Villa for only €99

A European couple have put their Cape winelands villa - including furniture, appliances and even towels - into a lottery. Already more than 75% of the 9999 tickets have been sold to hopefuls from as far afield as Hong Kong.

The cost of tickets starts from €99 (R1469).

The three-bedroomed house and its contents are insured for R8-million. The tickets, if sold individually, could generate more than R14-million.

However, owner Peter de Pagter said the net income, after all bulk discounts, costs and taxes, will be between R6-million and R7-million.

This is not the first time De Pagter, from Holland, and Arlette Boeckx, from Belgium, have done this.

They came to Wellington in the Boland, Western Cape, "fell in love with South Africa after a week", built two homes in Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate in 2004 and moved in.

"In South Africa you can see the sun and the blue sky. At night you can see the Milky Way. When I ask people [in Europe] where the Milky Way is, they would say at the supermarket," said De Pagter.

"Many people in Europe are unhappy and suffering from the economic crisis."

In 2009, he read an article about a couple from the UK who put their house up in a lottery. Because friends and family always remarked how idyllic living in South Africa was, they decided to do the same with their "other beautiful home".

He found that Austria was another country where selling a property through a lottery was allowed.

Everything was set up through a lawyer there. In 2010, the live draw was streamed on the internet.

A Belgian couple won.

But De Pagter and Boeckx, both 74, now have to return to Europe for personal reasons. They will, however, be back for regular visits.

"We never thought we would do the same with our house. Paradise does not exist, but in the Western Cape we were close to it."

The house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sauna and comes with a wine cellar that includes 150 wine bottles.

The first tickets - bought on www.winyourdreamvilla.com - were sold in December in 30 countries, including South Africa. The big draw takes place on May 31. The two will only take with them a few personal items and clothing.

Dawn Arendse, property consultant for Diemersfontein, said houses in the area were sought after.

"The area offers a wide variety of properties, from a cluster development to hectare smallholdings. Prices range from R1.2-million to R6-million for completed homes."

Property analyst Erwin Rode described it as "innovative".