Raffle for £500,000 Shropshire farmhouse reaches ticket sales target

The new owner of Shrubbery Farmhouse in Longnor will be announced at a draw in early February.

Hundreds of thousands of £2 tickets have been snapped up since homeowners Michael and Linda Chatha launched the contest, and the raffle has now raised in excess of the market value of the home.

It means they will not have to fall back on the terms and conditions to offer 90 per cent of the ticket sales value as the top prize, making it one of the most successful house raffles in UK history.

Any further costs raised will go towards the winner's stamp duty and legal fees, meaning they will have nothing to pay to have the property transferred into their name, and a 'significant donation' Michael and Linda have pledged to Hope House.

Michael said: "It's been a crazy week, we have been on the news twice and in most of the papers.

"What started as a crazy idea that was nearly scrapped before Christmas has attracted tens of thousands in just a matter of days.

"It means that some lucky person is going to get this house. A new life in the countryside, a fresh start, a new chapter. Someone that can enjoy the house and give it the love it deserves."

The unusual approach to selling their home came after Michael and Linda failed to find a buyer after putting it on the market with two estate agents.

The couple, who are now separated, have lived at the property for 17 years after falling in love with the Shropshire countryside on day trips with their eldest son, now 18.

The farmhouse itself has three bedrooms, one en-suite, three reception rooms, and is set in the heart of the countryside with private gardens. There is also a self-contained one-bedroomed annex with its own entrance.

Those who buy tickets can also increase their chances of winning by sharing the contest on social media to earn extra free entries – and the person who generates the most additional ticket sales through their shares will scoop a £5,000 prize.

In the summer of 2019 the home was valued at £545,000 by Balfours and £520,000 by Samuel Wood.

Michael said: "We are now closer to the finishing line than the start.

"We're already doing those last minute jobs that need doing, to ensure the new owners have nothing think about – getting the boiler serviced, a new sink for the kitchen, a new carpet for the living room and upstairs en suite too.

"Everything is already reasonably nice, but we want it to be perfect."

Tickets are on sale at winacountryhome.com until January 31, or until 500,000 tickets are sold.