Did previous Omaze Prize Draw winners stay, sell or rent out their properties?

As newlywed couple who won £5m house put it on the market, how many previous winners actually stayed in their luxury properties?

Hillary and Franco McManus have won the Omaze Million Pound house draw. (SWNS)
Hillary and Franco McManus have won the Omaze Million Pound house draw. (SWNS)

Many of us have wondered what we'd do if we won the home of our dreams in a competition.

It appears newlyweds Hillary and Franco McManus have taken the obvious approach - sell it.

Just two months after winning the luxury four-bedroom home in the Omaze Million Pound House prize draw, the property is now being listed for £5m on Zoopla.

At the time of their life-changing win in August, the McManuses described it as the "best wedding present ever".

The property is situated in Victoria Park village, east London and comes with a gym, games room and spa facilities, including a jacuzzi and sauna.

As well as winning the most valuable property ever to be won in a UK prize draw, the couple - both originally from London but currently living in Nottinghamshire - also pocketed £250,000 cash.

Hillary, who bought the winning entry for just £20, said at the time: "One minute we were sitting at home gearing up for just another Friday night, deciding what we were gonna have for dinner and watch on telly, then before we knew what was happening, we’d won a £5 million house in London and our lives had changed forever. It turned out to be anything but your average Friday night!

“We only just got married a couple of months ago, and that was the best day of our lives, we never thought we’d top it," added Hillary. "But all this is running it a very close second."

The prize draw also raised £4m for London's Air Ambulance Charity in six weeks.

The winner of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw will get the keys to an expansive four-bedroom property in the heart of Victoria Park village. (Omaze)
The couple have won this expansive four-bedroom property in the heart of Victoria Park village. (Omaze)
The £5m house is the most valuable property ever to be offered in a UK prize draw. (Omaze)
The £5m house is the most valuable property ever to be offered in a UK prize draw. (Omaze)

The winner of each Omaze Million Pound House Draw can decide to live in the house, sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire or rent it out, with an estimated rental value of up to £12,000 per month.

Winners of the Omaze Million Pound House Draw do not have to pay any stamp duty, mortgage or conveyancing fees.

Yahoo News UK looks at whether Omaze winners have decided to sell, rent or stay in their new homes.

The £3m Cotswold Home

Winner: Sarah Stocks, 43

Money raised for charity: £3m for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (GOSH).

Sarah Stocks won a £3million home in Charlbury in the Cotswolds. (SWNS)
Sarah Stocks won a £3m home in Charlbury in the Cotswolds. (SWNS)

What they said: Sarah Stocks said when she found out about her epic prize she thought it was friends playing a joke on her.

She said: “It was just another Friday when I got a call saying I'd won an Omaze prize. My first reaction was that my friends were playing an elaborate practical joke on me!

"I didn’t think for one second I’d actually won anything, but the next thing I knew the Omaze team were on my front lawn telling me I’d won a £3m house in the Cotswolds - it was crazy!

“I still couldn’t believe it even when I got to the house - I kept expecting one of my friends to jump out a wardrobe and shout gotcha!"

What they did: Stocks is still deciding what to do long-term with the property.

Outcome: TBC

The £3m Spanish villa

Winner: Graham Dunlop, 52, from Southampton, Hampshire

Money raised for charity: £3.1m for Alzheimer's Research UK

Graham Dunlop won a Spanish villa worth £3million - thanks to a second hand armchair. (SWNS)
Graham Dunlop won a Spanish villa worth £3million - thanks to a second hand armchair. (SWNS)

What they said: Graham Dunlop said: “The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree. I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it.

''Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia. So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top.

''I didn't give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered.

What they did: Dunlop said he is not sure what they'll do long-term, but they'll be using the vila for some family holidays, adding: "Whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.”

Outcome: TBC

The £3m Somerset Mansion

Winner: Michael Maher, 53, from Luton

Money raised for charity: £3.5m for the RSPCA

Michael Maher and wife Amanda outside the £3 million house in Somerset that they won in the Omaze draw. (SWNS)
Michael Maher and wife Amanda outside the £3m house in Somerset that they won in the Omaze draw. (SWNS)

What they said: Michael Maher paid just £10 for an Omaze ticket and in January won the keys to a £3m mansion and £100,000 in cash – after his family told him he'd "only win a toaster". He said after hearing the news: "It was your average Friday night really, apart from the fact we’d just become millionaires! 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."

What they did: Maher is still deciding what to do with the property he won in January 2024.

Outcome: TBC

The £1m Cheshire House 2020

Winner: Ian Garrick from Lincolnshire

Money raised for charity: £250,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust

Ian Garrick from Lincolnshire was one of the first ever Omaze prize draw winners. (Omaze)
Ian Garrick from Lincolnshire was one of the first ever Omaze prize draw winners. (Omaze)
Ian Garrick (Omaze)
Ian Garrick (Omaze)

What they said: Father-of-three Ian Garrick lost his wife Julie to breast cancer about five years before he won the four-bedroom home in Cheadle Hulme. He paid £10 to purchase 15 entries to the draw. He said: "I’m completely overwhelmed. I can’t get my head around it. It will take some time to sink in. Things like this just don’t happen. I’m in shock. I’m still taking it all in at the moment."

What they did: Garrick announced his plan to sell the house immediately after winning and did so a year later in May 2021.

Outcome: Sold

The £3m Fulham House 2020

Winner: Marilyn Pratt from Greater London

Money raised for charity: £1,000,000 for British Heart Foundation

What they said: Marilyn Pratt bought a £10 ticket on the second last day of the draw in an effort to win a house for her daughter. She said: "It hasn’t sunk in at all. It makes me feel so happy that even though this has come at a later stage of my life, I know that my children are always going to be secure and that’s a really nice feeling. It’s very strange to think that I’m an instant multi-millionaire, it's only just starting to sink in."

What they did: At the time, Pratt said she intended to sell the house in order to support her daughters. The house was sold in April 2021.

Outcome: Sold

Marilyn Pratt and her husband David who won the £3 million Fulham home. (PA)
Marilyn Pratt and her husband David who won the £3m Fulham home. (PA)
Inside the £3 million home that Marilyn Pratt won. (PA)
Inside the £3 million home that Marilyn Pratt won. (PA)

The £2.5m Cotswolds House 2021

Winner: Darren Wordon from Bath

Money raised for charity: £500,000 for the Prince’s Trust

What they said: "‘This is life changing, thank you very very much. I can’t even begin to tell you how big this is for us."

What they did: Within seven months of winning, Wordon had put the Willowbrook House mansion in Oxfordshire back on the market. Omaze has since confirmed it's been sold.

Outcome: Sold

Darren Wordon (Omaze)
Darren Wordon (Omaze)

The £3m Devon House 2021

Winner: Glen Elmy from Walsall

Money raised for charity: £1m for NSPCC

What they said: Glen Elmy won the luxurious Stealth House five-bedroom home in Combe Martin Bay. He said: "This is a grand prize beyond anybody’s wildest dreams. I can't quite get my head around it. I think I'm still dreaming. I'm over the moon."

Foundry worker Glen Elmy, from Walsall, won the £3m coastal Devon property, but reportedly handed the keys back to Omaze and asked for an equivalent sum in cash. (NSPCC/Omaze)
Foundry worker Glen Elmy, from Walsall, won the £3m coastal Devon property, but reportedly handed the keys back to Omaze and asked for an equivalent sum in cash. (NSPCC/Omaze)
Glen Elmy (Omaze)
Glen Elmy (Omaze)

What they did: However, just three days after winning the house, he handed back the keys. He has never moved into the property.

Outcome: Didn't move in

The £3.5m Wimbledon House 2021

Winner: Heekyoung Jin from Wallington, south London

Money raised for charity: £500,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

Heekyoung Jin, her partner Tom Hall and their son Lukas. (PA)
Heekyoung Jin, her partner Tom Hall and their son Lukas. (PA)
The kitchen and dining area inside the stunning Wimbledon property. (PA)
The kitchen and dining area inside the stunning Wimbledon property. (PA)

What they said: Heekyoung Jin entered the draw to win the four-bedroom house in south west London to support Great Ormond Street Hospital, where her son had been treated since he was three months old after a tumour was found on his chest. She said: “It’s surreal! I can’t believe it could happen to us. We’re super excited for our family’s future. It’s life-changing."

What they did: Jin and her husband, Tom Hall, have not sold the property.

Outcome: Stayed

The £3.5m Ascot House 2021

Winner: Becca Pott from Leyton, east London

Money raised for charity: £500,000 for Cancer Research UK

The house won by Becca Pott and her husband Ben in Ascot. (PA)
The house won by Becca Pott and her husband Ben in Ascot. (PA)

What they said: Pott bought a £10 ticket for the draw when her husband Ben forgot to enter. She said: "It’s going to change our family’s life in a way we never thought would be possible."

What they did: Pott and her husband Ben decided to keep the house.

Outcome: Stayed

Becca Pott, right, with her husband Ben and their daughter Ava. (Omaze)
Becca Pott, right, with her husband Ben and their daughter Ava. (Omaze)

The £3m Lake District House 2021

Winner: Catherine Carwardine from Telford

Money raised for charity: £1m for Alzheimer’s Research UK

What they said: “At first, we didn’t believe it as it was April’s Fools’ Day. We thought the kids were playing a prank on us. Still cannot believe we have won and are in shock and probably will be for a while."

What they did: After her win, Carwardine said she planned to rent out the Post Knott Lodge in Bowness-on-Windermere in the Lake District, Cumbria.

Outcome: Rented

Catherine Carwardine, right, and her husband, Chris. (Omaze)
Catherine Carwardine, right, and her husband, Chris. (Omaze)

The £3.5m Cotswolds House 2022

Winner: Susan Havenhand from Taunton

Money raised for charity: £1m for the RSPCA

The Cotswolds which was won by Susan Havenhand (right) in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, she is pictured with her husband John, daughter Harriet and grandchildren. (PA)
The Cotswolds which was won by Susan Havenhand (right) in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, she is pictured with her husband John, daughter Harriet and grandchildren. (PA)
The £3.5m, six-bedroom house also has a stunning swimming pool. (PA)
The £3.5m, six-bedroom house also has a stunning swimming pool. (PA)

What they said: "We thought people never actually win these things, and even though we’re at the house now, it still feels like we’re dreaming, we keep waiting to wake up. It just goes to show you’ve got to be in it to win it."

What they did: Neighbours said Havenhand and her family never moved into the property and it was sold a while later.

Outcome: Sold

The £3m Cornwall House 2022

Winner: Uttam Parmar from Leicestershire

Money raised for charity: £1m for Blood Cancer UK

What they said: “I’ve always considered myself a lucky person, firstly because of my wonderful family – but I’ve also won a few bits such as a TV and coffee table – which I was pretty happy with to be honest - I never dreamed I’d win anything as extravagant as a £3m house.”

What they did: It was put back on the market. Omaze have since confirmed that it's been sold.

Outcome: Sold

Uttam Parmar, right, with wife Raki, centre, and son Aaron, left. (Omaze)
Uttam Parmar, right, with wife Raki, centre, and son Aaron, left. (Omaze)

The £2.5m Kent House 2022

Winner: Jade from the Midlands

Money raised for charity: £750,000 for Global's Make Some Noise

Jade, from the Midlands, won the four-bedroom beachfront house in 2022. (Omaze)
Jade, from the Midlands, won the four-bedroom beachfront house in 2022. (Omaze)

What they said: "There will never be quite enough words to describe how this whole experience has felt to me and my family. We are still overwhelmed but we know that this will hopefully help our family for a very long time to come."

What they did: She put the house on the market shortly after winning it.

Outcome: Put up for sale

The £2m Marbella House 2022

Winner: Mark from Wigan

Money raised for charity: £800,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust

The stunning £2million pound dream villa in Marbella won by Mark, from Wigan. (SWNS)
The stunning £2m pound dream villa in Marbella won by Mark, from Wigan. (SWNS)
The house in Marbella was Omaze's first draw with a prize outside of the UK. (SWNS)
The house in Marbella was Omaze's first draw with a prize outside of the UK. (SWNS)

What they said: "Still in shock, you enter not really expecting to win. Having had a sleepless night, the enormity of winning such a prize is both exhilarating and daunting, my head is spinning with the realisation of the financial security this prize now bring to my family."

What they did: He sold the property shortly after winning the prize.

Outcome: Sold

The £2.5m Lake District House 2022

Winner: Grant Carson from Glasgow

Money raised for charity: £850,000 for Dogs Trust.

What they said: “When the Omaze team rang my doorbell I couldn’t quite believe it at first, it’s not your average Friday night that someone comes to your door and tells you that you’ve won a £2.5m house! I’ve never really won anything before this, but now I might be one of the luckiest men in Scotland!"

Grant Carson, 58, has spent his working life helping disabled people find accessible housing - but now has his own sprawling home in the Lake District. (SWNS)
Grant Carson, 58, has spent his working life helping disabled people find accessible housing - but now has his own sprawling home in the Lake District. (SWNS)
Grant Carson (Omaze)
Grant Carson (Omaze)

What they did: Carson put the property up for sale six months later.

Outcome: Sold

The £3m London II House 2022

Winner: Kevin Johnson from east London

Money raised for charity: £2m for the British Heart Foundation

What they said: "My knees almost gave way and my chest felt like it was on fire – I was gobsmacked! I'm just a regular hard-working guy who gets up early for work in the morning, comes home in the evening, and spends time with my family. Things like this just do not happen to normal guys like myself.”

What they did: Kevin Johnson and his wife, Dee, have decided to remain in the property.

Outcome: Stayed

Kevin Johnson, right, and his wife, Dee. (Omaze)
Kevin Johnson, right, and his wife, Dee. (Omaze)

The £4.5m Cornwall House 2023

Winner: June Smith from Essex

Money raised for charity: £2.1m for Marie Curie

What they said: "Never in my wildest dreams would I expect to win anything like this. It will have enough room for all my family to holiday together."

The Cornish waterside mansion worth £4.5m. (SWNS)
The Cornish waterside mansion worth £4.5m. (SWNS)
June Smith from Essex. (Omaze/SWNS)
June Smith from Essex. (Omaze/SWNS)

What they did: June Smith, a grandmother of six, put the house overlooking the Fowey Estuary up for sale almost immediately.

Outcome: Sold

Winners last year were Oceanne Belle from Barking; Jon from Berkshire; Simon Williams from West Sussex, who, according to the MailOnline, has yet to move into the £2m house he won in Devon; Daren Bell from Bournemouth; Eliza Yahioglu from London and Will Satherley from Cardiff.

A spokesperson for Omaze told Yahoo News UK: “Omaze Grand Prize winners receive £100,000 in cash to help them settle in and maintain their new property.

"Estimated costs for each house are available for entrants to view on the Omaze website.

"Winners can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.

"They are free to put the house on the market and bank the cash as soon as they get the keys, it’s totally up to the winner what they want to do with their life changing prize.

"Omaze is delighted to have created 25 millionaires whilst also raising £40m for good causes in the UK since it launched here.”

The £2.5m Dorset house 2024

Winner: Chris Milnes from West Yorkshire

Money raised for charity: £3.2m for Children In Need

What they said: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever own a multi-million-pound house. I spent much of my childhood living in a council flat in Leeds – things like this don’t happen to people like me!“

What they did: Kevin Milnes has decided to put the property on the market later this year.

Outcome: TBC

A £2.5m five-bedroom mansion in Dorset was won this year. (SWNS)
A £2.5m five-bedroom mansion in Dorset was won this year. (SWNS)
Chris Milnes won a £2.5m home in Dorset in the Omaze Million Pound House draw. (SWNS)
Chris Milnes won a £2.5m home in Dorset in the Omaze Million Pound House draw. (SWNS)

The £3.5m Cheshire house 2024

Winner: Kevin Bryant from Plymouth

Money raised for charity: £3m for Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK

What they said: “I’d been manifesting this win for ages, telling anyone who would listen that the house was already mine! But when I came home from work to see the Omaze team outside my house – I still couldn’t believe my eyes! Once everyone had gone I cracked open the good whisky to celebrate – I thought if you can’t drink a good whisky after winning a £3.5million house, when can you!?"

What they did: Kevin Bryant has not yet decided what to do with the property.

Outcome: TBC

Kevin Bryant won the keys to a £3,5m house in the heart of Cheshire’s Golden Triangle. (SWNS)
Kevin Bryant won the keys to a £3,5m house in the heart of Cheshire’s Golden Triangle. (SWNS)