Congratulations to Maureen Rustrianof Basking Ridge, New Jersey! She is our proud winner of the HGTV® Smart Home Giveaway 2019, a grand prize package valued at over $1.2 million.

But even for this dedicated fan, getting the news from HGTV designer and host Tiffany Brooks that she had been selected as the winner of the HGTV Smart Home 2019 was too good to be true. Maureen was randomly drawn from over 97 million entries.

Maureen, a credit analyst, says she was first drawn to the HGTV home giveaways years ago. She has been entering ever since, as she claimed, “I entered every day, would sign up both times and pray.”Much to her surprise, entering every day, twice a day during the sweepstakes period majorly paid off.

The HGTV crew first ambushed Maureen’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 Maureen’s friend from Boston was in town on business, the team worked quickly to plan the bombshell event.

“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,” said Maureen. “And then, I heard Tiffany’s voice – it’s so distinct – and it slowly started to sink in.

A self-proclaimed HGTV addict, Maureen says that with three boys at home, she doesn’t get control of the TV remote as often as she would like. But that didn’t stop her from entering the giveaway online twice a day, every day during the sweepstakes period.

The open floor plan and color palette first caught Maureen’s attention, leading her to fall in love with this home. “I love the entryway tilework, the high ceilings, the layout and the darker colors Tiffany used in the home,” she added. “It’s all absolutely beautiful. But my favorite part is how open the kitchen is to the family room. I love to cook, but our home doesn’t have the open concept.”

Our lucky winner is still in disbelief at her good fortune. Maureen and her husband will get a chance to see the home for the first time in the coming weeks.

Viewers can witness her reaction to the ambush and the home itself by watching the HGTV Smart Home 2019 Giveaway Special premiering Friday, August 16 at 1 p.m. ET on HGTV.