We live next to £2.2M prize draw mansion… the house is free but new owners may end up with costly mess
NEIGHBOURS living by a £2.2million “dream” mansion up for grabs in a prize draw are warning the winners could be left with a costly mess.
Locals have raised concerns about essential and expensive work the new owners could have to carry out around the five-bedroom cottage on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in Devon.
The property near Ness Cove Beach is the latest prize being offered in an Omaze Millions Pounds House Draw, along with £100,000.
But whoever scoops the award on September 30 will have to pay hefty amounts to deal with “dangerous” trees, according to reports.
People living in the village of Hennock say trees there are showing signs of ash dieback and could topple, according to MailOnline.
The concerns come after it emerged most previous Omaze winners have moved back out of their multi-million-pound new homes.
It was last month revealed dad-of-five dad-of-five Glen Elmy walked away from his new “James Bond-style” coastal property in north Devon.
He reportedly spent just three days there before moving out amid concerns it risked crumbling into the sea.
Omaze say winners are free to sell or rent out their prize homes.
The £2.2million Devon property in the current draw has an estimated long-term monthly income of about £3,000 per month.
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home sprawls over 3,660sq ft and comes with home furnishings and acres of landscaped gardens.
‘DESPERATE NEED OF ATTENTION’
But a neighbour who didn’t want to be named has warned: “Whoever wins this should know in advance it’s got falling down wood with dead ash trees in it which is in desperate need of attention.
“Some of the trees are about 40ft high and they will all need to come down before they fall down.
“The winner will win a liability which they have not been made aware of.”
Tree surgeon Matt Bayles told MailOnline a number of the ash trees were “showing signs of ash dieback” and recommended taking down five.
Another tree expert Tyler Ewings suggested the cost could be £5,000 to £10,000.
Online entries for the draw cost £10 for 15 entries, £25 for 40 entries, £50 for 85 entries, £150 for 320 entries.
People can also enter by post with no purchase necessary.
This draw is raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and is being backed by EastEnders and Gavin And Stacey actor Larry Lamb, who lost his brother to cancer in 2019.
He described the “beautiful house” as a “truly life-changing prize for one lucky winner”.
An Omaze spokesperson said in response to today’s report they had contacted the nearby neighbour “directly” and found they had “not expressed any concern”.
But the firm said they would consult professionals next week to “assess the trees” and “happily carry out any work necessary”.
Foundry worker Mr Elmy, from Walsall in the West Midlands, won his property named Stealth House after buying a £25 Omaze ticket in their draw raising charity funds for the NSPCC’s Childline.
He had been the fourth person in the UK to win one of Omaze’s charity draw homes.
The first was a £1million property in Cheshire in a campaign generating £250,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Others included draws which raised £1million for the British Heart Foundation and £500,000 for the Prince’s Trust.
The most recent winner was ex-Para Daren Bell, who spent £10 on a ticket and won a £4.5million seaside mansion in North Norfolk.