Mark Zappa never thought he’d be able to give up his old one-bedroom apartment in New Westminster to become a homeowner in Metro Vancouver.
And he certainly never expected to be the owner of a $2.3-million, 3,700-square-foot home in Langley.
But Zappa is about to make the transition into home ownership, after he was drawn as the winner of this year’s PNE Prize Home.
“It’s still sinking in,” Zappa said as he toured the house Monday night, arriving to a welcoming party of PNE representatives and media. “I’m very happy, but I’m not even 100 per cent sure I’m awake right now.”
Zappa works in security as a night watchman (and, yes, he was a little late for his graveyard shift last night, but his boss was OK with the tardiness, given that he had to see his new home for the first time and appear on the evening Global News).
Zappa told reporters he’s been wanting to move for “a very long time” and was still coming to grips with the reality of his win.
He admitted he thought the draw had already been and gone, so he didn’t know what to expect when a call from the PNE came up on his phone.
“What are they calling me for? Did I win an electric scooter or something?” he wondered to himself.
It turned out to be a lot more than that.
Zappa took his moment in the spotlight Monday night to put in a plug for RAPS, the Regional Animal Protection Society, a Richmond-based cat sanctuary where he volunteers, and the Rabbitats Rescue Society.
Animal causes are close to the heart of the new homeowner, who'll be moving in with his cat and his rat. He shared a message for all aspiring pet owners.
"Adopt, never buy," he said. "And if anybody can ever give a donation to their local no-kill shelter, please do."
Zappa becomes the 89th winner of the annual PNE Prize Home draw.
This year’s home, built by Lanstone Homes in collaboration with Wesmont Homes, is billed as “3,773 square feet of lavish living space with a Scandinavian aesthetic.”
The three-level home has four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, a rec room, a den and a legal one-bedroom basement suite.
It comes into Zappa’s possession fully furnished and equipped with all appliances.
“If I could have chosen where to live, I think I probably would have chosen Langley,” Zappa said, noting he lived in Langley for about five years back around 2000. “Where city meets country — I like Langley.”
Zappa couldn't even begin to speculate how the win might change his life.
"It's amazing," he said. "Thank you, again, to everyone involved."
