on the market for £4million and return to life in Leicestershire.
Uttam said: “We were absolutely thrilled to win the house. Cornwall is such a magical place and we have enjoyed spending time as a family in this extraordinary property, we’ve especially loved waking up to such spectacular views.
“Everyone in Cornwall has been so welcoming, it has really felt like home.” One of the locals is none other than celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, but Uttam said he didn’t run into him.
Uttam said: “I’m quite a normal guy. There’s some celebrity neighbours but I’m not in that showbiz league. It would be nice to meet a celebrity in the neighbourhood but we’d be a bit out of our depth.”
“As much as we’ve loved our time here, our lives are primarily based elsewhere, and it is such a hugely valuable asset to not use more regularly, so we decided to sell. I know the next owners will enjoy this house just as much as we have”, Uttam, an operations manager for Alps Alpine, said.
The eco-mansion boasts insulation made from recycled newspaper and a ‘green roof’ covered in grass, moss and flowers which reuses water, supports wildlife and enhances air quality.
Uttam entered the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in July last year. Having entered the draw eight times, he and his wife finally clinched the main prize.
The prize draw raised funds for Blood Cancer UK, a charity committed to supporting research into cancers like leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Gemma Peters, Chief Executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: “We are so grateful to Omaze for selecting us as its charity partner for the Cornwall house draw. “Blood cancer is the UK’s third biggest cancer killer, and the money this partnership has raised will help us to give support and information to people who are affected by blood cancer – as well as fund lifesaving research that will bring forward the day when blood cancer is finally beaten. ‘.
An Omaze spokesperson said: “All Omaze winners are free to decide if they live in their new house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it whenever they wish, to become a cash multi-millionaire – they can put it on the market the day they get the keys – the choice is entirely theirs.
“Omaze Grand Prize winners also receive £250,000 in cash to maintain their new property and help them settle in.
“Estimated running costs for each house are available for entrants to view on the Omaze website. If they decide to keep the house, they could afford to comfortably stay for many years using just the £250,000 settling in money.
“All Omaze properties come with no mortgage and no stamp duty or legal fees to pay. The properties also come with all the furniture featured in the adverts. Omaze styles each property with well over a hundred thousand pounds worth of furnishings and essentials, so they are all ready for a winner to enjoy as soon as they get the keys.
“As well as the £250,000 they receive, it’s worth bearing in mind that if a winner was already paying rent or a mortgage for their previous property, the money saved could also go towards the running costs of their new home. Alternatively, if they do already own a property, they could choose to keep it and rent it out as a supplementary income.
“Should winners wish to rent out their new property, they can achieve long-term rental values of thousands of pounds a month. Whatever their circumstances, all Omaze winners have several fantastic life changing options available to them.
“Omaze is immensely proud to have created 36 millionaires whilst also raising more than £85 million for good causes in the UK since it launched here.”