'I used to drop people off at fancy homes - now I've got my own with Omaze win'
A former cabbie has been floored after winning a £4million mansion, saying the last thing he won was a "soft toy from Hull fair."
James Moughton, 71, bagged the keys to a luxury West Sussex property in the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw. He has since swapped his modest, cramped home in Hull for panoramic sea views, declaring it as "the best tip I've ever had."
James will also have direct direct beach access from his four-bedroom home and a Skargards wood surround hot tub. His stunning new property comes mortgage free and with all legal fees covered.
James, who spent 20 years driving a cab in Hull, has also been given a whopping £250,000 in cash to help him settle in. James, who bought his £4M winning entry for just £25 as part of his Omaze subscription, said he purchased the ticket in the hope of winning a house that would change his family's lives, but never thought it would ever become a reality.
'It's a feeling I couldn't even have dreamed of before,' he said. 'When I was a cabbie, I used to drop people off at fancy homes—now I've got one of my own." He can decide whether to live in the house, rent it out for a supplementary income or sell it whenever he wishes to become a cash multi-millionaire.
If James decides to keep the stunning property, it is estimated that the £250,000 would enable him to run the house for many years. If he decides to rent it out, local estate agents estimate that the property could achieve a long-term rental value of approximately £6,000 per month.
James, who lives in his one-bedroom council flat in Hull, has two children, daughter Katie,28, and son Michael,29, and a granddaughter Harper, 4 and grandson, Kasper, 3. Now he plans to bring the whole family together at the home for 'a big seaside celebration'.
The ecstatic grandad said: 'I've got a daughter, a son and grandchildren— they're all over the moon for me. I can't wait to have the family come and stay - everyday will feel like a holiday here. I'm from a council estate, but now I own a coastal paradise. I can't believe I'm going from a one-bedroom flat to a £4 million mansion! Things like this just don't happen to people where I come from. The last thing I won was a soft toy at the Hull Fair.
'I used to be a cabbie and it's safe to say this is the best tip I've ever had! When I was working I'd spend my days navigating traffic—now all I'll have to navigate is my best route to the hot tub.' James revealed what he'd been doing prior to his big win: 'I was having such an uneventful and boring week before Omaze turned up—I think the highlight had been nipping to the shops and avoiding getting sunburnt.
'Then all of a sudden I get a knock at the door and someone tells me I've won a prize—initially I thought it must be a wind-up! I was gobsmacked, I could've fallen through the floor! I went to see my daughter afterwards to crack open a bottle of fizz to celebrate."
The retired cabbie continued: 'The house is absolutely stunning. The sea views are something else—it's literally right on the beach. I've even got a hot tub looking out across the sea—my grandson's going to love that. Now I've got the beach as my back garden, I think it's time I learnt to swim. My son said he's going to teach me, but I'll just dip my toes in for the time being.
'The place is massive, especially compared to my little flat; the dog shower in the garage is bigger than my current bathroom. The births of my children and grandchildren were the best days of my life, but winning this place is running it close."
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