'We couldn't afford to buy a home, then a chance moment changed our lives forever'

A young couple who couldn't afford to buy their own house have shared how a chance moment changed their lives forever.

With high house prices high and rent costs soaring, Louisa, 25, and partner Mike, 26, couldn't afford to buy their own home and had been living on an old Dutch barge on the River Thames in London.

Having lived there for three years on a rolling contract, which could end at any time, the couple were then told that the owner was putting the barge on the market - and were painfully aware that their home could be taken away at any moment.

One day whilst searching online, Louisa spotted an advert on Instagram that would unknowingly change her life.

Campervan and boat prize draw company Marwood Makes was offering the chance to win a custom houseboat – which Louise said 'felt like fate was calling out to her.'

The couple bought three tickets between them, priced at £12 a pop, and joked with friends and colleagues that they were going to win - but lo and behold they did.

Louisa and Mike have now described the 'surreal' moment they won their very own floating home worth £180,000 – all thanks to a £12 raffle ticket.

Speaking of the moment the lucky winners received the news, Louisa said: “We were so overjoyed as it dawned on us that we would have a real home – it was really emotional and felt surreal.

“Especially being our age and struggling with rent and finding a place in London. We don’t normally enter competitions but I felt like it was meant to be.

“I put the date of the live draw in my diary and on the day told everyone at work that I’d be winning a boat. They all rolled their eyes. But that night, when they read the numbers out on the social media live prize draw, I saw Mike’s face drop."

Louisa added: