After spending just £25 on a ticket, a retired physics teacher has picked up the keys to a £3 million Omaze home in Cornwall.
Describing it as a ‘quantum leap in good fortune,’ the lavish four-bedroom property couldn’t be further from 66-year-old Jon Dexter’s current living situation: a three-bedroom bungalow in Doncaster.
Tucked away between Padstow and Newquay, Jon’s new home has stunning vistas over the golden sands of Porthcothan Bay.
It forms part of the famous ‘Seven Bays for Seven Days,’ and as well as being part of the Cornwall National Landscape (formerly known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), it offers private access to the South West Coast Path.
The layout of the home itself, which comes mortgage-free and inclusive of all stamp duty and legal fees, was inspired by the shape of two pairs of binoculars, with four ‘lenses’ to frame the panoramic views out to Will’s Rock and the Atlantic Ocean.
Inside, there are floor-to-ceiling windows, a built-in fireplace and bi-folding doors leading out onto one of two terraces. Naturally, the open-plan kitchen is fitted with all the trimmings, including Corian worktops, integrated Miele appliances, and even a pantry.
Ready to start your homebuying journey?
You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from:
– Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker
– Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week
– Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market
Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice.
Find out how much you could borrow online
Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Two of the four bedrooms are ensuites, and while an extra room is currently set up as a home office, it could easily be converted into a fifth bedroom for added comfort.
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s underfloor heating and smart tech fitted throughout, as well as a garage with space for up to three cars. Consider us firmly jealous.
When Omaze first got in contact with Jon to let him know that he’d won the grand prize, he thought that the knock at his front door was just a regular wine delivery.
As it turned out, though, this wasn’t going to be any regular Friday night: he was now a multi-millionaire.
For the last 15 years, Jon, who has three daughters aged between 29 and 33, has lived alone. Every Christmas, he and his close circle of friends like to splash out and spend the big day together in a holiday home – and this year, it’s safe to say that their plans are already sorted.
‘We’ve been looking for a house to spend Christmas in for months but haven’t managed to find anything this year, so the first thing I did was message the WhatsApp group chat to say: “Christmas sorted,”’ Jon, who spent more than 30 years working as a physics teacher, shares.
He hasn’t won anything since he was a 14-year-old boy, when he took home a copy of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – and he never thought any other prize would top that in his lifetime.
‘Winning an Omaze house is truly out of this world,’ he reflects.
Jon might’ve spent the last 40 years up in South Yorkshire, but before that, he actually lived in Cornwall – and has always dreamed of being able to return one day.
The circumstances surrounding his return have exceeded even his wildest dreams, as he ‘never imagined it would be to a house like this.’
He adds: ‘I have fond memories of living here – now, I get to make new ones with the family. My three daughters are already planning their first trips down here – I think they’re even more excited than I am.
‘I taught physics for decades, but I could never have calculated the formula for winning this; it’s what you call a quantum leap in good fortune. It has put me light-years ahead of where I ever thought I’d be.’
He jokes that while he ‘never taught maths,’ paying ‘£25 for a £3 million mansion is an easy equation for anyone.’
Now, Jon has the choice between living in it, selling up to pocket the cash, or even letting it out for extra income, with local estate agents estimating that it could achieve a rental value of up to £3,500 per month.
Whatever he decides, he says it’s ‘changed everything’ for him and his three girls – and he’s also secured an extra £250,000 prize money on top to help him settle in in the meantime.
‘I could easily live here for years without having to worry, he reflects.
‘It gives me fantastic options.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
