Looking for a £1.7m mansion? Here’s one that could cost you just £25…
A mother is offering her £1.7 million six-bedroom Georgian mansion, with a ninehole golf course and 32 acres, as a competition prize.
Donna Pirie, 54, hopes sales of £25 tickets for her home, Johnston Lodge, in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, will raise £1m for charity.
The fully-furnished home was built in 1780 and comes complete with snooker table, wine cellar, hot tub and log-burning stove.
The house boasts four reception rooms, six en-suite bedrooms, two cloakrooms, tennis courts and a helicopter landing pad, plus a gym – and a half-mile-long private drive with electric gates.
For the first year there is also the bonus of a fully-paid housekeeper and groundsmen.
The prize even covers the first year of utility bills, stamp duty and £2,000 towards solicitor fees.
Entrants for the draw need to complete a Christmas-themed crossword and pay £25.
Some £5 from each ticket will go towards The Yard, a charity that runs adventure play services for youngsters with disabilities and their families in the east of Scotland.
Ms Pirie bought the home eight years ago but decided it was too big for her after her children Lauren, 28, and Hollie, 31, moved out.
She said: “I just thought that I have the chance to do something for charity here.
“If you get an opportunity to make a difference then it makes life worthwhile. My kids had moved out and I obviously considered selling the place but I changed my mind.
“I wasn’t really sure what to do. I then saw a story down in England about a man who raffled off his property.”
Every bedroom in the home is en-suite with a bespoke kitchen including a host of appliances.
Cash paid through the entries will mean Ms Pirie will recoup the value of her home and furnishings before any excess is given away through donations.
She added: “I had the idea that I could do a prize competition and also help out a charity. It’s all being done with good intentions.”
Ms Pirie is hoping for 150,000 entries before the competition closing date on 1 December, which would mean she will be able to hand at least £1m over to The Yard.
If she receives fewer than 150,000 entries, she will then decide whether to reformat the competition to offer only cash as prizes, rather than her home. The website has so far had thousands of visitors looking to put their name in for the luxurious property. The draw will be made on 3 December.