Home Deal News Article
A couple say their lives have changed forever after winning a £2.5-million cliff-top home on the Kent coast - in a raffle!
The lucky pair are now the proud owners of a stunning beachfront home in Kingsdown, near Deal, which has been likened to a James Bond lair and comes with its own tunnelled underground corridor.
It sits just 90 feet from the edge of the cliff and is called The Gunnery, as the site was once home to a World War Two gun emplacement built to protect Britain from a German invasion in the English Channel.
A property previously on the plot was demolished after planning permission was secured in 2015 for an ultra-modern rebuild.
The new 9,000 sq ft home now boasts a series of eye-catching features, including a tunnel at the base of the cliff leading to a glass lift, which is used to access the property.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offer spectacular views of the White Cliffs of Dover, and even France on a clear day, while the biggest of four bedrooms has its own lounge area and a spa-like bathroom.
Other impressive features include a sea-facing rooftop terrace, a hot tub and a state-of-the-art kitchen with an integrated - and fully-stocked - bar.
The home was up for grabs as part of a raffle by Omaze, with thousands across the country buying entries into the draw, which also raised £750,000 for charity.
A couple from the Midlands - Jade and her unnamed partner - scooped the top prize, as well as £50,000 cash, and three days later travelled down to Kent to have a look around their new home.
"It's going to be life-changing," Jade said.
"It's beyond our wildest dreams. There will never be quite enough words to describe how this whole experience has felt to me and my family.
"I never thought this could happen to us. I can't believe it.
"I'm actually physically shaking because it's unbelievable."
Looking out over the Kent coast, she added: "You don't get these views at home."
The property was built by American couple Garfield and Vanessa Spencer.
They lived in the US and used the house as a holiday home before deciding to sell it, with it listed for £6 million in 2019.
Mr Spencer previously told the Telegraph: 'We wanted to build something special.
'We have four children, and they love going down in the lift and running across the lane to the beach. We love watching them on the sand from the terrace.'
The property was marketed by Strutt and Parker, which described it as a "real James Bond-type house".
An agent added: "You park your car, walk through an underground tunnel and get a lift up through the cliff, which takes you up to the house at the top.
"While it is located near to the cliff edge, [erosion is not an issue as] the sea doesn't come to the bottom of the cliffs, stopping well back of it."
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