A wife who ignored her spouse’s suggestion to stop entering contests has won a mansion worth nearly $5 million, saying, “This is precisely why I never listen to my husband”.
Nicola Dickinson became an instant multi-millionaire after winning the spectacular home in England’s Lake District—which comes mortgage-free and fully furnished, with its own private lake.
She bought her winning entry for just £25 ($33) as part a drawing from Omaze, a group that arranges contests, giving away fantastic prizes, as a means to raising money for charity.
After the win, Mrs. Dickinson revealed that her husband of 38 years repeatedly told her she would “never win in a million years”—advice she’s now very glad she “ignored”.
“I’ve been entering for four years and Martyn has been moaning at me to stop. I liked that even if I didn’t win, I was supporting amazing charities.
“But winning has shown this is precisely why I never listen to him, and thank goodness I didn’t—we’re multi-millionaires now!”
The day Omaze contacted Nicola, she was at home in Swindon, Wiltshire, talking to her husband about potentially downsizing.
“The day we found out I’d won, I was at home, looking after my granddaughter and doing a spot of boring housework. When I got the call from Omaze, I honestly didn’t think it was real. I put the phone down and said to my husband, ‘That was Omaze, apparently I’ve won something, but it can’t be real.’
“Then they called back and said they were outside. I was thinking best case scenario I may have won £1,000, but the next thing I know, Omaze is telling me I’ve won a £4.5 million house. We celebrated with lots of bubbles over the weekend. Dry January never stood a chance.”
“We’d actually been talking that very morning about downsizing soon to try and keep on top of our spending, but now we’ve upsized—massively. It’s a funny old world.”
She was also given £250,000 in cash to help her settle in—and can choose to either live in the house, rent it out for supplementary income, or sell it whenever she wishes to become a cash multi-millionaire.
“Martyn was joking that he’s a little disappointed he didn’t win the Porsche 911, but I’ve reminded him that if he plays his cards right, I can afford to buy him one now, so he shouldn’t be too upset!
“My husband was actually worrying that morning that we’d spent too much on the card at Christmas – if I’d have known I was going to win an Omaze house, I’d have spent twice as much!”
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As to what the impact will be on her family, she said: “We’ve worked hard our whole lives, not just for ourselves but for our family, and this win really does change everything for all of us.
“We’re looking forward to further supporting our children and grandchildren, to help give them the best possible start in life; the win feels like a generational legacy for our family.
“We don’t know exactly what we’re going to do long-term, but what we do know is that, definitely, we’re going to come up and enjoy it together, spend time here with family and friends whilst making memories we never imagined we’d be able to.
“This win has taken so much pressure off us financially. It gives us security, stability, and peace of mind in a way we’d never even dreamed of. I turn 60 in May, and for the first time, we can actually think about slowing down and enjoying life together.”
A woodland driveway leads to Nicola’s tranquil property which features five bedrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows, solar panels, a floating staircase, a huge open floor plan, and panoramic views of the lake and surrounding countryside, with a waterside wooden jetty that includes a sauna, hot tub, and outdoor shower.
As well as making Nicola a multi-millionaire, Omaze partnered with the RSPCA, the UK’s leading animal welfare charity.
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The £1M funneled from the Omaze Community will help support the RSPCA’s rehabilitation work, providing neglected and abused animals with the specialist care they need.
“Omaze offers people the chance to win extraordinary prizes—while also raising vital funds for charities doing extraordinary work… We’ve now raised over £100 million for good causes across the UK.”
Drawings for other Omaze homes in the UK are ongoing at omaze.co.uk.