Second chance to own Sunshine Coast prize home
Overwhelmed by their multimillion-dollar win, the owners kept renting in Western Sydney and working fulltime as weighbridge operators.
The contemporary four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 278 Mooloolaba Rd, Buderim, was the major prize in a Surf Life Saving Lottery drawn in September 2024.
Dubbed, 'Hilltop Haven', the prize was valued at $2m including furnishings. The property last sold for $1.8m in 2023.
It is marketed by McGrath agents Glenn McIntosh and Chris Pace and will go under the hammer on May 24.
Winners Mana and Tracy Raeina, of Liverpool, said they were stunned to learn they had won, at first thinking the news was a prank.
'When we first walked through the doors to the beautiful home and the awesome view it was really overwhelming for me and the family,' Mr Raeina said.
'I've been in Sydney for a very long time where the traffic is so heavy, everyone is in a rush and you never have time to even have a conversation with anyone.
'It is a totally different atmosphere on the Sunshine Coast. The location and the beach are so beautiful and the people are laidback.'
But despite the appeal, the family continued their old lives while they pondered what to do, eventually deciding to return to their native Cook Islands to enjoy an early retirement.
'My wife and I, we had our dreams already planned and we decided to sell the house. We wanted to build a home back in the islands and doing a 9 to 5 job would take us a very long time to get there.
'It will be a lifestyle that my family and I have been looking forward to for a very long time, and we are definitely ready to retire.'
Mr McIntosh said the owners were a devout family who had invited their pastor to the home, where they engaged in prayer for guidance following their incredible win.
'They are very simple people who have never experienced this sort of wealth before,' Mr McIntosh said.
He described Buderim as a 'jewel' of the stunning Sunshine Coast.
'Up here, it is like a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle.'
The home on an elevated 782 sqm block has open-plan living zones flowing onto a large alfresco deck with a barbecue area and wide coastal views, overlooking the pool.
PropTrack data shows the median house price in Buderim was up 5.8 per cent to a median of $1.275m.
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