Nurse wins £3 million Lakes home overlooking Windermere for just £20

Catherine Carwardine, 59, thought she was the victim of an April Fools' Day prank when she was told she had won the Windermere home in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw. 

Catherine bought her winning entry on Valentine’s Day, using a promo code to give her 120 entries for £20.

Catherine has been working for the NHS for 40 years as a nurse and more recently in an IT role, and husband Chris, 59, is a technical sales representative for security glazing.

They are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary this year and have four children – Gareth 35, Jessica, 31, 21-year-old Joshua, Charlotte, 19, as well as 18-year-old Mya who lives with them.

The couple – both originally from Wolverhampton - have been fostering children at their current house for the past five years.

They have lived in their five-bedroom house in Telford since 2001.

The lucky winners found out they had scooped the main prize while they were on holiday in Italy after the team from Omaze paid a surprise visit to their front door - only to be greeted by daughter Charlotte and Mya.

The team had to video call Catherine and Chris, who initially thought it was an elaborate hoax, as it happened to be April 1.

Catherine said: “At first, we didn’t believe it as it was April’s Fools’ Day.

"We thought the kids were playing a prank on us, but then we realised we actually had won and were totally gobsmacked.

"We didn’t know how to celebrate as we were both in shock - I don’t think either of us slept a wink that night.

“When we got back from holiday the children greeted us on the driveway with champagne spraying everywhere, we felt like F1 drivers.

“Now we’ve seen the house we’re still pinching ourselves, it’s absolutely perfect and already feels like home. We’re definitely going to keep it and can’t wait to move in.

“We will rent it out to generate some extra income so we can help all our children and pay off our mortgage faster. We can even finish our current house, which has been a work in progress for years. We love this new house so much though - we don’t want to rent it out too often.

“All the children are now busy planning the rest of our lives, they’ve never been so interested in us. I’ve worked for the NHS for 40 years and even though winning this prize is so life-changing. I love my job and will keep on working for the foreseeable future."

Catherine added: “We support a lot of charities and have friends who have had family impacted by dementia. The partnership between Omaze and Alzheimer’s Research UK is fantastic as it’s raising money to help the charity continue its incredible work.”

The fully furnished house boasts a terrace with views over Windermere, cosy log fires, a cinema room, sauna, steam room, state-of-the-art gym, staggered gardens and a workshop.

ELATED: Carwadine family

All stamp duty and legal fees are covered, Catherine will also be given £20,000 cash and is free to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it.

Estate agents estimate that the average rental income for holiday and long-term letting of the property is between £6,000 and £8,000 per week, rising to £12,000 during the high season.

As well as making Catherine and Chris multi-millionaires, the draw has also raised crucial funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia charity.

In the UK today, dementia is one of the leading causes of death and the greatest medical challenge scientists are facing. One in two people will have someone close to them living with dementia and one in three people born today will develop dementia in their lifetime. But with sufficient funding Alzheimer’s Research UK can make breakthroughs to bring about life-changing preventions and treatments - to help people living with dementia.

Hilary Evans, Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Chief Executive, said: “By working with Omaze, we were able to raise a substantial amount of money at zero risk and zero cost to Alzheimer's Research UK. We benefited from the high-profile marketing campaign behind the prize draw, which saw Alzheimer's Research UK feature prominently on television and social media, helping to raise awareness of the need to find life-changing treatments and reach an untapped source of funding from those who do not usually donate.”

Actor and Alzheimer’s Research UK Ambassador Stephen Tompkinson who launched the draw said: “I first got involved with Alzheimer’s Research UK shortly after I lost my father to Alzheimer’s disease. The work the charity does is incredible, and the £1,000,000 raised by this draw will make a dramatic difference.”

GRAND: Inside the house

James Oakes SVP International at Omaze said: “We’re delighted that Catherine has won her dream home - and was able to contribute to this fantastic £1,000,000 raise for Alzheimer’s Research UK in the process.

“Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants.

"By offering an incredible prize like this stunning house in Lake Windermere, we gave people the chance to win the house of their dreams, while also introducing the charity to audiences they wouldn’t usually be able to reach.

"This method of fundraising is helping to make a big difference to causes all around the UK.”

This was the seventh Omaze Million-Pound House Draw in the UK and brings the total raised for good causes to £4,750,000.

The eighth house draw is a six-bedroom, £3,500,000 house in the Cotswolds, to raise vital funds for the RSPCA. Draw entries are now available at www.omaze.co.uk.

The draw closes on June 5 for online entries and June 7 for postal entries.