Mum buys stunning £2m farmhouse for just £25 and she can't believe her luck
A lucky mum discovered she won a stunning £2 million farmhouse and £100,000 in cash while she was celebrating her birthday on a European break.
Eliza Yahioglu had paid £25 for the ticket in the Omaze Million-Pound House Draw and was in a bar in Luxembourg with her husband and friends when they were told she was a winner. Stunned, she discovered her prize included a 17th century hillside home near her childhood home in Yorkshire.
On the same day she got the news she turned 56 - and joked her husband will struggle to top her birthday next year. Eliza said: “We were out having drinks with friends when the doorbell app on my husband’s phone buzzed - I actually moaned at him for picking up the phone and being anti-social.
Eliza Yahioglu was in a bar in Luxembourg with her husband and friends when they were told she was a winner"I'm glad he did as we all immediately recognised the face smiling back at us as Jo the Omaze presenter from the TV ads - that’s when we thought we might have won something - either that or someone is pulling a very elaborate hoax. Luckily our son was home to answer the door so she could confirm the good news to us, the whole thing was so bizarre it didn’t feel real.
“We were in a bar at the time, which was the perfect place to start celebrating, we got a bottle of fizz in straight away. When we went to bed we still weren't convinced it was real, we expected to wake up realising it had all been a dream.”
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The beautiful home is close to the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Yorkshire. It comes mortgage free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
Eliza is free to either live in the house, rent it out or sell it. Should she decide to rent it out, local estate agents estimate the property could achieve an annual rental value of almost £50,000. The home also offers breathtaking views across the neighbouring valley, as well as the surrounding five acres of manicured grounds and gardens.
Eliza discovered she had won the home on her birthdayShe added: “I’ve lived in London for almost 40 years but I'm a proud Yorkshire lass at heart. My parents and sister still live there, so we come up as often as we can. We’d always dreamed of having a place in Yorkshire one day, close to what I still call home - now that dream has come true.
“Mum and dad can come and stay with us when we’re up here now - rather than the other way around. I’ve wanted to get a dog for years, but living in London, my husband has always said we don’t have enough room to get a dog - but with this garden and being surrounded by rolling hills, he can’t use lack of space as an excuse to not get one anymore
“We’re going to enjoy it as a family for now - this house was made for Christmas so we’ll be hosting all the family here this year for sure - but who knows what the future holds in the long-term, whatever we decide, my children’s future is more secure than ever.”
The couple met while studying at Brunel University in the mid-80s and they will celebrate 30 years of marriage in November. They’ve lived in their current home in North London for 10 years. Son Carl, 24, manages a bar while daughter Leyla, 21, is studying biomedical science at the University of Sussex in Brighton.
The stunning Yorkshire house has four bedroomsEliza - whose winning entry came from her £25 a month Omaze subscription - has been working in the financial sector for over 30 years. Husband Gokhan is the co-founder of a biotech company that specialises in cancer research - which is fitting as this latest Omaze grand draw also raised an incredible £1,950,000 to support Blood Cancer UK in just six weeks.
It is the second time the charity has teamed up with the fundraising platform. The first partnership, in 2022, raised £1,000,000. The money raised from last year’s partnership funded new research projects working on saving the lives of children. Now the latest donation will build on this, helping to further develop research into hard-to-treat blood cancers and investigating treatment types that could be more effective and potentially less harmful treatment, particularly for younger people.
Eliza added: “We’re really pleased the money raised from this Omaze partnership is going to help Blood Cancer UK - my husband is a cancer research scientist, so we know just how vitally important research is in the battle against this disease.”
The main house has been renovated and finished in a tasteful, contemporary style - while still maintaining its historical character. The property offers well-balanced living spaces providing both practicality and comfort for everyday living, with rooms bathed in natural light and featuring original beams, timber floors and other architectural details encompassing the original stonework; as well as offering spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
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The property has incredible views over the nearby landscapeEliza can enjoy preparing meals for family and friends in the beautiful kitchen and dining space, complete with Aga cooker - which leads into a spacious garden room that allows an abundance of natural light to pour in during the day and has a contemporary wood burning stove to snuggle up in front of on long winter nights.
The ground floor also has a cosy sitting room with a traditional fireplace that provides another perfect place for a family to relax and unwind in. There is ample space for hosting with a dedicated breakfast and dining room, reception hall, and a utility room with Miele appliances. Upstairs has a main bedroom boasting an ensuite bathroom and a dressing room - as well as two further double bedrooms and a bathroom.
The outbuildings consist of a former granary that has been converted into a delightful two storey, one-bedroomed guest cottage complete with dining area and bathrooms. The adjoining garage has been extended into the loft space to provide a workshop and home office.
The property is also a haven for gardening enthusiasts. A raised terrace has steps leading down to the south facing mature gardens that are bordered by manicured hedges and layer beds. These give way to a yew parterre with gravel path leading to the lower lawn which extends around the perimeter of the gardens, connecting opposing paddocks and framing either side of the property, creating a natural sense of privacy.
The couple found they had won during a holiday for her birthdayJust below the garages is another terraced garden with raised beds and a glazed potting shed offering an ideal space for those of a green fingered persuasion.
Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: “We’re delighted the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Yorkshire has raised a fantastic £1,950,000 in just six weeks.
"At Blood Cancer UK we hear far too many heartbreaking experiences of people who have lost people they love to blood cancer, in fact it’s the UK’s third biggest cancer killer. But thanks to the tireless effort of researchers, the day we beat blood cancer is closer than ever.
"The money raised by the Omaze community will help develop research into more effective and potentially less harmful treatment particularly for younger people. Thank you to everyone who has supported the Omaze draw!”
James Oakes from Omaze, added: “We’re delighted Eliza has won this wonderful house in her native Yorkshire – whilst also contributing to the £1,950,000 raised for Blood Cancer UK in the process. Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. By offering incredible prizes, like this beautiful house in Yorkshire, we give people the chance to win the amazing houses, while also introducing charities to audiences they wouldn’t usually be able to reach.
"We’re incredibly proud the Omaze community has already raised over seventeen million pounds for good causes across the UK.”
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