Eco-home owners put their house up for raffle

IT is one of Cheltenham's most innovative buildings.

So it is fitting that the owners of the underground house at 12 Oxford Walk have come up with a unique way of selling it.

Tim and Zoe Bawtree have decided to give away their home in a competition.

The couple, whose trials and tribulations were broadcast to the nation on Channel 4's Grand Designs this year, wanted to create the perfect eco-home in their back garden.

But just six months after moving in they've decided to move out – and have come up with a novel way of beating the housing slump.

They are putting their house up as the grand prize in a competition open to the public.

Everyone who enters has to name the horse which won the Gold Cup at Cheltenham this year.

They then pay £25 to enter the competition and the winner gets the house.

The condition of sale is that enough people enter the competition to raise the £1 million price of the house.

Tim said: "We put the house on the market for three months and although we had interest and even buyers it did not sell.

"It's not the right time with a slump in the market and so we spent time researching other ways to make a sale.

"Friends and family thought we were crazy at first when we told them.

"It's not a lottery but a skill-based competition.

"We have employed professional services including solicitors to oversee the process and we are planning to announce the winner on January 1 next year."

The three-bedroom house has a wealth of advanced technological features, according to estate agent Savills Cheltenham.

It's been built using a highly-insulated polystyrene and concrete construction and is illuminated with a Rako wireless mood lighting system.

The contemporary bathroom has invisible jets, light therapy and a rain shower. And the kitchen boasts three ovens, a built-in coffee machine and electronic touch drawers and cupboards.

The house boasts what is one of the best HIPs ratings for energy efficiency in the town and has been acclaimed for its architecture.

The couple are in negotiations with a celebrity to make the New Year draw and it will be announced to the world on TV and via a webcast.

Zoe added: "The next three months will be nerve-racking. We hope people will enter the competition. They could find themselves with a mortgage-free step onto the property ladder or a luxury second home."

Ten per cent of each ticket from the competition draw will go to Cancer Research UK.

"Like many, we've both lost friends and family to cancer," said Zoe.

Once sold, the couple hope to start work on a new property in the county, which will also be built below ground.

Tickets are on sale from tomorrow at www.winthecheltenhamhouse.com