A DAD who thought he’d never own a home again after selling his family’s house nearly a decade ago has just won £500,000 to buy his dream farmhouse – all thanks to a £5 raffle ticket he entered without telling his wife.
Nathan Bayliss, 46, had spent the past eight years renting after making the tough decision to sell their home and relocate across Wales for better job prospects.
“We gave up our home thinking we’d get back on the ladder again,” said Nathan, a Yard Manager and Slinger Signaller.
“But house prices just kept going up, and the wages where we live are so low – it became impossible.
“We were lost, really. I didn’t think we’d ever own again.”
The father-of-two describes feeling “completely stuck” as the housing market accelerated beyond reach, a situation made worse by his low-income area being a holiday hotspot, pushing local prices even higher.
“It’s just not affordable where we are. Wages are low, and the area’s so popular with tourists that it drives everything up.”
Then came a glimmer of hope in the form of a Facebook post.
Drawn in by heartwarming stories of real people winning homes, Nathan entered a prize draw from Tramway Path, a competition company run by brothers Jason, Will, and Daniel Twenefour.
He quietly bought a single £5 ticket – without telling his wife.
“I’m into property anyway – I’m always scrolling Rightmove, just dreaming,” he said.
“I came across the raffle and loved how realistic it was – it wasn’t some fantasy prize, it was something people like me could genuinely win.”
So when the phone rang with the life-changing news, Nathan’s reaction was understandably explosive.
“I was shell-shocked. I was jumping up and down shouting, ‘We’ve got a house!’” he recalled.
“My wife looked at me and said, ‘They’re having you on – go and calm yourself down.’ The kids believed her too.
“Who would believe something like that? It felt like a blessing.”
It wasn’t until the family saw the congratulatory comments online that they started to believe it was real.
“That’s when it clicked with my wife,” he added. “We were all emotional. I nearly went.”
Nathan says he already knew exactly what he wanted; a four-bed detached farmhouse in a tiny hamlet near his current job in rural Wales.
“We did try to look at newer homes – we were trying to be sensible – but nothing felt right,” he said
“Then we saw this one with history and character and just fell in love. It had two chimneys, a double garage, a driveway. It’s perfect.
“We won’t be moving again. This is our forever home.”
The property is located just nine miles from Nathan’s work, nestled in a quiet countryside community.
The news couldn’t have come at a more ironic moment, Nathan had just been revising for a health and safety course to try and improve his salary.
“I was doing it to earn more so we could maybe buy in future – then the phone rang,” he said.
“It’s mad how life turns.”
Now mortgage-free and days away from completing the purchase, Nathan is overwhelmed with gratitude.
“For any bloke trying to provide for his family, this is the dream – to give them a home where they feel safe and secure,” he said.
“It’s not just the prize. It’s what it means.
“It feels like the community gave us this gift – almost like they crowdfunded a miracle. I’ll never forget that.”
And for Nathan, it’s more than just keys to a new house; it’s reclaiming a dream he thought had slipped away.
“I used to scroll through houses just to dream. Now we’re going to live in one, and not just any house, but the one we always hoped for,” he said.
“It’s more than a home. It’s getting our future back.”
