Father who grew up in council flat wins £2.5million Omaze mansion (2024)

A dad who grew up in a council house has won a stunning £2.5m home after entering the Omaze Million Pound House Draw without telling his wife and children.

Chris Milnes, 60, scooped the 5,000 sqft new-build property near Poole, in Dorset, and now plans to sell the luxury home so he can become a multi-millionaire and give his children 'the start in life I never had'.

He and his wife Jules, 56, have lived in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, for seven years - which Pudsey Bear, the face of Omaze's charity partner BBC Children in Need, is named after.

The thrilled dad-of-three, who also bagged a cash prize of £100,000, said: 'Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever own a multi-million-pound house.

'I spent much of my childhood living in a council flat in Leeds - things like this don't happen to people like me!

'When I got the call from Omaze to say I'd won something I thought wow, a couple of grand would go down a treat at the minute - I never imagined that I might've won a house worth more than a couple of million, it's crazy!

'It was a massive surprise to me, but an even bigger one for my wife as she had no idea I'd even entered.

'To say she was shocked is a bit of an understatement, she was utterly speechless.'

Chris had recently talked with his wife, Jules about downsizing, but following their massive windfall, they have now put their financial worries behind them.

He went on: 'We currently live in a rented house - and only last week we were discussing having to downsize to help keep our living costs down - but now everything has changed.

'We've worked hard all our lives - and we've had to manage some challenging times over the years - but the future has never looked brighter after this win.

'This house is absolutely gorgeous - it's like something out of Grand Designs - I keep expecting Kevin McCloud to pop his head around the corner and say hello.'

Chris, a salesman from Pudsey, West Yorkshire, plans to spend a 'big holiday' in the three-tiered home with his family before putting it on the market later this year.

It has a magnificent open-plan living room and an impressive feature fireplace wall.

The kitchen is equipped with a large central island, banquette seating and a breakfast table facing out over the garden - which opens onto a hardwood deck.

Chris's new main bedroom suite has a central headboard and a fully fitted dressing room along with a spa-like bathroom with a freestanding bath.

There are three further bedroom suites, each with built-in furniture and colour-themed shower rooms, as well as a cinema room.

The rainforest-inspired garden also has a hot tub and outdoor shower.

Chris said he did not plan to leave his job straight away after his life-changing win and said Jules, who he has been married to for 23 years, would keep working.

But the sporty dad said he would work on his tennis skills after he quit.

He said: 'I'm not going to retire immediately.

'When I emailed my boss to tell him the news - he called me straightaway to double check I was staying on to finish our latest project.

'I think he was just as relieved as he was very happy for me!

'As soon as I finish the project I'm currently working on, I'll finally retire - then I'll have plenty of time to work on my backhand.

'My wife has worked her way up through the same company over the past 25 years and loves her job so will keep working.

'So for now, we'll still get up and go to work in the morning, we'll just be coming home to a much nicer house.'

Chris said he was thrilled that the prize draw had raised a whopping £3,150,000 for BBC Children in Need.

He added: 'It's such a lovely coincidence that we live in Pudsey and the Omaze Draw has raised so much money for BBC Children in Need, with the face of the charity, Pudsey Bear, being named after the town!'

Chris has two children from a previous marriage, a son Ollie, 29, who lives in Australia and a daughter Lucy, 28, - as well as Esmé, 23, who he shares with Jules.

And he said he would help their kids get on the property ladder before the couple bought a new home together in Yorkshire.

He added: 'Winning this house has changed all our family's lives forever.

'Not only will we be able to afford to buy a dream new house for us - but we can also get all our children on the property ladder now.

'It means so much to be able to give them the start we never had.

'I'm a proud Yorkshireman and love where we live, so we'll be buying somewhere nearby, it's so exciting.

'I play a lot of tennis so top of my list is having my own tennis court in the back garden!'

'My son lives in Australia and we've only seen him once in the past 6 years - now we can go and see him whenever we want and fly them all over in style too - it's just bonkers!'

The amazing property comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.

If Chris did decide to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value between £5,000 to £6,000 per month.

The town of Poole, known as a millionaire's playground, is only eight miles away and has further shopping, entertainment and recreational facilities.

James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: 'Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that Chris has won this stunning house in Dorset, whilst also contributing to the £3,150,000 raised for the iconic BBC Children in Need.

'It's going to make a huge difference to his entire family which is just wonderful.

'Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this beautiful house in Dorset, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences that they wouldn't otherwise reach - it's a real win-win for both charities and entrants.

'We're incredibly proud that the Omaze Community has now raised over £43 million for good causes across the UK.'