A lucky football fan has won a £3.5M house in Cheshire's footballers' paradise - from just a £25 entry.
Kevin Bryant, 53, won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw and is now the proud owner of a five-bedroom countryside retreat in Prestbury - in the heart of the Golden Cheshire Triangle where many stars from his favourite team live in luxury homes.
Kevin, a big Man City fan, said he “hopes to bump into Jack Grealish when he pops out for a pint of milk".
The draw also raised £3,000,000 for Omaze’s charity partner Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK and saw Kevin win a further £100k in cash.
The Premier League level property comes mortgage-free and with all legal fees and stamp duty covered.
Kevin, who works for a company that provides IT support for a local authority and the NHS, 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!?"
When Kevin, who served in the Royal Navy for 11 years on submarines as a weapons engineer, found out he had won the prize he cracked open an 18-year-old bottle of whisky he’d been saving for a “special occasion”.
Kevin's wife of 32 years has worked for the NHS for 30 years, and the couple have lived in their current three bedroom Georgian terrace house in Plymouth since 2005.
Though despite the vast amount of wealth the pair have obtained, Kevin's wife still plans to keep her 11 year old Skoda.
Kevin joked: “Even though we’ve won this amazing house, plus £100k in cash, my wife is insisting that she wants to keep her 11-year-old Skoda Roomster - we’ll definitely stand out at the local supermarket parked next to all the Lamborghinis.”
The ecstatic football-fan admits he 'loves' the area as he often ventures up North to watch Man City 'whenever he can' and the prize will change his family's lives for the better.
Kevin said: "“My mum was born in Greater Manchester - so this is a bit of a homecoming really. She already has her eye on the room with the walk-in wardrobe!
"She’s still working at 77-years-old - but now I'm hoping she’ll finally consider retirement.
"This win changes everything for us - it gives us so many options - I might consider early retirement.
"Work can be very stressful for both of us so we were both already thinking about making changes to our lives - this win enables us to do just that now.
"My wife has always wanted to drive a tractor for a living - so we’ll ask the farmer next door if he’s hiring!
“I’ve had some health issues recently, so I feel lucky to be here at all, let alone as the owner of a £3.5 million pound house!”
Kevin’s new home is located in one of the most exclusive areas in the country.
The quaint village of Prestbury is within a short walk of the property and is renowned for its range of upmarket shops, eateries and schools.
The impressive 7,000 sq ft new build property is encompassed by grounds including south facing gardens to the rear, a terrace and a gated private driveway with ample parking.
The house has a galleried entrance hall, a main reception room, living room, a cinema room, a study and a home gym with a shower room.
There is home audio and underfloor heating throughout the ground floor.
The first floor features five large bedrooms - three of which have en-suite bathrooms, and the main bedroom even has its own night kitchen with a build-in fridge.
As well as making Kevin extremely wealthy, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, raised £3 million for the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.
It was set up to continue the incredible legacy of Dame Deborah James, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, aged 35, and went on to become a tireless campaigner and fundraiser.
Around 44,100 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year, making it the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second most common cause of cancer death.
The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK aims to give more people more time with the people they love by funding cutting-edge research and raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
The money raised by this partnership with Omaze will fully fund a cutting-edge research project that hopes to harness the power of our immune systems to destroy cancer so that more people survive their disease.
Dame Deborah’s mum, Heather James said “This is a staggering sum of money raised – Deborah would be over the moon with this amount!
"Thank you to everyone who entered the draw. Deborah touched the lives of so many when she was alive and this money will help continue her legacy through the Bowelbabe Fund and make a real difference to people affected by cancer.”
Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Dorset, in aid of Children in Need, are available now at omaze.co.uk.
The Draw closes on Bank Holiday Monday 27th May for online entries and Wednesday 29th May, 2024 for postal entries.
For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter.
Over 18s and UK residents only.
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