When Nicola Dickinson first considered entering the Omaze prize, she confided in her husband. He told her not to bother, as he assumed that the odds would never be in the 59-year-old’s favour.
But when the team knocked on her door and told her she’d actually won a mansion worth a cool £4.5 million, he ate his words. It also affirmed to Nicola: ‘This is precisely why I never listen to my husband.’
She bought the entry that ended up winning her the prize – a home in the Lake District, complete with its own private lake – for just £25.
It was part of her recurring monthly subscription, which she’d been entering for four years. But when Nicola first set it up, her husband of 38 years, 58-year-old Martyn, told her that she’d ‘never win in a million years.’
Now, she’s glad that she ignored his advice and pressed on with her dream.
She says: ‘The day we found out I’d won, I was at home, looking after my granddaughter and doing a spot of boring housework – nothing exciting at all. It was just a very ordinary day, or so I thought.
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‘When I got the call from Omaze, I honestly didn’t think it was real. I put the phone down and said to my husband, “That was Omaze, apparently I’ve won something, but it can’t be real.”‘
Nicola thought she’d go and see what all the ‘fuss’ was about, so she put her shoes on. However, about 30 seconds later, she told herself she was just being ‘silly,’ and took them off again and stuck the kettle on.
‘Then they called back and said they were outside, so on went the boots again! I was thinking, best case scenario, I may have won £1,000 – which would’ve been lovely! Winning a house never crossed my mind,’ she says.
The next thing she knew, she was being told that she’d won a mansion, which comes with its own private lake, a wooden jetty, and an outside wellness area, including a sauna, hot tub, and outdoor shower.
Inside the home, found in the village of Crook, there’s also a gym, utility and boot room, an electric car charger, solar panels, and multiple garages.
Ever since she started her subscription, Martyn has jokingly been ‘moaning’ at her to stop, but even if she didn’t win, he liked that she was still supporting ‘amazing charities.’
‘But winning has shown this is precisely why I never listen to him, and thank goodness I didn’t – we’re multi-millionaires now,’ the retired HR manager, who has lived in the same house in Swindon for the past 30 years, laughs.
‘We’d actually been talking that very morning about downsizing soon to try and keep on top of our outgoings – but now we’ve upsized – massively. It’s a funny old world.’
As for Martyn, he’s personally a ‘little disappointed’ that they didn’t win the Porsche 911, but Nicola has since teased him that, should he ‘play his cards right,’ she can now afford to buy him one instead.
It’s safe to say that the win is absolutely life-changing for the pair of them, as they usually struggle through January after a big Christmas spend-up. This year, though, they can afford to sit back and relax.
‘We’ve worked hard our whole lives, not just for ourselves but for our family, and this win really does change everything for all of us,’ she says.
‘We’re looking forward to further supporting our children and grandchildren, to help give them the best possible start in life – the win feels like a generational legacy for our family.’
They haven’t quite decided whether they’ll be keeping the home, selling up, or renting it out yet, but they’re certain about one thing: they want to come up and enjoy the home, together with their three adult children and three grandchildren, whatever happens to it.
Nicola has also won £250,000 in cash, so if they decide to keep the property, they’d be able to keep up with the running costs for years.
Their retirement is also now going to look very different, as Martyn spent most of his career travelling around Europe for work. For once, they can actually consider the prospect of ‘slowing down and enjoying life together.’
‘I turn 60 in May,’ she says. ‘I think my birthday plans have gone up a notch.’
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