Online tool gives daily updates to buyers during lockdown

Buying a home amid a global pandemic was something Laura and Peter Harrison never imagined, however they have kept up to date with the build progress every day thanks to Redrow’s “fantastic” online portal.

Having originally used ‘My Redrow’ to reserve their home at Cranberry Gardens, in Congleton, Cheshire, they went on to use it to make their specification choices, to order and pay for upgrades and to generally watch progress from afar.

In fact, even before finding their ‘forever home’ at Cranberry Gardens, Laura and Peter, both 29, started their digital home-buying journey by using ‘My Redrow’ to calculate if a new home was within their budget.

Wedding videographer Laura said: “This was our second home together and we wanted it to be a home we would love for years to come. We fell in love with the four-bedroom Oxford and, after realising that a Redrow home was within our budget, we reserved our home using the online reservation tool. This was brilliant because we could do it all in our own time.

“We actually used the online reservation process before lockdown and, since that day, we have logged onto My Redrow virtually every day to organise things such as upgrades to the kitchen cupboards, flooring and bathroom tiles. Since COVID-19 struck, the portal has also meant that we have been able to check the progress of our home from the safety of our current home and sometimes I'm on there two or three times a day. I just love seeing it all come together,” admits Laura.

The couple’s first home was in Stoke-on-Trent but they had always wanted to live somewhere with outdoor space close by, as well as to have a big garden for all their pets.

“We have five pets in total, one dog, two cats, a rabbit and Milo, our chinchilla, so our next home needed to ensure we had space for all of them plus room for our family to grow should we add any more pets or children to the mix!” adds Laura.

The couple fell in love with the traditional style of the Oxford, with Laura saying it reminded her of the house she grew up in. Its bay windows and high ceilings were also a real selling point: “I think the ceilings were actually one of the first things Peter mentioned when we went into the show home; he’s 6ft 3 so ceiling height is something he notices. The kitchen is my favourite room, I’m so excited to have a beautiful kitchen. I can’t wait to show it off to friends and family when they come round. The house couldn’t be more suited and perfect for us.”

Laura adds: “My Redrow also gives us access to all of the house documentation straight away. For example, I can look up exactly how many smart bulbs we need to buy on top of the ones we already have, and I can go straight to the technical floor plans and everything I need is right there.

“Buying a home during COVID-19 will definitely be an experience to remember, but for all the right reasons. Even though our completion date has been pushed back, what is a few more weeks to wait when we’ll have a home for life at the end of it?”

Laura and Peter are now due to move into their new home in September.

To find out more about the homes at Cranberry Gardens call 01260 241525 or visit www.redrow.co.uk/cranberrygardens. To find out more about our social distancing measures visit: https://www.redrow.co.uk/coronavirus