Surprise way woman scored cottage for $19
A US woman who entered a raffle to win a cottage in Ireland has become a homeowner — and it cost her only $US12.67 ($A19.52).
Kathleen Spangler, from Ohio, bought three raffle tickets in December 2024 for a chance to win a cottage in Ireland, Realtor reports.
A few months earlier, the US Marine Corps officer had applied for Irish citizenship — her dad's family is from Ireland. Her request was fast-tracked because she was pregnant.
When she got her dual citizenship approved, the 29-year-old started looking at real estate in Ireland and came across the raffle for Butterfly Cottage — and decided to enter. Then she forgot about it.
'By chance, did you win a cottage in Ireland?' a friend texted her on May 22, according to the New York Times.
Her friend was going to enter the contest, but when she went to the site, the raffle was closed — and the winner was announced: Kathleen Spangler.
Ms Spangler's husband said his wife doesn't gamble, so when he received a text from her saying she thought she won a house, naturally, he was surprised and initially believed it was a scam.
Ms Spangler eventually received an email from the raffle organisers and the cottage owner, Imelda Collins.
'Imelda's first email mentioned how I must be in shock, but she's excited for me,' Ms Spangler told the Times.
She was able to speak with Ms Collins on WhatsApp.
'It was a great experience to be able to speak directly to her, and helped to make things real.'
Ms Collins was happy to learn that Ms Spangler has ties to the community.
Ms Spangler's great-grandfather was from Sligo, one of the nearest towns to the cottage.
'I truly feel my home was meant to be hers,' Ms Collins told the publication.
Second home
Ms Spangler's future cottage is located along Wild Atlantic Way — 1.75 acres in the countryside.
The two-bedroom, one-bath home went through a renovation and redecoration in 2022.
It comes with a kitchen and living and dining areas.
The home has insulated floors, a vaulted ceiling with a skylight in the living and dining rooms, updated wiring and new plumbing with radiators, an energy-efficient oil boiler, a bathroom with a walk-in electric shower, new light fixtures, and a kitchen and appliances.
The outside is a simple, white-painted structure with bright red trim, with gardens in the front and back and a large patio area to enjoy the rolling countryside views.
The home has a private well and septic tank. High-speed broadband is available, and Spangler is getting the home fully furnished.
Even though the home is in the countryside, it's not completely secluded. It's an 11-minute walk to the bus, 77 miles (123 km) to the closest airport (offering direct flights to the U.S., U.K., and other European cities), and 111 miles (178 km) to Belfast International Airport.
The city of Sligo also offers a train to Dublin.
Future abroad
Both Ms Spangler and her husband said they've spoken about one day splitting their time between America and Ireland.
In the meantime, transferring the property will take some time.
Stelios Kounou, CEO of Raffall (the British company that hosted the raffle), told the Times that property transfers in Ireland can take about three months.
Raffall will be supplying the legal team to oversee the due diligence for the company and Ms Collins.
Ms Collins will pay for Ms Spangler's lawyer and the Irish stamp duty on the transaction (which was part of the agreement in the raffle).
'The contracts are handled by the lawyers much like a traditional property sale,' Mr Kounou said.
'The key difference is that, since the property was won rather than purchased, the winner doesn't have the same rights as a buyer — similar to how it works at auction.
'Once both parties are happy with the terms, the transfer of ownership and release of funds take place simultaneously, all managed by the lawyers.'
Ms Collins told the Times that 206,815 tickets were sold, bringing in about $1.4 million ($A2.1 million).
She'll need to pay 10 per cent to Raffall, about 2,600 euros ($A4,600) in affiliate fees, plus a 33 per cent capital gains tax, 1 per cent of the value of the house for stamp duty, and fees for her lawyers and the Spanglers' lawyers.
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