A young couple have described the “surreal” moment they won a custom houseboat worth £180,000 – after paying just £12 for a raffle ticket.
Unable to afford a flat in London, Louisa, 25, and partner Mike, 26, had been living on an old Dutch barge on the Thames for three years on a rolling contract that could end at any time.
But with the home put on the market by the owner, they were painfully aware that their lodgings could be taken away at any moment.
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One day, while searching online for help fixing sewage and plumbing problems, Louisa spotted an Instagram ad that would change her life.
A campervan and boat prize draw company called Marwood Makes was offering the chance to win a custom houseboat – it felt like “fate” was calling out to her.
The couple bought three tickets between them at £12 a pop, as they half-jokingly told friends and colleagues that they were set to win.
Speaking of the moment the lucky winners received the news, Louisa said: “We were so overjoyed as it dawned on us that we would have a real home – it was really emotional and felt surreal.
“Especially being our age and struggling with rent and finding a place in London.
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“We don’t normally enter competitions but I felt like it was meant to be.
“I put the date of the live draw in my diary and on the day told everyone at work that I’d be winning a boat.
“They all rolled their eyes.
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“But that night, when they read the numbers out on the social media live prize draw, I saw Mike’s face drop.
“I thought he was pulling my leg at first but then they read my name out.
“We couldn’t believe it, and everyone at work lost it the next day too!
“It wasn’t just one of those million-pound houses with pools that you see advertised by other companies – it was exactly what we needed and wanted in a home.
“Everyone deserves a home and to be able to have security in where we live and not pay loads of rent.
“We are so blessed.
“We moved into the boat last month after spending a year designing it with the team, but it still hasn’t hit us.”
Before their win, Louisa and Mike, who is a writer, were – like so many others – at risk of being priced out of the capital and forced with a potential decision to uproot their lives in search of accommodation in cheaper cities.
Louisa said: “After meeting at university, we both moved home – me to my parents in the city and Mike to his family home in Essex – while we looked for a place in London.
“The prices made it impossible to find anywhere.
“We heard from a friend about a houseboat that was for sale, which would have a reduced rental price while they waited to find a buyer.
“Boat life involves a lot of ups and downs, especially in the winter and with an older boat, but we fell in love with living on the water.
“It was heartbreaking that the boat was being sold and we’d have people coming in constantly to view it.
“We were on a two-month rolling contract, so we knew we could be turfed out at any time.
“We would have either moved back with our parents or looked outside of London, but both of us work in the city and needed to be here.”
Thankfully, these worries are now in the past.
The couple worked with Mollie and Jason of Marwood Makes to create ‘Winnie’ the houseboat.
They were able to choose colours, layout details, fixtures and fittings themselves.
The boat boasts a main bedroom, a secondary bedroom used as an office, a bathroom, and an open plan kitchen/living room.
In December 2024, the project was finished as Louisa, Mike and their adopted cats, Claude and Betty, moved into their forever home.
Louisa said: “The process of working with the team was really brilliant.
“We got to know Mollie and Jason and they really care about people and making things happen for them.
“It felt really personalised and to be able to design your home in the way that you want – it’s almost unheard of.
“It’s a really special competition that they have put so much care into.
“It feels very surreal to now be living here.
“I still have my notebooks full of sketches from planning this.
“I’m only 25 and getting to live in such a beautiful place is a bit mad.
“We’ve just started settling in but we’re already noticing that the winter doesn’t seem challenging like it was on our last boat.
“Everything is new and really well-built – the quality is amazing.”
The pair, who have a mooring in London that they pay for at a fraction of the cost of their previous rent, even have the option of travelling in their new home.
Louisa added: “As part of the competition, we were also taught how to drive Winnie.
“We’re thinking of taking the boat around the south of the UK this summer.
“Looking to the future, being able to have a home and not be stressed about rent means we can also save for other things – maybe even starting a family one day.”
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