HGTV ‘Dream Home 2025’ is going to a first-time home owner.
Tricia Smith of The Bronx, New York City, is this year’s grand prize winner of the network’s annual sweepstakes, which includes a fully furnished brand-new home designed by HGTV’s Brian Patrick Flynn in an idyllic neighborhood in Bluffton, S.C., People magazine reported.
With the help of a friend, HGTV presented the 48-year-old special education teacher with the prize during a special surprise. For the setup, her friend tricked her into thinking they were stopping by a pop-up art gallery before dinner, but when they got to the venue, Flynn was there along with a camera crew, and pictures of her soon-to-be home were framed and hung up all over the walls.
“No, you’re kidding. Is this a joke? Are you serious?” Smith said as it became clear she was the winner in a video exclusively released through People.
Smith, originally from Antigua, was brought to tears and shared that this is the first time she’s ever owned a home.
“This would be the first time I’m owning a home,” she noted. “And it’s a hell of a starter home.”
The home boasts 3,000 square feet, three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, massive windows, sweeping views, and an open floor plan, all awashed in coastal pastels. Other luxury amenities include a state-of-the-art eat-in kitchen with a prep kitchen, a roaring fireplace in the living room, a fully equipped pet washing station, a pool, an outdoor kitchen, and close proximity to Hilton Head Island.
According to an HGTV release, Smith’s prize also includes $100,000, a new 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC, and a five-year supply of Viva paper towels, bringing the total value, including the house, to roughly $2.2 million.
After living in an apartment with her mother and sister, the brand-new homeowner is excited about the extra square footage, the views, and being close to the water. She also intends to use the home to gather her friends and family.
Smith, an avid HGTV fan, submitted for the prize for years, according to the release. She also submitted to win the network’s other annual home sweepstakes, the HGTV Smart Home 2025. Smith said she submitted nearly every day for the Dream Home, as you can apply to win twice daily. She was ultimately selected out of over 118 million other entries.
While she admitted that life in South Carolina will be a “definite change,” she said, “I welcome the fresh air and peacefulness.”
