Chris Milnes, 61, scooped an Omaze mansion prize worth 2.5million pounds but has since put it on the market after after discovering a major flaw in maintaining it
05:49, 15 Oct 2025
Chris Milne with his family outside the home(Image: Omaze / SWNS)
A council house father who bagged an Omaze mansion prize has flogged the property for nearly £1million below its original worth – because it requires an entire day to clean.
Chris Milnes, 61, landed the £2.5m mansion near Poole, Dorset, in June 2024 after entering the Million Pound Draw, without his family’s knowledge. The father, who was raised on a Leeds council estate, was stunned by his victory, but discovered the 4,650 square foot newly-constructed “big house” challenging to maintain in pristine condition.
He listed the Omaze property after realising it demands a “whole day” to clean, but discovered that flogging it proved just as taxing as maintaining it – compelling him to slash the asking price by almost half.
Chris had to sell the home for £1.6 million after putting it on the market for £2.5 million(Image: Omaze / SWNS)
Mr Milnes originally marketed the mansion for £2.3m in January this year, but was compelled to reduce the valuation by £200,000 merely months later in June. By August’s conclusion, the price had plummeted to £1,350,000, with a sale eventually secured for £1.6m, according to MailOnline.
The transaction, which remains pending completion, will provide the delighted new proprietor with both the vast property – which comes equipped with a enormous open-plan living space, designer kitchen and cinema room – plus all the furnishings it came with. Once the sale is finalised, Mr Milnes plans to distribute the proceeds among his children, giving them the “start in life I never had”, reports the Mirror.
He intends to use the money from the sale to purchase a property in West Yorkshire and to visit his 30-year-old son Ollie and his first grandchild in Australia.
The house is outfitted with a designer kitchen and cinema, and comes fully furnished(Image: Omaze / SWNS)
The sale follows many joyful moments that Mr Milnes and his family have shared in the house. In January, he described it as a “dream home” in a “lovely part of the country”.
Chris has now said: “Winning a multi-million-pound house will always feel surreal. It’s the kind of thing you imagine happening to other people – but it really did happen to us. Spending time in this incredible house has been one of the most amazing experiences we’ve ever had as a family, and we’ve made some magical memories here. We’ve loved every minute.
“The money that came with the house meant we never had to worry about running costs while we were here, which has been fantastic. But we decided the time was right to sell, as the money we’ll get from the sale is truly life-changing. It’s going to allow us to buy our forever home closer to where we live, help our kids onto the property ladder, and still have more than enough left over for a very comfortable retirement.
“Since the win I’ve also become a grandad – my son lives in Australia, so to be able to go out there in style and meet our first grandchild was absolutely wonderful, we’re able to help give him the best possible start in life. The whole experience has been completely transformative from the moment we found out we’d won, and we couldn’t be more grateful.”
Chris, who grew up on a council estate, said the money would be used for his family(Image: Omaze / SWNS)
An Omaze spokesperson said: “All Omaze winners are free to live in their new house, rent it out for extra income, or sell it the moment they get the keys to become a cash multi-millionaire – the choice is entirely theirs.
Grand Prize winners also get a minimum of £250,000 in cash to help them settle in and cover running costs – our properties also come mortgage-free, with no stamp duty or legal fees to pay. Full estimated running costs are available on our website, and with the settling-in money alone, winners could comfortably enjoy the home for many years.
“Each house comes with all the furnishings and essentials featured in our adverts – with a typical average value of £150,000. If winners are already paying rent or a mortgage elsewhere, those savings could go towards the running costs of their new home, or they could rent out either property for additional income.
“Whatever their circumstances, all Omaze winners have several fantastic, life-changing options available to them. Omaze is immensely proud to have created 42 millionaires while raising over £100 million for good causes in the UK.”
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