A dental technician is hoping to sell his home in Devon in a raffle – and raise money for a cancer charity, too.
With the slowdown in the housing market deterring buyers, Stephen Sickelmore and his wife, Caroline, are hoping to raise the £490,000 it was recently on the market for in an online draw.
And he’s ‘very confident’ they will meet their target.
Tickets cost £25 each, and the winner will also get other benefits including their stamp duty paid, legal fees and a contribution towards moving expenses, plus an up-front payment of 12 months’ council tax of £1,700 for the Band E property.
The five-year-old detached Summer Breeze is in Old Gatehouse Road, Dawlish, and comes with sea views, split-level design and three bathrooms. The couple have lived there since it was built.
Stephen, 49, who has been a dental technician for 32 years and works from home, said: ‘A total of 27,000 tickets are up for grabs at £25 apiece – the equivalent price of half a tank of petrol.
‘The market is absolutely hopeless so, about a year ago, we hit on the idea of running a competition with a stake of just £25.
‘Whoever draws the winning ticket, gets the house. We went into it thoroughly with the Gambling Commission to ensure it was all legal and above board, which means anyone entering has to answer three questions local to the area as part of the draw. There has to be an element of skill attached.’
The couple have also pledged that 3.6% of the prize fund – up to £25,000 – will be donated to the local Force cancer charity.
‘The charity means something to us. My wife’s mother died of leukaemia and they were there to help us,’ Stephen added.
The draw’s closing date is Friday 24 April.
If half the number of tickets are sold, there will be a cash prize draw and anything less that that, the couple will have to refund everyone, according to the terms and conditions.
But Stephen added: ‘I am very confident we will sell all the tickets. We have had a lot of local publicity and press coverage – and it’s also for a good cause.’
To find out more, visit the website, www.summerbreezecompetition.co.uk.
