The town of Slough is situated in the Royal County of Berkshire, just two miles north of Windsor Castle.  It is also just 20 miles west of Central London and only 5 miles away from Heathrow Airport.

The town is ideally positioned for the motorway network with the M25 situated just 10 minutes away and the M40 which connects to the north of England is within 5 miles.  Slough benefits from excellent rail links into Central London with a 17-minute journey from Slough into Paddington every half an hour.

With the introduction of Crossrail in 2022, there will be additional services via the Elizabeth line with trains every 15 minutes connecting Slough directly to Central London and the City. During peak times trains run every 10 minutes.

There’s much more to Slough than its location at the heart of the UK’s transport and communications network. Nearby is Windsor Castle  and Windsor Great Park with 5,000 acres of open parkland.

Surrounded by beautiful countryside and trails, ideal for running, biking or hiking Slough is ideally located for the active. Slough boasts a number of local leisure centres for the general public, one being the well known Everyone Active.  Slough Ice Arena, home to Slough Jets ice hockey team, has a full-sized ice rink, climbing wall, gym and café. For those that love the water, there’s also the Jubilee River Riverside Centre, which has rowing, canoeing and other watersports available.

Due to its location at the heart of the UK’s transport and communications network Slough is home to many major global company headquarters. This in turn makes it an extremely popular location for London commuters and local employees alike, creating a healthy and buoyant property market.

Crossrail is one of the most significant infrastructure ventures ever undertaken in the UK and will create a single rail transport route that connects east and west London to the central underground system. Slough is expected to be connected to the Crossrail network in 2022 and will enable Imperial Central residents to enjoy a quick and easy commute to just about anywhere in London including The City and financial district.

The Government’s Help to Buy scheme, has helped thousands of people to buy their own home. But the scheme ends in March 2023.

What is Help to Buy?
The Help to Buy Equity Loan is a Government backed scheme where you provide a minimum 5% deposit, the Government loans you up to 20%, the remainder provided by a mortgage.

Who is eligible?
You must be a first-time buyer, aged 18 or older, and purchasing a new-build property and who does not own – or has owned – a property in the UK or abroad.

When does the scheme end?
Help to Buy ends on the 31^st March 2023, and you must complete your purchase before that date. This means that you need to reserve an apartment as soon as possible to allow enough time to process the legal and financial formalities and complete the purchase in time.

Can I buy with someone else?
You can apply on your own or with other people but all applicants must meet the eligibility criteria. If you are married/in a civil partnership, or will be cohabiting with your partner you must make a joint application.

How much is the loan interest?
No interest or fees are payable on the Government loan element for the first five years. After that if you have not repaid the loan, you’ll be charged 1.75% interest, rising each year by the rate of inflation plus 2%.

Is there a deadline to repay the loan?
The absolute deadline to repay the loan is 25 years, but if you sell your home, you then repay the same percentage the government loan originally represented.

What if I want to buy a bigger share of my home in the future?
You can choose to repay some of the loan in order to increase your share of the home any point