'I won a stunning £2m house in Yorkshire on Omaze - this is why I've kept it'

Eliza Yahioglu, 57, received the best birthday present when she discovered she'd scooped the picturesque farmhouse near Harrogate in Yorkshire.

She had the option to either live in the house, rent it out or sell the beautifully renovated 17th century hillside mansion, but said she "instantly fell in love with it" and decided she was going to keep it.

She has now revealed how 'surreal' it feels every day - and how they have enjoyed a big family Christmas of 16 people since the win last August.

The family let their pals use the house and Eliza says her kids also bring home their uni friends to enjoy the palatial property. They are also planning on having people affected by blood cancer to come and stay at the house in between treatments.

The house, located close to the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, came mortgage free with all stamp duty and legal fees covered.

She was born in Yorkshire and is 'over the moon' to now own a home near her childhood roots after moving to London for work almost 40 years ago.

Eliza has been married to husband Gokhan for 30 years and the couple have two children, Carl, 24, who manages a bar - and Leyla, 21, who is studying biomedical science at the University of Sussex in Brighton.

Eliza said: "I can't believe it's been a year already, it feels like only yesterday - it's still sinking in now if I'm honest. I was on holiday celebrating my birthday when we found out - so many thoughts went running through my head when we got the video call to say we'd won the house.

''I just couldn't believe Jo from the Omaze TV adverts was standing outside my front door. 'I was convinced there must've been a mistake and they'd called the wrong person - then I started to realise something really big was happening - all of that in 30 seconds - it was crazy!

"My husband had a tough job topping that for my birthday this year - although the weekend in Stockholm was a lovely one. The ABBA museum almost swung it!"

On her new home she added: "The house is amazing, even nicer than it looked in pictures. 'As soon as I walked through the front door, it stopped being a house and immediately became our home.

''Although I still come downstairs some mornings and do a double take because I can't believe I'm actually standing in my kitchen, it's still very surreal at times. I've loved returning home to my Yorkshire roots, my accent definitely comes back stronger as soon as I hit the A1!

''It's so nice that my children get to have a genuine connection to the area where I grew up - that's been a wonderful experience. I've lived in London for almost 40 years, but I'm a proud Yorkshire lass at heart. Some of my family are still based up here.

''We'd always dreamed of having a place in Yorkshire one day, close to what I've always called home - now that dream has come true. We've loved having friends come up and stay with us, as well as letting them use it with their families too - it's a home that's built for sharing.

''We had 16 people here for Christmas, thank goodness it came with an Aga to cope with all the Yorkshire puddings. The kids have stayed here with all their friends from university - the house looked pristine after they'd left so they're welcome back anytime! We all just love it up here!

On the local community she said: "Everyone in the area has been so welcoming, we love all our neighbours, it's a real community up here. We absolutely adore the local pub The Queen's Head in Kettlesing - the landlords Louise and Glen are real legends, even giving us a lift home after a long lunch."

She added: "Winning something so valuable in bricks and mortar is brilliant - I joke that I'd have burned through the money if I'd won it in cash. This house is something we can all enjoy together as a family - and is a lasting legacy for my children - it's something that will help their futures.

''The win means I've already been able to help my son get on the property ladder. I'm also looking forward to retirement even more now.

"Some people I speak to say they thought Omaze was a scam, but I assure them and anyone else that it's definitely real. You've got to be in it to win it, and I wish everyone who enters the next Omaze House Draw in Yorkshire the best of luck."

The Omaze Million Pound House Draw also raised £1,950,000 for Blood Cancer UK.

She added: "It was very special to see how much was raised for Blood Cancer UK - it was such an incredible amount of money.

"We're planning on having people and families affected by blood cancer to come and stay at the house in-between treatments - they can have the place all to themselves and just get away from it all."

The £1,950,000 raised from the second partnership went to blood cancer researchers across the UK from the South to North West, helping to further develop research into hard-to-treat blood cancers.

This included research projects investigating treatment types that could be more effective and potentially less harmful, particularly for younger people.

Helen Rowntree, Chief Executive of Blood Cancer UK, said: "We're delighted that the Omaze Million Pound House Draw in Yorkshire raised a fantastic £1,950,000 for Blood Cancer UK.

"The money has now been invested into research via the Omaze x Blood Cancer UK Research Fund and it's allowing us to fund six projects all focused on developing kinder and less toxic treatments, giving hope to people with blood cancer.

''These projects include new ways to treat blood cancer in children. Thank you to everyone who has supported Blood Cancer UK and made this research possible through the Omaze Million House Pound House Draw!"

James Oakes from Omaze, said: "We're delighted that Eliza has settled into her new home and is loving life in her native Yorkshire.

"Omaze is a win-win for both charities and entrants. By offering incredible prizes, like the beautiful house in Yorkshire, we give people the chance to win amazing houses, while also introducing charities to audiences they wouldn't usually be able to reach. We're incredibly proud that the Omaze community has already raised over £56 million for good causes across the UK."

The latest draw guarantees that one lucky person will win a beautiful house in Yorkshire, worth over £2,500,000, along with £250,000 in cash.

The winner of the second Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Yorkshire, will get the keys to an 18th century Georgian country house boasting six-bedrooms, acres of gardens and a spa pool, as well as its own paddocks, stables and state-of-the-art equestrian facilities.