Torbay grandad wins 'life changing' £2m Spanish villa and £250,000 cash

A lucky Torbay grandfather is 'dusting off his swimming trunks' after winning a £2million dream villa in Spain in a charity prize draw.

Mark, 57, won the three-story, four-bedroom luxury villa in the holiday hotspot of Marbella after paying £25 to enter Omaze’s first house draw outside the UK.

Mark, who lives in Torquay, had entered nine previous Omaze Million Pound House Draws since the fundraising platform launched in 2020 - and said the Marbella villa was a case of 'tenth time lucky' for him while exclaiming his 'persistence paid off' now he’s won his 'such a marvellous property'.

He, who also won £250,000 in cash, said: “The villa looks absolutely marvellous, I’m not sure what we’ll do with it yet - we’ll probably keep it for a couple of years so we can enjoy family holidays there, I’ll be dusting off my trunks!

“I went to Spain 20 years ago for work, but have never been to Marbella - it looks lovely - I’ll have to brush up on my Spanish, but I do know how to order a cerveza!”

Mark, who has been working as a legal consultant for more than 25 years, and his wife of 22 years, Deborah, 55, who works as a bereavement counsellor and wellness coach, have lived in Torquay since 2019 with two rescue dogs and a cat, also rescued.

He is looking forward to visiting the villa with his family and can’t wait to spend time in the pool with his grandson.

When Omaze contacted Mark to tell him he’d scooped the grand prize, he was overseas with work so the Omaze team relayed the good news over a Zoom call.

A stunned Mark said: “I couldn’t believe it when Omaze called me to say I’d won the grand prize, I was out of the country with work so called my wife straight away – she was even more flabbergasted than I was as she had no idea I’d even entered!

“I’d entered nine Omaze draws before this, so my persistence has certainly paid off – it’s tenth time lucky I guess! You never imagine you’ll end up winning, but even if you don’t win anything, you’re still helping a really good cause - such as Teenage Cancer Trust.

“I’d never won so much as a church raffle before, so this is truly mind boggling. This win is life changing for the whole family, the £250,000 cash provides peace of mind in these challenging times – I’m still pinching myself.

“I’ve always struggled to get my work-life balance right but this gives us financial stability - I love my job, but to know I could retire tomorrow is an incredible feeling.”

Mark is free to either holiday in the house, rent it out or sell it. If he does decide to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve more than £100,000 a year from rentals.

Located on Marbella’s famous Golden Mile, the stylish and contemporary design of this 12,000 sq ft villa will provide an idyllic holiday retreat for Mark and his family.

Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the open-plan living space, including a living room and dining area connected by a large built-in fireplace that sits in the centre of the villa.

The state-of-the-art kitchen features a central breakfast bar with granite worktops, stainless steel units and brand-new Siemens equipment throughout to cater for every culinary need. There is also a separate bar area to prepare sundown cocktails.

Glass sliding doors seamlessly connect to the garden, where the winner will find a swimming pool surrounded by terraces and sun lounge areas – as well as a plunge pool to cool down after Mark has topped up his tan. There is also a hammock in the shaded garden, if Mark feels like a snooze after sunbathing.

The holiday home boasts four-bedrooms and bathrooms, with the main bedroom featuring its own balcony, walk-in wardrobe and a luxury en-suite bathroom with bath and rainfall shower. Guest bedrooms also have en-suite bathrooms.

A 1,722 sq ft) rooftop solarium offers panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Sierra Blanca Mountain Range and is an ideal area for entertaining. There is also ample parking space for when Mark has visitors.

The villa is ideally located to enjoy the eating, drinking and shopping delights of Marbella Old Town Puerto Banus Marina and Capobino Beach - as well as Marbella Golf and Country Club, Venus Beach and Alameda Park. It’s just a 7-minute drive from Playa Casablanca and Puente Romano Beach Club.

As well as making Mark a multi-millionaire, the Marbella Superdraw also raised £800,000 Teenage Cancer Trust.

Paul McKenzie, director of engagement at the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “The £800,000 raised is truly staggering and we can’t thank Omaze and its community enough!

“Everything we provide to get young people with cancer through the toughest times imaginable – our specialist hospital units, nurses and youth teams – are entirely dependent on the money we’re able to fund raise.

“So, to put it simply, without the support of Omaze and the generosity of the public, nothing we do would be possible.

“In 2020 Teenage Cancer Trust was the first UK charity to partner with Omaze and the money raised by the first draw, at a time when our fundraised income dropped off a cliff due to the pandemic, was truly life changing.

“Since then, Omaze has proved itself to be a fantastic way for many other charities to raise money and given millions of pounds to so many good causes.

“With times now tougher than ever we’re so proud to continue our work together.”

James Oakes, chief international officer at Omaze, said: “We’re delighted that Mark has won his dream home - and was able to contribute to this fantastic £800,000 raise for Teenage Cancer Trust in the process. Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants.”