09 February 2024 , 08:00
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A dad won a Spanish villa worth £3million thanks to a piece of old second-hand furniture.
Graham Dunlop, 52, went to collect a battered leather chair he bought from a woman online who said he could have it for free if he donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK. He made his donation but then decided to enter the Omaze prize draw after spotting it was supporting the charity.
He then won the keys to a spectacular Spanish villa worth over £3 million as well as £250,000 in cash. Graham still has the chair and is often used by one of his pet dogs Maisy, who he may rename 'Omaisy' after scooping the Omaze Grand Prize.
His magnificent four-bedroom villa in Mallorca has a swimming pool, stunning mountain views and is mortgage-free with all legal fees covered. Graham revealed the chair seller wanted him to donate money to Alzheimer’s Research UK as her late husband had dementia.
He said: “The reason I entered the draw is quite random really, I’d been after an armchair for my home office for a while and one popped up on Gumtree. I went to pick it up but when we arrived the woman refused to take any money for it.
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''Instead, she asked that we put something towards an Alzheimer’s charity, as her late husband had dementia. So I made a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK, then saw that they’d also partnered with Omaze, so I bought an entry to the Superdraw on top.
The dad said he'll have to brush up on his Spanish a bit (OMAZE / SWNS)''I didn't give it a second thought and had totally forgotten I’d even entered. My wife didn’t like the look of my lucky chair at first, but of course she absolutely loves it now! You could say my £3 million prize cost me an armchair and a leg! I’ll bring the chair out here for sure, although it might look a bit odd next to the pool.”
Graham, who bought his winning entry for £75, has been married to his wife Amanda for 15 years and they have two children, an 18-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son. He is originally from Edinburgh but moved to England 30 years ago and has worked in IT for the past 25 years.
The luxurious villa has a swimming pool and spectacular mountainous views (OMAZE / SWNS)While Amanda is a part-time primary school teacher. The couple have lived in their current 4-bedroom house near Southampton since 2014. They have two dogs - Maisy, a 12-year-old Labradoodle) and Hudson, a three-year-old Colliepoo.
When Omaze first contacted Graham to tell him he’d won a prize, he'd even forgotten that he entered the competition and celebrated “the best way a British man can” by “popping the kettle on having a cup of tea”.
He continued: “This villa is simply stunning, I love the design of the place and the views are spectacular. I just can’t believe it's all ours - even if I jumped in the pool I don’t think it would sink in! We love Spain but never dreamed we’d ever own a place here - especially one like this! I might have to work on my Spanish a bit - although I can order a cerveza with no problems!
Graham's lucky armchair (OMAZE / SWNS)“I’ve got a large extended family that we’ve not seen for a while - I’m really looking forward to getting us all together out here.”
He said: “I’ve never won anything before - but this is worth waiting 52 years for! I’m not sure what we’re going to do long term yet. We’ll definitely be enjoying a few family holidays here - whatever we decide, this win is fantastic for our family’s future.”
Graham’s new home is a tranquil oasis located within walking distance from the town Selva and village Caimari in the popular travel destination of Mallorca and is just a short flight away from a host of UK airports.
The bespoke design of the beautiful holiday retreat celebrates traditional Spanish features such as stone walls and terracotta rooftops - while also encompassing a contemporary feel indoors - with bright and spacious open plan living areas.
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There is a large swimming pool with chill-out areas and loungers for when Graham feels like taking a siesta or sunbathing after a swim. The entire property offers wonderful spectacular views of the Spanish countryside and Serra de Tramuntana mountains.
Graham said he has a large extended family that he hasn't seen in a while that he wants to invite out to his new property (OMAZE / SWNS)Inside, there is a state-of-the-art kitchen complete with island dining, a light filled conservatory with floor to ceiling glass doors offering views of the manicured gardens, and a luxurious living room with ornate fireplace, which also provides direct access to the landscaped courtyard and barbecue area with its own stone oven.
The top floor of the property has a stylish main bedroom suite complete with ensuite bathroom and dressing room – plus two additional guest bedrooms. The lower floor also provides another ensuite bedroom with a roll top bath.
The villa's extensive gardens (OMAZE / SWNS)To the east of the property there is a sizeable terrace with thatched roof pergola overlooking the mountains. It's furnished with a sumptuous sofa with coffee table and is the ideal space for Graham and his family to enjoy the sunrise or a sundowner at the end of a long day’s relaxing.
The property also has extensive gardens featuring fruit trees and other flora found in the region. The gardens have been beautifully landscaped to create a variety of terraces and private areas perfect for Graham to relax with friends and dine alfresco anytime of the day.
As well as making Graham a multi-millionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw, Mallorca, also raised £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK - the UK’s leading dementia research charity - in just six weeks.
Graham also won a £250,000 on top of his expensive villa (OMAZE / SWNS)Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, claiming more than 74,000 lives in 2022. If nothing changes, one in two people will be directly affected by the condition - either by caring for someone with it, developing it themselves, or both. Although the first generation of Alzheimer’s treatments proven to slow the disease are on the horizon, there are none yet available in the UK.
Alzheimer’s Research UK is working to change this, and to develop more and better therapies that will be necessary to really shift the dial against the disease. Compared to other serious conditions, however, relatively few clinical trials are taking place in the UK. This means people with dementia in the UK are at risk of missing out on the chance to take part in life-changing research.
The place has multiple bedrooms on offer (OMAZE / SWNS)The £3,100,000 raised by the latest partnership with Omaze will support the charity’s Clinical Accelerator Programme, boosting clinical research for dementia across the UK and speeding up progress towards a cure. Hilary Evans, Chief Executive at Alzheimer’s Research UK said: “We’re delighted that Omaze, and all those who entered the Omaze Million Pound House Superdraw in Mallorca, have raised a phenomenal £3,100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
“Nearly a million people in the UK have dementia, and we urgently need to find more and better treatments so that we can take away the fear, harm and heartbreak that this devastating condition causes.
The stunning property is located in Mallorca (OMAZE / SWNS)“The vital funds raised will support our Clinical Accelerator Programme, which will boost clinical research taking place in the NHS and ultimately speed up progress towards a cure. This is an exciting step forward in our efforts to transform the lives of people affected by dementia. Thank you Omaze, and everyone who entered, for standing with us for a cure.”
This is the second time the charity has teamed up with Omaze. The first partnership, in 2022, raised £1 million that helped Alzheimer’s Research UK to protect and continue progress in dementia research during the pandemic. This latest donation brings the total raised for the charity by Omaze to £4.1 million.
James Oakes, Chief International Officer at Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that Graham and his family have won this magical villa in Mallorca, whilst also contributing to the incredible £3,100,000 raised for Alzheimer’s Research UK.
“Omaze gives people the chance to win amazing houses, like this spectacular property in Spain, whilst also introducing charities to vast new audiences that would otherwise be out of reach – it’s a real win-win for both charities and entrants. We’re incredibly proud that the Omaze community has raised more than £31 million for good causes across the UK.”
Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cotswolds are available now at omaze. The draw closes on February 25 for online entries and February 27 for postal entries.