'Omaze raffled two mansions in our town and we've now noticed one big change'

Traders in a small town where luxury homes have been won as raffle prizes say they have seen a big change in the area. Omaze has held two draws featuring luxurious properties in Blakeney, Norfolk.

The firm, which teams up with a charity for each draw, heavily publicises its raffles on television and online. As a result, business owners in Blakeney say they have seen an upturn in trade since the first draw in 2023.

Daren Bell, from Bournemouth, won Omaze’s first prize draw in the town. He swapped his Dorset home for a £4,500,000 mansion, netting £100,000 in cash in the process.

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Daren decided to sell his own home and can now lead a more comfortable life, as Omaze provides the house without a mortgage and pays the stamp duty and legal fees. Self-confessed “workaholic” Daren however admits he has kept his job at a facilities management firm.

He said: “I am still working full-time but I'll re-evaluate that in a few years - I may cut down my hours or retire early. I sold my old home in Bournemouth and didn't have a mortgage on it, so I have a good chunk of cash saved for the future.”

Omaze, which launched in the US in 2012, raffled a second property in Blakeney, a £6 million home, to raise funds for Comic Relief earlier this year. The winner is however yet to get the keys, because of a planning row with North Norfolk District Council.

It came after an anonymous member of the public lodged a complaint to the authority saying the house had not been built to the approved designs. Despite the hitch, local businesses believe the publicity Omaze has shone on Blakeney has been a boost for the area.

Tallulah Darby, 21, who works at a family-run fishing stall in the town called it a “hidden gem”. Speaking to the BBC, she said the competition had “definitely brought in so many more people around the area".

Tallulah says at least two members of her own family even bought a ticket, admitting it was the kind of home they “would never dream of being able to own”. She added: “It's quite amazing, because you only ever think of those competitions happening in places like Cornwall, Devon or London.”

Fellow business owner James Player also believes the raffles have highlighted Blakeney. The 41-year-old already felt “very lucky” to live on the coast.

James, who rents out holiday homes on the coast, says the publicity that comes with the raffles has helped to showcase “the beauty of the area”. He praised the competition for “getting people living in houses”.

The company director told the BBC: “You have these beautiful drone shots over the salt marsh and things like that, which people are gonna really like and really draw people in.”

Having launched in the US 13 years ago, Omaze says it donates at least 17 percent to good causes. Its latest draw, to win a £4 million home in Sussex, ends at midnight on June 29.