Omaze boss says UK doesn’t have enough nice homes for the competition – as he rejects ‘nonsense’ criticism
The boss of Omaze has warned there are not enough quality homes being built and he might have to start building his own to keep his competitions going.
Matthew Pohlson told The Telegraph that opposition to local housing developments, known as nimbyism, had made it “hard to build” all over the world.
“You look at the US, the UK, Australia, Germany, countries we’re either in or looking at going into – it’s the same patterns, the same thing is happening everywhere,” he told the newspaper.
“People don’t let go of these houses. And sometimes they haven’t been built. One hundred per cent, we need to be building more houses.”
He added: “If we can’t find the stuff [ticket buyers] want, we’ll have to get building.”
Omaze gives away one multimillion-pound house every month, with people paying a minimum of £10 to enter each draw and the company’s charity partners given a portion of the proceeds.
The house comes mortgage-free, with all legal fees and stamp duty paid. Furnishings are included, and winners also get £250,000 cash.
The company has faced controversy over the running costs of the homes, but Pohlson dismissed the suggestion that people couldn’t run them as “nonsense”.
“None of our winners have ever said I’m selling because I can’t afford to keep it,” he told The Telegraph. “They sell because the money they get is life-changing.”
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