A couple expecting their first baby have won a multi-million pound Omaze home with stunning views of one of Britain’s most famous landmarks.
The 4.5million property used to be the country’s most expensive council house but now will house hospitality worker Roger Cana, 37, his accountant wife Shalini, 33, and soon their baby as well.
The couple also won £250,000 in cash after buying a ticket for just a £35 entry to the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in London.
Roger considered himself ‘unlucky’ because he had never won anything before in his life.
That has all changed now he’s won the five-storey, four-bedroom townhouse in the heart of south London offering uninterrupted views of The Shard from an award-winning garden.
The 18th century house in Borough is steeped in history, including an iconic, painted Take Courage ‘ghost sign’ on one side of the brick exterior, which gives a nod to its heritage as part of the former Anchor Brewery.
Roger, a food and drink cost controller is expecting a baby boy with his wife in September.
The pair, who currently live in a studio flat in Hayes, West London, had been saving for a deposit to buy a house but will now never need a mortgage and plan to bring their son up in the luxury property.
Roger said: ‘I’ve always considered myself quite unlucky, as I’ve never won anything before this, but I guess I can’t say that anymore.
‘Getting married and finding out we were pregnant were very special days, but this is right up there too and it’s definitely the best baby present ever!
Recalling the moment he was told he had won, he said: ‘It was just another Friday, really. I’d been working hard all day, then I got an email from Omaze saying I’d won something.
‘The next thing I knew they turned up and told us we’d won a £4.5million home in London. We couldn’t believe it.
‘My legs were shaking and my knees went wobbly. We were in total shock!
‘We had a bottle of champagne in the house, so we popped that open and got cooking. We always celebrate good times with good food.
‘Then we called our families. At first, they all thought we were joking. Then they went from disbelief to being so, so happy for us.’
‘We’ll raise our son in one of the nicest areas in London. It’s just unbelievable.
‘We’re normally used to seeing the neighbour’s laundry from our back garden, but now we’ve got views of The Shard.
‘I’d seen The Shard on TV, but now I can see it while I’m watching TV. It’s crazy.’
The property comes mortgage-free with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.
Although they have indicated they want their son to grow up in the luxury home, they could also rent the townhouse out for a supplementary income or sell it to become instant cash millionaires.
Omaze estimated that if he decides to keep the property, the £250,000 would enable him to run the house for almost 10 years.
The house also comes with £150,000 worth of furnishings, ready for Roger and Shalini, who wed three years ago, to enjoy the day they collect the keys.
If they decide to rent it out, local estate agents estimate the property could achieve a long-term rental value of between £8,000 to £10,000 per month.
Speaking about his new house, Roger said: ‘The house is amazing, I got butterflies as soon as I saw it. The furnishings are beautiful, which is great for us as we don’t have much of our own because we live in a studio flat.
‘We could probably move here with all our belongings just packed into an Uber – maybe we’d get an Exec now though!’
Roger, who moved to the UK eight years ago from Goa, India, had entered every Omaze house draw in London prior to his big win in Borough.
He added: ‘I’ve lived and worked in London since I arrived here and the goal was to one day own a property here but we never dreamed our first house would be worth £4.5million.
‘I work in hospitality but now someone else can bring me the champagne for a change.
‘We’ve been trying to save enough for a deposit so we can get a mortgage, but now we’ll never even need a mortgage. Turns out all we needed was £35 and a big slice of luck.
‘My wife is an accountant but you don’t have to be good with numbers to work out £35 into £4.5million is a pretty good return.
‘This has changed our lives forever—our baby’s future is now more secure than we could have ever imagined. It’s the best feeling in the world. Even our baby’s babies will be sorted!’
Roger and Shalini, who is from Kerala, India also banked £250,000 in prize money.
He said: ‘Thanks to that extra cash we also get as part of the win, we can afford to stay here for around 10 years if we want to.’
Roger said the couple would now be able to bring their family over to visit the UK for the first time.
He added: ‘Our family has never been over to see us -but now they can come and stay in style! No sofa beds or three-star hotels for them!’
On the money raised for charity: ‘We’re so happy Omaze has raised such a huge amount for The King’s Trust. We’re so proud to be a part of the almost £90million Omaze has raised for good causes in the UK.’
He added: ‘The sign on the house says ‘Take Courage’ and I believe there is a message in that for us about our future. It’s very special.’
The four-bedroom townhouse has its own inimitable style to go along with its prestigious postcode, just moments from popular London locations including Borough Market, the Tate Modern and the South Bank.
He will be greeted by two entrances that lead to a Bisazza-tiled ground floor, with a hand-built, bespoke eat-in kitchen featuring high-end appliances such as a Rangemaster cooker, integrated fridge-freezer and instant boiling water tap.
The interior retains many original period features, married with modern design aspects such as a steel-framed Sun Room extension offering views of the stunning garden.
There is a formal dining room with sculptural lighting and open doorways, along with original sash windows that provide an abundance of sunlight in the morning and a warm golden glow in the evening.
On the first floor there is a traditional Georgian reception room, plus another family lounge.
Three bedrooms are located on the upper floors offering spectacular views of London’s skyline, with a fourth bedroom found on the lower floor.
The main bedroom has a feature fireplace and an innovatively designed bathroom with a rainfall shower. Another bedroom has a play space mezzanine, while another guest bedroom has a stylish en suite bathroom.
Outside there is a separate studio space, which could make an ideal home office. The award-winning garden, designed by Chelsea Flower Show Gold winners, features extensive planting, wooden bench seating, a leafy canopy and an aromatic herb garden.
There is a fire pit which doubles as a barbecue, and subtle accent lighting which adds to the evening ambiance. The view of The Shard in the background makes the property feel like the perfect urban oasis.
As well as making Roger a multimillionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in London raised £4.1million for The King’s Trust.
The King’s Trust is a charity that helps young people from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity, by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn and earn.
The money raised from the partnership will allow the charity to continue its work supporting young people that may not always thrive in mainstream education. Delivered across the UK, The Trust’s education programmes help young people to develop the skills they need to access job opportunities in the future.
Jonathan Townsend, Chief Executive Officer, The King’s Trust said: ‘We are thrilled that an incredible £4.1million has been raised for The King’s Trust by the Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
‘The funds raised will be used to form The Omaze Education Fund and will support our vital work with young people in schools and alternative education settings. With The Trust’s help, young people will be encouraged to build their confidence and skills, learn about the world of work and raise their aspirations.
‘With the support of The Omaze Education Fund, The King’s Trust will be able to take a step closer to our vision of ending youth unemployment.’
The partnership with Omaze was backed by magician, King’s Trust alumni and Ambassador, Steven Frayne (formerly known as Dynamo).
This is the second time The King’s Trust has partnered with Omaze and brings the total raised by the Omaze community for the charity to £4.6million.
James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: ‘Everyone at Omaze is so happy that Roger and his wife have won this incredible house in London, whilst also contributing to our huge raise for The King’s Trust, who we’ve now raised a total of £4.6million for over two incredible partnerships.
‘Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn’t normally reach–it’s a real win-win for entrants and our charity partners. We’re immensely proud that the Omaze Community has now raised over £89million for good causes across the UK.’