A mature student who was forced to move out of her home due to soaring rents has won the keys to a Chelsea townhouse worth £5,000,000.
Oceanne Belle won the grade II listed property and £100,000 in cash when she claimed the Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
The 49-year-old had recently been forced to move into a friend’s home in Barking as her previous landlord had put her rent up.
She said: “It is so crazy that last week I was technically ‘sofa surfing’ at a friend’s flat - and now I’ve won a £5 million townhouse in Chelsea - it's just unbelievable.
“I can now invite all my family over from the Seychelles to come and stay. I absolutely love cooking and can’t wait to use the kitchen - it's an amazing feeling. This has to be the best Christmas present ever.
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do long-term yet - but we’re definitely going to spend some time here and enjoy it. Winning this house is a dream come true, but it won’t change me as a person.
“I still want to fulfil my ultimate dream of becoming a paediatric nurse - and this win will help me to achieve that.”
Ms Belle, who is currently studying Health and Social Care at the University of Sunderland in London, is free to either live in the four-storey property, rent it out or sell it to become a multi-millionaire.
Local estate agents estimate that the property, which is minutes from the King’s Road, could achieve a long-term rental value of around £140,000 a year.
The Omaze Million Pound House Draw, London, also raised £2,600,000 for NHS Charities Together - the national independent charity caring for the NHS.
Ellie Orton OBE, Chief Executive at NHS Charities Together, said: “Huge congratulations to Oceanne on winning the incredible Chelsea house. We are absolutely thrilled that the Omaze house draw has raised £2,600,000 for NHS Charities Together.
“This incredible amount of money will help us provide life-saving equipment, volunteers and training that will save lives. We know fewer than three in ten people feel confident to deliver CPR, so this work is vital.
“We rely on the support of the public and partnerships like Omaze – we could not do what we do without them. This is our first campaign with Omaze and it has surpassed all our expectations. Thank you so much to everyone who entered the draw and helped to raise funds for our vital work.”
