Bolton winner swaps dining table for snooker green after £4m mansion surprise
Standing on a tarmac street in bolton, a man who bought a £15 raffle entry learned he now owns a £4 million coastal house in Cornwall. The moment began with a knock at what turned out to be his old door, a stunned silence, and then a rush of disbelief that rippled through his family.
How did a Bolton web developer win a £4m house?
Simon Mawdsley, 41, a web developer, had been subscribing to the charity raffle for more than two years when his £15 entry delivered the life-changing victory. The organisation behind the draw visited after ringing to say they had a prize to deliver, but they initially went to Simon’s previous address. He had moved only a short distance after leaving Bury for Bolton, and the delivery team “nipped down the road” to the correct house to break the news.
“Funnily enough Omaze turned up at the wrong house to tell me I’d won as I’d forgotten to update my address, ” Simon said. “I remember thinking, if they’re coming to see me in person, I must have won something pretty good, but you never imagine you’ve won a house, that kind of stuff just doesn’t happen in real life. ” He described standing “in utter disbelief” alongside his wife, then sharing the pictures of the new property with his parents, who initially refused to believe it before his mum burst into tears.
What will the new owners do with the Cornwall property?
The house arrives mortgage-free with stamp duty and legal fees covered, plus £160, 000 worth of furnishings and a further £250, 000 in cash to help the winners settle in. Simon says the prize gives the family options: move in, rent the property for supplementary income, or sell. Local estate agents estimate a long-term rental value of around £4, 500 per month, a figure that frames the cash award as more than a windfall — it is working capital for whichever path they choose.
Simon’s first planned change is personal: swap the dining table for a full-size snooker table. A lifelong snooker fan, he joked about creating a “mini Crucible” overlooking the estuary, but admits his wife, Riza, 35, who works as an auditor and moved to the UK from the Philippines, “might need a bit of persuading” before the green baize replaces family furniture. He also said the house gives them the excuse to gather the extended family for a big holiday by the sea — an idea his parents have apparently supported by offering to stay there when the Mawdsleys are not using it.
Beyond the snooker plans, the cash and furnished package reduce the immediate financial pressure of running a large coastal home and give the family breathing room to decide how the property will fit into their lives. Simon reflected on memories of a childhood holiday and the contrast between a tiny B&B they once stayed in and the new home’s unobstructed estuary views: “We absolutely loved it. I never imagined the next time I’d be back in Cornwall would be because I own a £4 million house here overlooking the sea!”
Back on the Bolton street where the story began, the knock on the wrong door now reads differently. What started as a routine prize delivery became the craziest moment of Simon and Riza’s lives, a sudden pivot from pavement and tarmac to a beachfront house they can use, rent, or sell. Whether the dining table gives way to green baize remains an open question — one that will determine if the house becomes a family holiday hub or a snooker fan’s dream come true.
