What Happens if You Win an Omaze House? Tax, Bills and Selling

What happens immediately after you win?

Omaze contacts winners by phone first, then by email, before any public announcement is made. Omaze carries out standard checks at this stage — confirming identity, age, UK residency and that you meet the entry criteria set out in the draw’s official rules. The detail of that process sits in Omaze’s own Experience Rules for each draw, since it can vary slightly between campaigns.

Once you’re confirmed as the winner, the property handover follows a standard conveyancing process:

1. Solicitors acting for both Omaze and the winner handle the transfer
2. Any outstanding searches or surveys on the property are completed
3. Title transfers at HM Land Registry
4. Keys are handed over once the legal process completes

Omaze does not publish a fixed completion timetable. A straightforward UK conveyancing transaction typically takes eight to twelve weeks once the winner is confirmed, sometimes longer if searches raise issues. You do not get the keys the day after the announcement.

Does Omaze cover the tax and legal costs?

Yes. Omaze’s own FAQ states that it pays the winner’s Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) “irrespective of the winner’s circumstances,” and covers the reasonable direct costs of taking ownership, such as conveyancer’s fees (omaze.co.uk, as of July 2026). This matters, because a lot of commentary about Omaze wrongly assumes the winner has to find tens of thousands of pounds in tax before they can accept the house.

To put a figure on what that’s worth: SDLT on a £750,000 property bought outright in England currently works out at roughly £27,500 if it would be your only home, or around £65,000 if you already own another property and the additional-property surcharge applies (gov.uk, Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates, as of July 2026). Omaze meets that bill — not the winner.

Winning the house itself is not subject to income tax. HMRC treats one-off prize and competition winnings as windfall gains rather than income, so there is no income tax charge on receipt (HMRC Business Income Manual, BIM100100 onwards).

What is the £250,000 settling-in payment for?

Every Grand Prize winner also receives a minimum of £250,000 in cash alongside the house (Omaze FAQ, July 2026). Omaze says this figure is set with reference to the likely running costs of the specific property — based on its 2024–25 draws, Omaze puts typical annual running costs for one of its houses at £20,000 to £40,000, covering utility bills, council tax, and any cleaning, maintenance or gardening the property needs.

This settling-in payment is separate from any cash alternative that some draws offer instead of the house itself. Whether a particular draw offers a cash alternative, and at what amount, varies — check that draw’s own rules rather than relying on a fixed figure.

What are the ongoing costs of keeping the property?

From the date of transfer, the winner is responsible for the day-to-day running of the property:

Ongoing cost	Notes
Council tax	Based on the property’s band and local authority rate
Buildings and contents insurance	Needed from the date you take ownership
Utilities	Gas, electricity, water
Maintenance, cleaning, gardening	Varies with the property’s size and grounds

The £250,000 settling-in sum is designed to offset these costs, not to cover them indefinitely. Even at the top of Omaze’s £20,000–£40,000 annual running-cost range, that payment covers several years before a winner needs to fund the property from other income, from letting it, or from a sale.

What if you want to sell the property?

You are free to sell the property once it is transferred into your name. Because you acquire it as a prize rather than by purchase, HMRC treats your acquisition cost for Capital Gains Tax purposes as the property’s market value on the date of transfer (HMRC Capital Gains Manual, CG12920 and CG16330). Any taxable gain is measured from that value, not from zero.

If you live in the house as your only or main home, Private Residence Relief can reduce or remove the Capital Gains Tax due when you eventually sell — in the same way it would for any home, with the final nine months of ownership always counting even if you have since moved out (HMRC helpsheet HS283, Private Residence Relief). If you never live there and sell straight away, CGT applies to the full gain, less allowable costs such as agents’ and legal fees.

For complex or high-value situations, speak to a qualified tax adviser or a STEP-qualified professional before deciding whether to keep, let or sell. Our guide to the tax and costs of winning a house covers this in more depth.

Is there a simpler way to understand what you’re actually getting?

Strip out the SDLT and legal fees Omaze covers, and a Grand Prize win looks roughly like this:

• The house itself, at its market value on the transfer date
• A minimum £250,000 cash sum, intended to cover several years of running costs
• No Stamp Duty Land Tax or conveyancer’s fees to find yourself
• Ongoing council tax, utilities and insurance from day one, and potential Capital Gains Tax if you sell for a profit later

None of this makes winning a poor outcome — it is a genuinely substantial prize. But the version of the story where the winner is left to find tens of thousands of pounds in stamp duty does not match how Omaze’s UK draws currently work.

Every Omaze house draw also has a free postal entry route running alongside paid entries, so entering does not require a purchase. For how the wider draw mechanics work, including entry costs and the charity guarantee, see our Omaze review, and for details of the property currently up for grabs see win a house UK.