Moving tribute as 888,246 poppies are scattered around Millionaire Mansion
The owners of a £2.3m Devon mansion being offered as a competition prize have scattered 888,246 poppies around their home as part of a Remembrance Day tribute.
Silhouettes of World War I soldiers have also been placed in the grounds of the property.
The number of poppies is equivalent to the number of British and Commonwealth servicemen killed in the conflict, most of them in the mud and horror of the fields in Flanders.
And a huge Remembrance drape now adorns the house which is the star attraction of the competition.
Many weeks have been spent planning the stunning display.
The owners of the house have family connections with the Royal British Legion and are raising money for the Help For Heroes charity through their competition.
In previous years they have fund raised in France, where they have many friends, as well as the UK.
They decided to decorate the house as a final tribute before they move on to pastures new.
“My father-in-law was a black cab driver and was trained by the Royal British Legion School and so we are indebted to the charity,” said the owner.
“We wanted to do something different with this being the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.
“A friend of ours who owns a signs business helped with the artwork and drape, and the result is simply stunning.. Standing back and admiring it for the first time brought a lump to my throat.”
“We will be framing a print so that the winner of the competition will have something to look back on.”
As well as becoming the proud new owner of the house, one lucky person will also be handed the keys to a Rolls Royce, £50,000 cash and enough money to pay a gardener and a housekeeper for a year.
To be in with a chance of winning, those taking part have to buy a ticket for just £10.50 and answer a skill-based multiple choice question.
Situated in a mid-Devon hamlet near Tiverton, the property features a sweeping driveway, 10 acres of immaculately landscaped grounds, three-hole golfing greens, a separate leisure complex with a swimming pool and gym and a self-contained apartment with its own garden.
Furnishings, fixtures and fittings, and even a tractor and quad bike, are all included. Alongside hundreds of bottles of wine, all the electrical goods and a fully equipped kitchen, the owners are even leaving a stock of 600 spare light bulbs for every lamp and fitting in the house.
The owners, who built the property in the early 90s, are moving on and decided to offer the ‘Millionaire Mansion’ as a prize as a way of selling their home that also raises money for charity.
"We’ve had some wonderful times in the house, which we designed and built ourselves,” said the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous.
"However, we have two grandchildren who live four hours' drive away and we want to be closer to them.
"We thought that selling the house through a competition would be a fun thing to do and would mean we could raise money for some of our favourite charities.
"We don’t want the hassle of moving everything out. We just want to walk out with our clothes, personal possessions and family photos. That also means the winner has a ready-made home to walk into."
With £2 from every ticket sold going to charity, including Help For Heroes, tickets cost just £10 (plus a 50p booking fee per transaction) and are available to buy at millionairemansion.co.uk.
David Gibson, of Whitton & Laing estate agents and chartered surveyors, who viewed the property, said: “It’s an incredible property right in the heart of the West Country. The main house and the grounds have been immaculately cared for. You could move straight in and start enjoying a luxurious lifestyle from day one.
“The winner will have plenty to think about. This could be someone’s magical family home, a stunning holiday estate, a secret weekend retreat, a sport lovers’ play-thing or the ultimate party house to enjoy with friends.”
Upstairs, the house boasts four large en-suite bedrooms. The master suite features a dressing room, sitting room area and bathroom with large whirlpool and mood-lit bath.
The separate leisure complex has an indoor heated swimming pool, with doors leading to a paved patio area, a gym, changing rooms, shower and WC.
Outside there is also a detached four-car garage with a separate apartment above.
The secluded property is fully secured with electric gates, to both the main and tradesman’s entrance, CCTV and an alarm system.
The winner will be able to unpack their things and immediately enjoy a luxurious lifestyle. There is nothing stopping the new owner enjoying the house for a while, along with the Rolls Royce and £50,000 cash, with staff on hand for a year, and then selling it to cash in.
As well as the main Millionaire Mansion prize, there are also nine runner-up prizes of £10,000 each. For a chance of winning, entrants need to go to millionairemansion.co.uk and successfully answer a multiple-choice question. The aim is to sell 500,000 tickets, with a maximum of 1 million available. The competition runs until November 30, 2019.
