Omaze Lake Windemere prize draw: Man swaps East London council flat for £5 million mansion after property lottery win
A man has swapped his council flat for a £5 million Lake Windemere mansion after scooping the top prize in the Omaze lottery.
Darren Thorpe is celebrating after trading his council flat for a £5 million mansion after winning an Omaze competition. The 53-year-old concierge has resided at a his council flat for more than 40 years, but is now set to trade his views of East London for Lake Windemere after scooping the vast five-bedroom property and estate. And the father-of-one said he celebrated by getting a bus to the pub.
His new, luxurious home, won in the latest Omaze draw comes complete with panoramic views across Windermere and a separate two-storey boathouse with its own jetty. Darren bought his winning entry for £15 as part of his Omaze subscription and said he would share the win with daughter Yolotzin, 21.
“I’ve been in the same council flat for 42 years - it’s often been a case of living paycheque to paycheque," he said. "But now all the pressure is off. No more money worries, I’ll never have to think about how I’m going to get through the month ever again.
“To say it’s life-changing would be a massive understatement. It’s not been an easy road - life’s had lots of ups and downs - this is definitely an up. I never thought I’d own a house - let alone a £5 million one. My entire flat would fit in the front room. To be honest, I’d have been happy with just the boathouse."
Recalling the moment his life was changed, Darren added: "I was in the middle of painting a friend’s summer house when Omaze contacted me - at first I thought it must be a wind-up. But then I thought, I might as well pick up - because at the very least it could get me out of painting the fence as well as the summer house.
“So I headed back home and the Omaze team knocked on my door, then the next thing I know I’m the owner of a £5 million house in the Lake District - it was crazy, one minute you’re about to paint a fence, the next minute you’re a multimillionaire. I thought I might pass out as I never expected it to be the house - especially as I’ve never won anything in my life before. I guess this makes up for 50 years of bad luck.”
The luxurious property comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, while Darren also got £250,000 in cash to help him settle in - and can choose to live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income, or sell up whenever he wishes to become a cash multi-millionaire.
He added: “My daughter works in the local pub, so me and my friend went to surprise her at work with the good news, she didn’t believe me at first, things like this just don’t happen to normal people, well that’s what I used to think anyway. Even though I’d just become a multimillionaire - we still got the bus to the pub, the money won’t go to my head - but the booze certainly did.
“I don’t normally drink that much - but we got bottles of champagne and some shots in to celebrate - I think we got back at 2am. I woke up with a huge hangover on Saturday morning, but it was all worth it when I remembered I was a millionaire."
Darren’s new home has been designed to make the most of its lakeside setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows, balconies and terraces framing uninterrupted views across Lake Windermere. The ground floor offers generous living space including a reception hall, lounge, dining room and a large kitchen, along with a utility room and additional facilities.
Upstairs, there are five bedrooms and five bathrooms, including a main bedroom with en suite and dressing room. Three of the main bedrooms enjoy lake views and open onto a balcony running the full length of the house.
Outside, the property sits within more than half an acre of landscaped grounds with a large driveway, double garage and electric gated entrance. The detached boathouse sits beside the lake and includes a wet dock and jetty on the ground floor, with a day room, kitchenette and balcony above.
He added: “Long term I don’t know what I’ll do yet - but I’m definitely going to enjoy this incredible place for a bit. I’ll host a big barbeque up here this summer with friends and family. I’ll also book a holiday, but I better renew my passport or I won’t be going anywhere.
“I’ll carry on working for a bit - but I reckon it’s looking like early retirement for me. The £250,000 means if I want to, I could actually afford to stay here for years. It’s amazing to have that option.
“Whatever I decide to do, it will change mine and my daughter’s lives forever. It’s an incredible feeling knowing I can give her the best possible start in life. I’m happiest for her.”
Omaze partnered with Centrepoint - the UK’s leading youth homelessness charity, in the draw and alongside the guaranteed £1m raised through the draw, Omaze has also committed a further £3.5m through a separate multi-year grant.