Apartment living with a difference

For apartment living with a difference, why not try a unique conversion property in Farnborough with accommodation arranged over two floors. But hurry, only ten of these unusual duplex designs remain for sale at Redrow's Farnborough Central development, on the site of the former Royal Aircraft Establishment.

The apartments in Farnborough, Hampshire, are loaded with character and one-off features, and their unique style and location is sure to lure those looking for a split-level home with a difference.

Tina Chalk, area sales manager for Redrow Homes (Southern), said: "The duplex apartments offer all the convenience and security of apartment living but with accommodation arranged over two floors like a house.

"The Farnborough Central development is being built on a site with great historical significance and that obviously appeals to people looking for something a bit different from their new home.

"The new on-site marketing suite and show homes can help buyers picture themselves living in these unique surroundings, with all the great amenities of Farnborough on their doorstep."

The12-acre development, Farnborough Central, will eventually feature a mix of 54 new townhouses, 85 refurbished apartments in two existing buildings of historic interest, plus 194 new-build apartments that will be sympathetically designed with art deco and modernist influences.

The wider site formerly comprised the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and continues to be the home for the world famous Farnborough Aerodrome and the biennial Farnborough International Airshow, which attracts around 300,000 visitors every two years and celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

IQ Farnborough, next to the residential area, is one of the largest business development sites in the south east of England, with planning consent granted for 1.67 million square feet of business space. As well as over 200,000 sq ft of built office space it also includes a café, crèche and heritage centre. A four-star hotel, with leisure complex, is due to open in the near future.

Redrow's homes will be adjacent to the ‘heritage quarter' and alongside two of the most interesting aeronautical legacies of the former RAE - a pair of Grade 1 listed wind tunnel buildings. The largest, a 24 ft wind tunnel, was used to test full-sized aircraft prototypes, while the transonic wind tunnel was used to test aircraft including Concorde. These buildings are being retained and restored by Segro (Slough Estates Group), who are developing commercial property nearby.

Prices for duplex apartments at Farnborough Central currently start from £185,000 for a one-bedroom home and from £225,000 for a two-bedroom. Other properties for sale include apartments with a single floor of living space, priced from £179,000, plus three and four-bedroom townhouses priced from £260,000 and £315,000 respectively.

Prospective purchasers can get valuable support through ‘re:assure from Redrow', a range of help, advice and incentives, all of which are designed to make moving as easy as possible right through from the moment of first enquiry to after the customer has moved in. Redrow could even pay a 5% deposit.

For more details of properties available would-be home owners can log on to Farnboroughcentral.redrow.co.uk.

For general information on Redrow Homes visit Redrow.co.uk.