4 minute read  •  Winners' Stories

Would $825,000 Be Enough Dough to Change Your Life?

Lottery 838 Winner Story

While standing amidst fresh baked loaves and hamburger buns, Helen, from the Sunshine Coast hinterland, discovered that she had won a luxury apartment worth enough dough to change her life.

Helen was in the bakery department of her local IGA supermarket when she received the call to tell her that she had won a new luxury waterfront apartment at Birtinya valued at over $825,000 in Endeavour Foundation’s Ultimate Life Changer Lottery.

“We have been supporting the Endeavour Foundation for years, but we didn’t expect to win. It was a very nice surprise!” Helen said.

The win will help Helen and her husband Tom, both in their 70s, move from their large acreage property, situated just outside of Maleny, to something smaller and more manageable.

Thursday 21 November 2024

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“We need to downsize from the house we are living in now. I’ve got two horses and two very lively dogs and the thought of finding somewhere suitable, and selling this place at the same time, was just too daunting.

“So, I have been buying lotto tickets thinking if I won, we’d have a bit of a cushion – we’d be able to start buying something and then sell this place later.

“I didn’t win lotto, but we won Endeavour Lotteries!” she laughed.

Now that Helen’s amazing win has ticked off the first step in her masterplan, she will be wasting no time in following through with the next steps to make the move.

“Our plan is to sell the unit as soon as the title is transferred into my name, and then we can start looking for another smaller property without feeling the hassle that we have to sell this.”

“It’s a miracle really that we are going to be able to do that,” she said.

“Especially this late in life,” Tom added.

With the Sunshine Coast property market booming and unit prices rising at a record pace, the timing to sell the apartment couldn’t be better. Valued at well over $800,000 in mid 2021, only time will tell just what the fully furnished apartment will fetch when Helen is ready to sell. 

“Even the price it was last July would be good but if we get more than that it would be fantastic,” Helen said.

Part of the newly completed Curve development, on the shores of Lake Kawana, the four-bedroom waterfront apartment is sure to tick a lot of boxes for buyers with a luxury fit-out, including high quality appliances, four generous bedrooms, and a north facing aspect with stunning water views. Residents can also enjoy the lap pool, spa, sauna, gym and outdoor entertaining areas, not to mention, direct access to the lake.

“We went down last week and sat there and thought how lovely and peaceful it was. And we’ll go down again and probably take a book and a packed lunch. We’re not staying there though because we’ve got two dogs and two horses so it’s too hard, and we’re trying to keep it pristine for sale.”

Helen’s long association with Endeavour Foundation began about twenty years ago when she was living close to Endeavour’s Learning and Lifestyle Centre in North Ward in Townsville.

“I remember seeing the people there and thinking that would be a very good charity to support because they seem to be doing good things,” she said.

“So, I just started supporting them from then. I think it was the very first charity we started to support.”

As an Endeavour Foundation Star Supporter, Helen is automatically entered into 31 prize draws each year including seven Prize Home lotteries and five Ultimate Life Changer lotteries.

“I can’t remember how long I have been a Star Supporter,” Helen said.

“I used to get phone calls and always say yes, so in the end it was just simpler to be a Star Supporter and have it done automatically.”

Once they are finally settled in their new down-sized home, Helen and Tom are looking forward to being able to pay their good fortune forward.

“It does mean that when we buy something new that we will have the money from this house to do some good with,” she said.

“We can actually help people out, we can support more charities, and we can help family and friends.”

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