First residents move into Axis at Eastleigh

The first residents are now moving into Axis, Barratt's exciting new development in Eastleigh, Hampshire, which nestles five miles to the north of Southampton.

They include Lee Wilson (29) and fiancée Kelly Buckley (29), who were the first buyers to reserve a home at the site. Lee and Kelly are both in the army and have bought an Enbourne house at Axis.

"We wanted a new build house but didn't know if we could afford one," said Kelly. "Surprisingly, the price for our new home was actually lower than for a similar, older property in the area.

"We really liked the layout of the Enbourne, so we bought off plan. It was great to be involved in the early stages of building as we were able to ask for some changes, like an open-plan kitchen and dining room."

The Enbourne house comes with a lounge, kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, ground floor cloakroom, bathroom and three bedrooms, with an en-suite to the master bedroom.

"The interior is ideal," Kelly continued. "When we have guests, it's great to have an en-suite as well as a bathroom and the house has a nice design, with bay windows in the lounge. We have a garage and a good sized garden, which will be ideal when we have children.

"Also, the location is good as it's close to Eastleigh railway station, the motorway and the airport," Kelly added. "It's great for us, as my parents live in Wales and Lee's parents are in Northern Ireland, so it's easy for us to see them regularly.

"The Barratt staff were fantastic when we moved in. The sales negotiator stayed late and even picked me up from the station so that I could collect the keys to the house. The site manager was also really helpful, and helped to clear all our empty boxes. We really have been delighted with the move," Kelly concluded.

Located just outside the town centre, Axis offers 200 new homes - a mix of two-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom houses. The development lies close to Lakeside Country Park, which offers 60 acres of lakes, meadow and woodland.

Eastleigh boasts high street shops and the Swan Shopping Centre, and the bustling city of Southampton is just a short drive, rail or bus ride away. Here, attractions include the West Quay Shopping Centre as well as Leisure World with its cinemas and nightclubs. Southampton Airport provides easy access to domestic and European destinations.

Current availability at Axis ranges from two-bedroom coach houses to two, three and four-bedroom houses, and prices start from £195,000. Special deals include the Head Start initiative for first-time buyers, whereby they pay just 85 per cent of the full asking price, and part exchange for people moving up to a larger home.

For further details, log on to Barratthomes.co.uk.