The Omaze Million Pound House Draw has been making dreams come true since 2020, offering the chance to win a luxurious home worth millions. While most winners opt for the cash prize, one family, the Yahioglus, decided to embrace a new life in their dream home.
Eliza Yahioglu, a proud Yorkshire lass at heart, was living in London with her family when she won a picturesque farmhouse in Harrogate, Yorkshire. She didn’t hesitate to uproot her life and move in.
‘As soon as I walked through the front door, it stopped being a house and immediately became our home,’ she said. Eliza fell in love with the beautifully renovated 17th-century mansion and knew she had to keep it.
Winning the house fulfilled a long-held dream for Eliza, bringing her back to her Yorkshire roots. ‘We’d always dreamed of having a place in Yorkshire one day,’ she said. ‘Now that dream has come true!’
The Yahioglus have been living in their Omaze home since August 2023, enjoying a new life in Harrogate while still maintaining their London property. Eliza loves hosting friends and family in their spacious home, which even boasts an Aga stove for those Yorkshire pudding feasts!
The couple also plans to offer the house to those affected by blood cancer, as the £1,950,000 raised for this particular draw went to Blood Cancer UK. ‘We’re planning on having people and families affected by blood cancer to come and stay – they can have the place all to themselves and just get away from it all,’ Eliza said.
Eliza’s decision to keep the house was a decision she doesn’t regret. ‘Winning something so valuable in bricks and mortar is brilliant – I joke that I’d have burned through the money if I’d won it in cash!’ she says. ‘This house is something we can all enjoy together as a family – and is a lasting legacy for my children.’
The Yahioglu’s story is a reminder that sometimes, the greatest prize isn’t just about the money – it’s about the memories, the experiences, and the home you create. For Eliza, it’s about returning to her roots, building a new life in Yorkshire, and sharing her dream home with loved ones. It’s a heartwarming tale of a life-changing win and the joy of finding a true sense of home.
