Couple tackle DIY home jobs despite £1m lottery win
PAIR DETERMINED NOT TO
A NORTH EAST couple who won £1m on the lottery did DIY on their home - to save cash for their children’s future.
After Darren and Kate Donaghey, from Newcastle, won £1m on a Scratchcard, one of the first things they did was buy a new house.
A personal gym, a fire feature and a stunning garden are just some of the renovations they have made over the last two years.
And, while they could have been forgiven for “splashing the cash” and leaving no expense spared on the five-bedroom detached property in Gosforth, they did a lot of the work themselves and saved around £13,000.
“It’s not the fact that we didn’t want to pay the money,” says former call centre worker Darren, 36. “I’ve always been quite handy, and I get great satisfaction from doing the work myself and seeing it all come together.”
The couple first hit the headlines in 2014 when Darren was crowned ‘Punching Above Your Weight Champion’ in Metro Radio’s competition.
The pair then went on to win the lottery, leading to people dubbing Darren the “luckiest man”.
Darren added: “We are careful with the money and not squandering it. Our first priority was to get a bigger house for the children, but it dawned on us how big a responsibility it was not to blow it.
“You read stories about how people in the past have just had a good time and it’s not lasted very long. We didn’t want to be in the news for that reason.”
Former hairdresser Kate, 31, added: “It wasn’t just about winning the lottery and thinking we could splash the cash, it was about how we could change ours and our children’s lives, simple things to make our life easier and the kids’ life better and happier.”
When they won £1m, Darren and Kate were living in a twobedroom former council house with their now six and nineyear-old daughter and son, who are both severely autistic.
“We were trying to get a charity grant to extend our house so our little girl could have her own bedroom because she was in with us,” says Kate. “That got refused and then weeks later, we won the lottery!
“It’s hard and challenging when you have children with special needs and so the little things make a difference.”
Kate and Darren bought their new house, eight miles away from their old one, and started to transform it into the dream home they’d always wanted.
And, while they had a lot of work like fitted wardrobes and expensive flooring done by professionals, Darren set about
doing as much work as he could himself, and saving thousands in the bargain.
“We give ourselves a monthly budget for shopping and petrol and things, and people think it’s odd if we say ‘we can’t afford that this month, we’ll do it next,’” adds Kate.
“It’s not about living in a fancy house, it’s about having stability and security.”
The couple have allowed themselves a few extra treats. They’ve just bought a new car, a Range Rover - ‘although that’s taken two years,’ says Darren and he’s invested in a pool table.
Kate added: “The house is lovely. It’s given us a better way of life, it’s made our lives easier, and the kids are coming on loads.
“Everyone has their own space - and we have our own room! - and there are still moments when we look around and pinch ourselves.”
The couple, who spend time doing voluntary days with other lottery winners to give back to charities, say they hope to renovate houses to sell to give them an ongoing income and one day build their own dream home.
SQUANDER CASH WHICH COULD HELP CHILDREN