Devon woman wins big thanks to Omaze

A mum-of-two has won the keys to a luxurious property in Cheshire worth £4 million—along with £250,000 in cash—after her husband initially thought they’d won a lifetime supply of sausages.

Emily Ward, 48, from Devon, has won the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cheshire and is now the proud owner of a striking four-bedroom home in the exclusive Alderley Edge Conservation Area—complete with panoramic countryside views, a full indoor leisure suite and landscaped gardens.

She said: “At first, my husband thought we'd won a lifetime supply of sausages, but then we realised it was actually a £4 million house instead, now that’s a real banger!"

Her stunning home is set in the heart of one of the UK’s most exclusive and desirable residential areas—the ‘Golden Triangle’—which also encompasses the affluent villages of Wilmslow and Prestbury. Famed for its privacy, natural beauty and high-end village lifestyle, Alderley Edge is a long-time favourite among Premier League footballers and celebrities.

Famous residents past and present include Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir David and Victoria Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Peter Crouch and Abbey Clancy. Alderley Edge offers countryside calm and Premier League prestige—earning it the reputation as the Beverly Hills of the North.

Emily’s new home comes mortgage-free, with all legal fees covered. Emily has also been given a whopping £250,000 in cash to help her settle in—and can decide to either live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it to become a cash multi-millionaire.

If Emily decides to keep the property, the £250,000 would enable her to run the house for many years. If she decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the home could command a monthly income of up to £20,000 from a long-term rental.

However Emily, who bought her £4 million winning entry for just £25 as part of her Omaze subscription, was convinced she had won a prize that was edible. 

When Omaze first arrived at Emily’s house to tell her that they’d scooped a prize, she and husband Richard, 60, were out buying tent pegs for a new campervan, so neighbours reached out to Emily.

“One of the Omaze team had a sandwich on their t-shirt — so the neighbour thought I’d won a lifetime supply of food,” recalls Emily. “They posted in the WhatsApp group and I replied, ‘If it’s not Omaze or Premium Bonds, I’m not interested.’ A few minutes later, Omaze were on the doorstep.”

An overjoyed Emily added: “My husband thought we might have won a lifetime’s supply of sausages — which he was genuinely thrilled about. Winning this house is more a case of bangers and cash! 

“I said we can cook all the sausages he wants in the new house, so my husband is doubly happy!

“To celebrate, we went to the pub that night and then for a nice dinner with friends the next evening, where we splashed out on a special bottle of champagne!

“My jaw hurts because I haven’t stopped smiling since we found out!

“When I told my friends, they were so happy for us but just kept saying ‘you’re joking!’ — no one could believe it. I still don’t think I believe it.”

On her new house, Emily said: “The house is spectacular — I can see why it’s so popular with millionaire footballers.

“It’s crazy to think that I might bump into Wayne or Coleen Rooney when popping out for a pint of milk!

“The house has got everything you could ever possibly want—a swimming pool, sauna, gym, wine store, incredible countryside views—It’s definitely in the premier league of houses!

“We can’t wait to jump into the pool and test out the sauna — I wish I’d brought my costume!” 

And although Emily and Richard haven’t decided whether to sell or keep the house yet, she says: “We’ll definitely enjoy the house for a family holiday — maybe we’ll enjoy a big Christmas up here.

“We’re so excited to experience a house like this because it’s not the kind of place you get to visit everyday, let alone own!

"I’ve been manifesting that I would win an Omaze house, I can’t believe it actually happened!

"Whatever we decide to do long-term, winning this house has changed all our lives forever, it's an incredible feeling.”

Emily, who has worked in the same career for 25 years, had always dreamed of scaling back on work to spend more quality time with her husband, their children and the family dogs – but didn’t imagine it would ever become a reality. 

“People say that money can’t buy time, but winning a house worth millions means we can finally work less and spend more time together,” says Emily.

“This win will give us the freedom to go on adventures. We’d actually just bought a campervan to try and go away more as a family — it’s fair to say winning this house is a bit of an upgrade on a campervan!”

The couple, who have a large family between them — Richard has three grown-up children in their 30s and four grandchildren — are looking forward to hosting in the luxury kitchen and stunning outdoor terrace area.

“This win means we can think about cutting back on work and just enjoying spending more time as a family.

“I’ve always said if I ever won something like this, I’d focus on enjoying life properly. Now that dream’s suddenly a reality.

“It means I can finally take a breath after 25 years of working flat out. It’s not just a win, it gives us so many incredible opportunities for the future.

“It changes everything — not just for us, but for our children too. 

“Thanks to the £250,000 we also get as part of our win, we could afford to stay here for years if we decided to. Or maybe we’ll rent it out to a new Man City signing?

“All of this for just £25 — it’s unbelievable! The only thing I’d won before was a bottle of orange squash in the tombola at the kid’s school fair, I didn’t even win the wine!”

Emily’s striking new home combines bold modern architecture with elegant natural finishes—featuring dramatic cantilevers, walls of glass and recessed balconies—offering more than 6,300 sq ft of light-filled living space across three floors.

The expansive layout includes a capacious, double-height living room, with a floor-to-ceiling glazed wall providing Emily with uninterrupted views across the Cheshire countryside. A wraparound, south-facing terrace connects directly to the landscaped gardens below.

On the first floor, the custom-built kitchen includes a range of high-end Miele appliances and opens onto the main entertaining level—perfect for Emily to host friends and family.

On the ground floor, a full leisure suite features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and gym with dedicated changing facilities. There’s also a walk-in wine store, as well as a fourth bedroom with additional shower room—ideal for when Emily has guests to stay.

On the second floor is the principal bedroom suite, complete with an en suite bathroom and large dressing room overlooking the garden—alongside two further en suite bedrooms.

Outside, Emily’s Cheshire red sandstone home sits on a private road and spans more than half an acre of beautifully landscaped gardens, featuring terraced lawns and herbaceous borders. A path leads to a standalone home office tucked into a secluded corner of the garden—offering Emily a peaceful spot to work or unwind.

As well as making Emily a multimillionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cheshire, raised £3.7 million for Anthony Nolan. 

This latest campaign sees Omaze reach £100 million raised in total for UK charities since launching in 2020—enabling the company to support vital causes and life-changing work for good causes across the country.

Anthony Nolan is a pioneering UK charity that matches stem cell donors to people with blood cancer or blood disorders. It also funds world-leading research and provides vital support for patients and families.

The money raised will help fund the Anthony Nolan Cell Collection Centre in Nottingham—delivering lifesaving transplants to patients faster.

Henny Braund MBE, Chief Executive of Anthony Nolan said: “We know just how precious time is with the people we love and we’re thrilled that our partnership with Omaze has raised an incredible £3.7 million for Anthony Nolan, helping us get lifesaving stem cells to people with blood cancers and blood disorders.

“The £3.7 million will mean the running costs of the Cell Collection Centre will be covered for the next 18 months – providing 1,850 urgently needed lifesaving stem cell donations, each one giving a patient more time with the people they love -  and ultimately 1,850 more chances to save a life.”

The partnership was backed by Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman CBE, a long-time patron of the charity, who supported the campaign in memory of her friend Pip.

James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that Emily has won this spectacular home in Cheshire’s Golden Triangle, whilst also helping to raise £3.7 million for Anthony Nolan.

“This campaign is a particularly proud moment for us, as it sees Omaze surpass £100 million raised for UK charities since launching just five years ago. From life-saving medical research to grassroots community projects, that money is making a profound difference right across the country.

“Omaze offers people the chance to win incredible homes, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences they wouldn’t normally reach—it’s a real win-win for entrants and for our charity partners.”

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cornwall, are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Grand Prize Draw closes on Bank Holiday Monday 25th August 2025 for online entries and Wednesday 27th August 2025 for postal entries.

In addition to winning the Grand Prize, people who enter online by Midnight on Sunday 10th August 2025 (or Tuesday 12th August 2025 by post) are also in with the chance of winning an Early Bird Prize—a VW California T7 Campervan plus £100,000 cash, worth over £180,000 combined.

Entrants can also subscribe to Omaze to be automatically entered into every Grand Prize, Early Bird Prize and Monthly Millionaire Draw each month. Subscribers receive five times the number of entries and can cancel at any time.

For full terms and conditions, see www.omaze.co.uk. No purchase necessary to enter. Over 18s and UK residents only.

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do6S-h7Dpek