Where to invest in Slough: New Eton House flats in the heart of the Berkshire town's commercial centre are a canny buy

New investors should look to this luxury development in Slough for flats to attract professional tenants and future house price growth.
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Renata Holland25 March 2019

Knowing where to start when it comes to investing in property can be overwhelming for the inexperienced.

And in the current political and economic climate it’s important for investors – especially beginners – to be discerning about where and what they buy. As the old adage goes ‘location, location, location’.

Although nothing can be guaranteed when it comes to investing, a reliable supply of tenants, good transport links and a strong local economy should all add to a location’s appeal.

It’s also worth looking for areas where house prices haven’t yet peaked, to increase the likelihood of higher rental yield (how much rental income you can make on a property) and capital growth (how much a property’s value rises by over time).

"With room for growth in the local housing market, housebuilders and developers increasingly recognise the importance of shaping a place to deliver not just housing, but a sense of community," says Savills director Nick Vaughan.

"Ten years hence we’ll be looking at Slough as an exemplar of regeneration in the outer London suburbs."

Slough certainly ticks all the above boxes. Forget everything you think about this unassuming commuter town, property experts are confident that all preconceptions will be turned on their head within the next few years.

Already blessed with good transport links – the train to Paddington takes just 18 minutes – once Crossrail opens, Slough will be directly connected to even more London districts within half an hour.

A new train to Heathrow will take just six minutes, connecting as many as 70,000 new workers with Slough once the third runway is completed – suggesting the town’s population is set to surge and creating added demand for rental homes.

As the average first-time buyer gets older, renters do too, meaning they are more demanding about their homes, the quality of rental properties is of paramount importance, but affording the best in class can be a struggle for budding property investors with smaller budgets.

New Eton House by leading UK property developer SevenCapital offers the brand’s typical high spec homes, but, located slightly further from the station, flats in the luxury scheme are on offer for a slightly lower price than other similar properties in the area – ideal for buyers on a budget.

Just 10 minutes from the town centre and the Crossrail station, the development of 58 one-and two-bedroom flats in the former Intel Security office building is set to complete in 2020, with apartments available to purchase off-plan with just a £24,000 deposit (or 20 per cent of the purchase price).

Prices from £239,950 put homes at New Eton House at a lower than average price point for flats in Slough over the last year, according to Rightmove, and less than other developments closer to the station. But with a thriving local economy – which is only set to grow – proximity to the station isn’t always the primary factor for prospective tenants.

Renters are equally likely to care about good design, layout and high quality finish as they are about being seconds from the station. And New Eton House is at the heart of Slough’s own commercial district, making it extremely convenient for local workers.

“227 Bath Road, now New Eton House, is an impressive building in a fantastic location. Its internal infrastructure and external aesthetic, in particular its floor to ceiling windows, will form great foundations for a first-class apartment development, that we believe Slough is calling out for,” said Andy Foote, director at SevenCapital.

The boutique apartments will all be available with parking spaces, as well as 58 cycle spaces.

For sale from £239,950. Find out more.