That's a fare prize! Ex-cabbie, 21, swaps one-bed council flat for £4m Omaze beachside home plus £250,000 cash - and he's already thinking about whether to sell it

Daily Mail​

11-07-2025

A former cabbie has swapped a one-bed council flat for a £4million beachside home - for just £25.
James Moughton, 71, won the keys to a luxurious beachside property in West Sussex in the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw.
He has now swapped his modest, cramped accommodation in Hull for panoramic sea views - and declared it 'the best tip I've ever had!'
The 71-year-old will also have 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.
The cabbie spent 20 years driving in Hull and has also been given a whopping £250,000 in cash to help him settle in.
Mr Moughton, who bought his £4million 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 he 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.
He lives in his one-bedroom council flat in Hull, has two children, daughter Katie,28, and son Michael, 29, and a grandson, Kasper, three.
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 a grandchild - they're all over the moon for me. I can't wait to have the family come and stay - every day 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 £4million 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.'
The 71-year-old 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 grandchild were the best days of my life, but winning this place is running it close.'
The retired cabbie says the new house and money will 'change his life forever' and be a 'generational legacy' for his family.
The 71-year-old revealed what he'd been doing prior to his big win: 'I was having such an uneventful and boring week before Omaze turned up'
He said: 'I've no idea what I'll do long-term yet - but if I do decide to sell up and cash in, the money from the sale will change the lives of my family forever.
'Living on a pension, you're always watching the pennies. But now, for the first time in my life, I don't have to worry about money ever again - it'll be ice cold beers on the sun lounger from now on.'
His striking beachside residence offers an enticing combination of contemporary luxury living and standout architectural features, including high ceilings, a feature fireplace, statement glazed roof and floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto south-facing terraces.
The main residence provides a spacious layout with three reception rooms, including a first-floor living room with an integrated bar area offering breathtaking sea views.
The expansive, triple-aspect kitchen features a central island breakfast bar and high-end appliances from Neff, Siemens, Bosch and Caple, with a separate utility room nearby.
Outside, the property offers a south-facing garden, multiple terraces, an outdoor kitchen with an Ooni pizza oven and BBQ area, as well as a wood-surround Skargards hot tub.
There is also a boathouse, an outdoor shower and private, gated access directly from the garden onto the pebble beach.
A detached, self-contained guest studio with a bedroom and en suite bathroom sits above a double garage, which even includes a heated dog shower.
Just a short walk away, East Preston and Rustington offer a range of shops, cafes and wine bars. Angmering station, a little over a mile from the property, provides direct trains to London Victoria in around 90 minutes.
A few miles north lies the South Downs National Park, with extensive walking and cycling routes, including the famous South Downs Way.
As well as making him a multimillionaire, the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Sussex, raised £4.1 million for the MND Association.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a fatal, rapidly progressing neurological disease that affects the brain and spinal cord.
It affects how people walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Around 5,000 people are living with MND in the UK at any one time.
The MND Association is the only national charity in England, Wales and Northern Ireland focused on improving access to care, research and campaigning for those people living with or affected by MND.
The money raised will allow the Association to fund 24 MND research nurses for 28 months, ensuring sustained, high-quality research-led care bringing hope to families affected by MND.
These nurses will open doors to clinical trials and research, offering people with MND a chance to be part of important breakthroughs.
Tanya Curry, Chief Executive at the MND Association said: 'It's hard to put into words just how much the incredible amount raised means to all of us-it represents a real beacon of hope for the whole MND community.
'Since our partnership with Omaze began in May more than 300 people will have been told they have MND and at the same time they will have been told there is no treatment, there is no cure.
'The money raised will help us change that. Your generosity will help us rewrite what it means to be diagnosed with MND and start a revolution in MND research.
'This amazing partnership really will change lives.'
James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: 'Everyone at Omaze is thrilled that James has won this beautiful beachside house in Sussex, whilst also contributing to the massive £4.1 million raised for the MND Association.
'Omaze offers people the chance to win spectacular houses, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn't normally reach.
'We're immensely proud that the Omaze Community has now raised over £97 million for good causes across the UK.'
Draw entries for the latest Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Cheshire are available now at omaze.co.uk. The Grand Prize Draw closes on Sunday 27th July 2025 for online entries and Tuesday 29th July 2025 for postal entries.