Real Winner Story: “I’m free!” – 12 months on and still living the dream

After moving in just over a year ago, on the very day they were handed the keys, Gillian and Mark’s picture-perfect life in their luxurious $2.2 million Sunshine Coast home still looks remarkably like a Prize Home brochure. 

“We didn't move any furniture in at all. It was the perfect situation for us – renting all those years and then having a house all of our own, and one that we really, really liked,” Gillian said.

“We're still pinching ourselves. We’re still living the dream,” she laughed.

Having never owned their own home before the win, the couple truly appreciate every detail of the stunning hilltop property they now call home.

“I love the way you can just pull into the garage and straight into the Butler’s pantry to put the groceries away – that is just the best! 

“And I’ve never had a laundry that's on the same level as the house. All my laundries have either been underneath the house or stepped down to the laundry, whereas now I just walk straight through the kitchen and into the laundry and it's done.

“Oh, and the bed in the main bedroom, it's just to die for. I still get in there every night and go, “God, I love this bed.””

In another stroke of luck, of all the Endeavour Foundation Prize Homes they could have won – from the Gold Coast to Maleny in the Sunshine Coast hinterland – their new home is just a short drive from where the Sunshine Coast locals raised their family and where their grown-up children still live. 

“It’s only 15-minutes to Bli Bli to see our kids, so it's perfect where we are,” Gillian said.

The couple’s new Little Mountain location is also just ten minutes from Caloundra’s family-friendly beaches – so close in fact, that they can hear it.

“On a quiet night we can actually hear the waves of the ocean,” Gillian said.

So how has life changed for the couple now that they’ve spent a year at their spectacular new address?

“Oh, it’s a lot easier – I’m free!” Gillian laughed. 

“I've got free time to be able to do what I want, when I want,” she explained.

“I'm not working, so I'm more available to my family and I can help my kids out with the grandkids on school holidays. Or if any of the kids are sick, I can have them. And my mum's 83, so if she needs anything I can go and do that too.”

School holiday beach trips are now a regular event for Gillian when the grandkids come to visit.

“I generally take them down to Kings Beach because there's the pool there as well. And there's a lovely little coffee shop along there, so we go and get some hot chips, and I have a coffee.”

Gillian’s husband Mark is also enjoying an easier pace of life.

“He’s cut back some of his days at work as well. His favourite thing is pottering around the garden. I don't know how many Bunnings hats and gloves we've gone through!” she laughed.

“But he still loves his media room – if that door is shut, I know where he is.”

Another change for Gillian and Mark is that their home is now the place to be for family gatherings, which is not surprising considering that the home is an entertainer’s dream. 

“All the family events and our birthdays are here now – so our next big one is the AFL Grand final. We've got about 30 people coming for that!”

“And Christmas was huge. It was the most beautiful day, and we opened all the doors onto the outdoor living area, which is still my favourite spot,” Gillian added.

“We were all in the swimming pool and the kids had free rein. We all sat in the outdoor living area and had lunch, and it was just an absolutely lovely day – everyone enjoyed themselves.” 

And while Gillian and Mark are quite settled for now and loving life in their half-acre hilltop retreat, there’s added comfort in knowing that they’re sitting on a multi-million-dollar asset that has already seen a significant rise in value.

“We've had a real estate agent come round just knocking on the door one day and he blew me away with how much he valued it at.

“He rings me every now and then and I say, “Not yet, we're not ready to sell” but he said we would have no problem at all when we do.”

In the meantime, Gillian’s plan is to “keep living the dream, touch wood.”

“We're still really enjoying the house – we're loving it. We'll probably still be here in two to three years’ time. 

“We've put the motorhome on hold for now. That’s one of the things on my bucket list, but we thought we'll enjoy here first, and then when it gets too big and too much, we’ll probably sell it, get something smaller, and do a bit of travelling.” 

However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the couple’s love of visiting each new Endeavour Foundation Prize Home and buying their tickets in person. 

“We love popping in to see the girls. We were at the one at Mountain Creek a couple of weeks ago, and when we were at the Diddillibah Prize Home, a lady came up and said that one of the girls told her we were past winners, so she said, “Can I rub up against you for good luck?”” 

Gillian is indeed very aware of just how lucky they were to get that life changing phone from Endeavour Foundation HQ. 

“I mean, we've never had anything like this before, so we really do appreciate it. We're still very, very happy. And if we win another one, well, that's a bonus,” she laughed.

Could you be our next Prize Home winner?

Just like it did for Gillian and mark, all it takes is one ticket to change your life! Buy your Endeavour Foundation Prize Home Lottery tickets today and you too could be living the dream!

Buy Tickets

When you purchase lottery tickets from Endeavour Foundation, you help to provide opportunities for people with disability to learn life skills, live independently, find a job they love, and be actively involved in their local communities.