Most of us at that age are in a house share or still living with parents, but one woman can now leave all of that behind her following a big win with Omaze.
Chances are you’ve scrolled by a few of those ‘win a house!’ ads, thinking it’s too good to be true.
Well, Lauren Keene didn’t skip it, and has now landed herself a home inspired by a Hollywood Hills mansion.
Lauren and her partner Ryan have a lot to celebrate (Omaze/SWNS)
Lauren had to abandon the burgers though, but insisted she didn’t mind as ‘missing that Maccies made me a multi-millionaire’.
How would you celebrate winning a multi-million mansion? Caviar? Crack open the bubbly?
Not for Lauren; she went back to McDonald’s for a kid’s meal: “It was a very, very happy meal indeed.”
She works as a full-time nanny in Gloucester, and the new home she won is based in the Wirral.
As well as the house, the lucky winner scored £250,000 to help her settle in, and she joked that one person in particular will be very happy about her good fortune: her dear old dad. She has been living in his two-bed flat and will now be leaving.
“He’s most delighted about the fact I can finally move out now”, she said.
The flash property even comes with an outdoor pool (Omaze/SWNS)
So, what does £3million get you nowadays?
The house has stunning coastal views, and comes with five bedrooms, a cinema room, and a heated outdoor swimming pool.
If you weren’t green with envy already, the lucky winner will now be mortgage-free too, and if she decided she doesn’t want to live in the house, she could command up to £8,000 a month in rent.
Lauren won the prize after paying £20 a month for an Omaze subscription.
She recalled the moment she won: “It was just an ordinary Friday really, I was heading for a McDonald’s after work when I got a call from Omaze telling me I’d won something. I was sceptical – and hungry – but went straight home to see what I’d won.
“The next thing we knew, the Omaze team were all there telling us we’d won a £3 million mansion. I was gobsmacked.”
Ryan celebrated his 25th birthday a week after winning (Omaze/SWNS)
She added: “The house is unreal! It really does feel like something you’d find in the Hollywood Hills! It’s made for parties and we can’t wait to get everyone we know up here for a big bash.
“I love the pool, it’s a bit nippy today but it’s heated so I was tempted to have a quick dip.”
Just days after the big win, Lauren’s partner Ryan Mitchell turned 25.
What a way to celebrate!
“I’ve told him the house is his birthday and Christmas present combined this year”, she said.
“Thanks to the £250,000 we’ve pocketed as part of the win – we could afford to stay here for many years if we decided to, it’s a great position to be in.”
Like many people, Lauren and Ryan had been worried about getting on the housing ladder.
‘Winning this house has transformed our lives forever! Whatever we decide to do long-term, we’re made for life now.”
Lauren explained: “We’ve been together since we were 18 and never in our wildest dreams did we ever think we’d end up owning a place like this.
The massive mansion includes all the furniture too (Omaze/SWNS)
“Only last week we were viewing houses we thought we could never afford, but now our first property is a £3m mansion. It’s crazy to think we’ll never have a mortgage.
“We’ve been saving for years so I still live with my dad in his two-bedroom flat – he’s delighted that I’ll finally be moving out now.”
James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that Lauren has won this wonderful house on the Wirral, whilst also contributing to the £3.5 million raised for Scouts.
“Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn’t normally reach – it’s a real win-win for entrants and our charity partners.
“We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £67 million for good causes across the UK.”
Entries for the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw in the Lake District are available now at omaze.co.uk. The draw closes on Boxing Day for online entries and New Year’s Day for postal entries.
