Nathan Bayliss, 46, had spent the past eight years renting after making the tough decision to sell their home and relocate across Wales for better job prospects.“We gave up our home thinking we’d get back on the ladder again,” said Nathan, a Yard Manager and Slinger Signaller.

“But house prices just kept going up, and the wages where we live are so low – it became impossible.“We were lost, really. I didn’t think we’d ever own again.”

The father-of-two describes feeling “completely stuck” as the housing market accelerated beyond reach,  a situation made worse by his low-income area being a holiday hotspot, pushing local prices even higher.

Then came a glimmer of hope in the form of a Facebook post. 

A mum has been able to buy her own home after years of living in rental accommodation – having entered an online prize raffle on a whim.

Jade Pilgrim, from west London, was provided emergency council housing for herself and her son, when the landlord for her private rental decided to take the property back. The mum worried that the family would never find a permanent home and could only dream of muscling her way into the UK’s ever-competitive housing market.

Then, a friend encouraged her to enter an online competition by Tramway Path. Although the 30-year-old design and refurb coordinator was at first sceptical about her chances to win, she decided to try her luck, purchasing a £5 ticket.

Angelika Wisniewska bought a ticket in a property raffle, not really thinking she'd win. But now the 34-year-old is the proud owner of a five-bedroom house in Carlisle saying she finally has the freedom she's always wanted. Angelika entered the Tramway Path prize draw after seeing other people win homes through the London-based property business.

She saw the draw advertised on Facebook while travelling home from the dentist with her children Cornelia, 10, and Ella, eight and bought a ticket on a whim "I've never won anything [before] maybe a pound in a scratch card," said the mum,

who is originally from Poland but has been living in the UK for the past decade. "We were joking that one day we were going to win a big, big jackpot."