A couple is raffling off a house in England to travel the world with their children

It all started as a whimsical idea that occurred to Daniel Leigh after an idyllic trip to the United States: sell his family's five-bedroom home in England and travel the world with his wife, Lauren Vaknine, and their two children.

So she was surprised when, a few months later, Vaknine and her children, Braxton, 10, and Viva, 7, agreed to go along with the plan.

“We're not really travelers,” Leigh said. “We've always seen others travel.”

When they returned from their trip to the United States in March, they realized that other people had successfully raffled off their homes on the British website Raffall. The online platform raffles off everything from cars to houses, including one man who promoted his home to Americans last year as a “Trump safe haven.” The couple decided to try it too.

The house is located just 20 minutes from London in Elstree.

(Lux Visuals Ltd.)

In June, they put their house in Elstree, about 20 minutes outside of London, as the prize in an online raffle and began selling tickets for £5 each, or $6.75.

“While someone new is making memories at our house, we can go and make some of our own,” said Leigh, who has worked in educational recruitment in London for more than 20 years.

Leigh came up with the idea after reading a New York Times article about Imelda Collins, who raised about $1.4 million last year by raffling off her two-bedroom cottage in Ireland. He sold 206,815 tickets at $6.70 each, and in October, Collins sold his cabin to Kathleen Spangler, a 29-year-old U.S. Marine Corps officer from Dayton, Ohio, who had bought three tickets on a whim and quickly forgotten about them.

Leigh and Vaknine, both 42, grew up in the same town and went to high school together.

But after their family trip to New Orleans; Asheville, North Carolina; and South Carolina places Charleston, Folly Beach and Lake Keowee began to wonder if they wanted to stay in the same city forever. Kayaking and seeing the beauty of Appalachia made them rethink their lives.

An open kitchen with white countertops and green cabinets.

A living room with sliding doors, wooden floors and white stairs.

“Living on a lake was the most peaceful life I've ever had,” Leigh said. “It was perfect. In England, kids spend most of their time indoors because of the weather, and we have to keep them busy with things like trampolines or indoor parks. Each family outing costs about $300. You can't just go to the lake, the beach, or hike in the mountains.”

Leigh said they worked hard to build the life they thought they wanted, with two children, their dog and a home. But after achieving professional success, they realized it was not the future they expected.

“We continue to pursue goals that always seem out of reach, simply because we feel like we have to keep going,” he said. “There's so much life to live. We're watching a lot of our parents and our friends' parents pass away, and it makes you realize that life can feel like a conveyor belt. You either live or you just move on.”

For Vaknine, a holistic wellness coach who was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 2, selling his house and traveling the world has even deeper meaning.

“I've come a long way,” said Vaknine, who has been in remission for the past decade. “From being disabled through and through to being fully capable, you don't get past that without realizing that there's so much more to life than working, taking the kids to school, and making dinner in the same house every day. For me, the extraordinary life isn't about mansions, yachts, or extravagances. It's about experiencing life fully, finding deep inner joy, and I can't do that if I stay within the same four walls in the same city I grew up in.”

Her husband added: “She lives a life of gratitude for everything. That's what it's all about: Let's live life in the moment and do what we can when we are fully capable.”

Their five-bedroom home, valued at about $2 million, sits on a quiet cul-de-sac alongside just five other homes in Hertfordshire, England. It has 2,226 square feet of living space, a south-facing garden, an open kitchen, a living and dining room renovated in 2021, plus a home office and gym.

Leigh said they are not trying to turn a profit, but they need to sell 550,000 tickets to cover ownership costs, legal fees, taxes, prize money and raffle expenses.

“The banknote target has been set to cover all associated costs, so it is unlikely there will be much left,” he said. “If ticket sales exceed the target, then certainly, but that is not the target.”

If they don't reach the entry goal, a winner will still be chosen and get 50% of the money raised. They hope the winner gets the house.

A bathroom with colorful floral wallpaper.

A bedroom converted into a gym painted blue with gym equipment.

One reason homes aren't auctioned frequently on the site, he said, is that you have to market them yourself. Leigh estimates they've spent about $17,000 so far and are about to spend another $15,000 on meta advertising. They also have to pay for their own legal advice.

The giveaway has become a family project, and his children have helped with the promotion. In one video, Braxton asks what might be the most important question about her move: “Are we bringing the dog?”

“We might have to leave him with the family for a while,” Leigh said of her dog Story. “He's the size of a small pony, so traveling with him could be a challenge. However, he will definitely be missed.”

Working together to promote their home has been a valuable lesson for her children, Leigh said, showing them “that if you set your mind to something, you can do it. I want them to see the hard work. It's not just fun to make videos. It's staying up until midnight, getting up early, working two jobs and making sure you don't miss an interview. And in the end, the kids will see that life can change, and that there is a world out there if you make it happen.”

A family of four stands outside near a stream.

The children aren't worried about losing their home, Leigh said. “They are excited about going on vacation, which we hope will include Australia, India and all the states in the United States.”

With a record number of Americans applying for British citizenship, the couple's draw may be timely. The winner, chosen at random by Raffall on December 7, will get a mortgage-free home with all legal fees and taxes paid, plus $45,000 for household bills. Transfer of ownership may take up to 60 days or more depending on Raffall's terms and conditions.

Part of each ticket sale will go to Solace Women's Aid, a British charity supporting women and children affected by domestic violence. Leigh notes that not all states can participate in Raffall competitions due to different state laws on gambling, lottery, and consumer protection.

At a time when many people are trying to choose between traveling or saving for a home, the couple is offering giveaway participants the chance to do both.

That's the point, Leigh said: “If not now, when? That question changed everything.”

You may also like...