A Lockdown Move for Warrington Couple Welcoming Twins

A couple from Warrington had a slightly more hectic start to lockdown than the majority of the nation.

Andy and Anna Gillan, 33 & 36, welcomed the arrival of twin boys at the same time as they prepared to move to a newbuild home with Miller Homes. But then lockdown happened - putting the move on hold.

“We were expecting moving so close to the arrival of the boys to be stressful, but then as lockdown happened and the housing market paused, we were really worried about our future as everything was so up in the air!” Anna commented.

Originally from Whiston in Merseyside, primary school teacher Anna married asbestos remover, Andy, from Staffordshire, in April 2019 and were due to welcome their twins in early February this year.

As their family was doubling in size, they soon realised that an upsize was needed, and just before Christmas 2019, they found a perfect four-bed detached Esk-style property on Miller Homes’ Woodville Place development in Warrington, which is conveniently close to their families.

Commenting on their choice of home, Andy said: “With our family increasing in size, we knew that we needed to get out of our top floor flat, and space was a high priority on our shopping list.

“We love that our new home has a good-sized garden, it will be perfect for two toddlers to run around in, in a few years”.

Nate and Cole were born early, at the end of January and spent two weeks in the neonatal unit at Stepping Hill hospital before heading home to the couple’s top floor flat in Manchester.

However, once the babies and Anna returned home to prepare for the move, the threat of COVID-19 swept through the UK, putting the nation on lockdown, meaning that the housing market ground to a halt and their move was paused.

“We were obviously gutted that our dream family home was now slightly more out of reach”, the couple commented, “but we were constantly reassured by the team at Miller Homes that things were moving in the background, and that they were doing all they could for us, whilst we were juggling the babies and living out of boxes.”

Andy and Anna were eventually able to move into their new family home on 24 April, following all social distancing guidelines in the process - ensuring everyone involved was kept safe. They are now settled in and enjoying their new family life.

“We are so grateful to Miller Homes - their efforts before, during and after the move has made the whole experience so much more enjoyable for us.

“The sales team still pops by to say hello - from two metres back on the doorstep - from time to time. We feel like we are a priority, and that’s so heartwarming at this difficult time.”

Although they missed family and friends’ visits because of lockdown, they were able to use their extra free time to paint and furnish the nursery and spend quality time together, as a family.

Ian Smith, Regional Managing Director for Miller Homes North West, commented on the family’s move: “We are thrilled to be able to move families like Andy, Anna and the boys into their homes during this time.

“All of our staff have been trained to follow government guidelines, and to keep social distancing measures in place throughout the whole process to help ensure everybody’s safety.

“We look forward to welcoming more families to their homes over the coming months.”

Andy and Anna would definitely recommend Miller Homes to anyone buying a home.