Buying and selling a property during lockdown may have been a little trickier than normal but it was far from impossible as Redrow customers Megan Jones and Phillip McGrath proved.
The pair are trading up to a brand new four-bedroom detached family home at Saddleworth View, in Oldham, and not only bought their new Redrow home online, but sold their three-bedroom semi in nearby Royton over the internet too.
Megan, 25, who works in premium banking in Manchester city centre, takes up the story: “We’d been looking at a couple of Redrow developments locally just prior to lockdown and were in the process of trying to decide where we wanted to live and what we could afford.
“Then Phillip developed a temperature; and two weeks in self-isolation with our little boy Harley, who’s two, convinced us that we definitely needed a bigger space! The four-bedroom detached Marlow became available at Saddleworth View and we put our existing property on the market with online estate agent YOPA.
“Because of the Coronavirus everything was done virtually, including the valuation and viewings. I took all the photographs and filmed a video tour of the house even doing things like opening and closing cupboard doors to show that they had soft closers. It must have worked because we had about 15 virtual viewings in the first week and two rival offers.”
Megan and Phillip, 28, a hub development officer, very quickly found themselves sold subject to contract to first time buyers, which allowed them to complete the reservation of their brand new Redrow home using Help to Buy – all done online.
“It was all so easy,” says Megan. “Gavin, the area sales manager, talked us through the reservation process over the phone and then we were able to do it from home at our own pace using ‘My Redrow’. It was all laid out very simply and easy to follow, even the terms and conditions which we read through carefully and found very easy to understand before signing up digitally. We also used My Redrow to order extras for our new home, such as carpets and flooring throughout, which was really easy to navigate.”
The couple’s mortgage application was completed over the internet too and they are now looking forward to moving into their new Redrow home later this year.
“Everyone we have been dealing with such as Redrow, solicitors and banks are very much on top of the situation and have been very accommodating,” Megan adds.
The couple bought their three-bedroom semi in Royton about four years ago and it was their first home together.
“We did everything to it, stripping it right back to the bare walls,” Megan explains. “This time I just wanted something that was ready to move into and the Marlow with its beautifully fitted kitchen and bathrooms is perfect.”
Indeed, with its four double bedrooms, en-suite, utility room and garage, the Marlow is a great family home. It has a spacious open plan kitchen and dining room overlooking the garden and a separate lounge.
It’s one from a range of three and four-bedroom detached homes at Saddleworth View, off Counthill Road; two miles from Oldham town centre, 10 miles from Manchester and on the edge of Saddleworth Moors.
“We love the location. It’s close to open countryside and has some great views – it will be like living in Saddleworth itself but without the prices!” Megan adds.
Redrow Homes (Lancashire) sales director Sian Pitt comments: “We couldn’t have predicted that the ability to look around properties and reserve homes virtually would be so important, but our industry leading investment in technology meant that we were well placed to support customers who still wanted to progress with their move during lockdown.
“Although physically viewing a show home or development wasn’t possible in this period, My Redrow has allowed customers to view different developments online, select their chosen plot, review the optional upgrades available and add these to their ‘virtual’ shopping basket. They could even complete on the reservation of a home as Megan and Phillip have done. We’re delighted for them and can’t wait to welcome the family to Saddleworth View in person.”
Current prices at the popular development are from £305,995 for the four-bedroom detached Stratford. For more information call 0161 825 7277 or go to www.redrow.co.uk/saddleworthview
