A FAMILY who feared they'd lose their new home because of COVID-19 restrictions have praised Prospect Homes for supporting them through the move.

Susan Alder and Alvaro Hernaez had already packed and were ready to move into their new home at The Ridings, Longridge, when the country went into lockdown

Government guidance at that time allowed for moving into empty properties, but despite this their move was held up by the couple's solicitors and it wasn't until April 30 that they were able to move.

Alvaro recalls: “We had been packing from the end of February/ beginning of March because our little girl is 14 months old and were doing a box when we could. We also had some things in storage to make things easier and then lockdown happened and we were sitting in our old house surrounded by boxes and couldn't do anything.”

He says: “I can't put into words how it made me feel. It was one of the most stressful things I have been through. Moving had never felt stressful for us before but there was an issue with the solicitors which left us powerless.”

The family used a local removal company who provided a contactless service. Prospect Homes left the keys for their new home in a key safe so they didn't need to come into direct contact with anyone.

“It was very intense as Alvaro was furloughed and I was working night shifts so it was a massive relief when we were able to move,” Susan adds.

“The Prospect team went above and beyond to help. I'd give them 10 out of 10 – they kept their word in every aspect and were very good keeping the house for us. They could have said it had been 28 days since we'd reserved the property so we couldn't have it. It was such a relief because we didn't want to be worrying about that when it was out of our hands.”

Susan, Alvaro and their young daughter Ariadna first visited The Ridings in January and although they initially wanted to part exchange their old home, they managed to secure a buyer on the open market.

Having sold their previous property, they were able to use the Government-backed Help to Buy equity loan scheme to make their new home easier to afford.

“We needed more space and a house that didn't need work doing to it. The three-bedroom semi-detached Woodrush was just what we needed and was built and ready to move into. It was great value for money and the layout is ideal for us,” Susan adds.

Their Woodrush style home features a designer kitchen at the front, with open plan living and dining room to the rear featuring double doors leading out to the garden and offering lots of natural light. Upstairs there are three bedrooms and the family bathroom.

Susan says: “I'm from Longridge originally so knew it was a good location as it's not too far from the main street and it's good for getting out for a walk.”

Susan works in retail and Alvaro works in a restaurant, which has now reopened offering takeaway meals enabling him to return to work.

Samantha Williams, head of sales for Prospect Homes, said: “Susan and Alvaro's experience demonstrates the flexibility of our teams in supporting our customers through their home buying journey. We would always recommend customers use a solicitor from our preferred panel as we can then manage the process on their behalf, making for a smooth move.”

Located off Whittingham Road in Longridge, The Ridings offers a selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes. Subject to criteria, prices start from £116,500 for two and three-bedroom Prospect Start homes. Open market properties include three and four-bedroom homes, with current prices from £190,000 to £290,000.

To find out more about the homes available at The Ridings or to make an appointment to view the show homes visit www.prospecthomes.co.uk/theridings or call 01772 977364.