Free House
HGTV Smart Home in Dallas-Fort Worth has a winner from out of town
The 2019 HGTV Smart Home built in Roanoke for its annual sweepstakes giveaway has a winner: Maureen Rustrian, a credit analyst from Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
According to a release, Rustrian's name was randomly drawn from 97 million entries to win a prize package worth over $1.2 million. The giveaway includes the residence, furnishings, a 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE, and $100,000 from LendingTree.
She discovered she won when she was ambushed at her home by HGTV designer and host Tiffany Brooks.
The HGTV crew first ambushed Rustrian’s husband at his fitness studio, enlisting his help to surprise his wife with a backyard summer barbecue that same evening, using the ruse that a friend from Boston was in town on business.
"I thought it was a joke at first, but then I realized that no one would actually have all this equipment with the cameras, lights, and microphones," Rustrian says in a statement. "And then, I heard Tiffany's voice – it's so distinct – and it slowly started to sink in."
Planned and built by local firm Highland Homes, the home is in a Roanoke development called Fairway Ranch, a sustainable community with walking trails, greenbelts, a community pool, and parks.
The residence spans 3,400 square feet, with three bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, and an "Old-World retreat" aesthetic. It features smart technology and energy-efficient materials.
Rustrian is a self-proclaimed HGTV addict who entered the giveaway online twice a day, every day during the sweepstakes period. She and her husband have never been to Texas, but will visit the home in the coming weeks.
According to Country Living, few people who win HGTV homes, whether the Dream Home giveaway or the Smart Home giveaway, end up moving in. The majority opt to take cash.
If they sell or take cash, they still get to keep the furnishings, car, and cash portion of the prize.
Her reaction to the ambush will be documented in an HGTV Smart Home Giveaway special premiering August 16 at noon on HGTV.
