HOUSE prices in Slough are rising faster than in any other area in England.

The town has seen the biggest increase in house prices, with a rise of 23.3 per cent over the last year between May 2015 and May 2016.

Some families are having to live in rented properties rather than buying their own homes, or are moving out of the area to find somewhere more affordable.

Kirsty Morten, 24, is currently living in private rented accommodation in Slough, and would like to buy her own home to live in with her partner and young children.

She said: "I couldn't afford it, it's a joke.

"It frustrates me to be honest because we don't stand a chance.

"It's so hard, we physically cannot save enough to buy."

Mother-of-one Marlena Kasprzak, 31, who lives in Slough with her husband, is now looking to buy a property in Swindon.

She said: "We wanted to buy a house here but it's too expensive. If we want to buy something we need to move somewhere else."

The average price for a home in Slough is now recorded as being £287,479. It was reported as £233,071 in May 2015.

Lee Moss, valuer at The Frost Partnership in Mackenzie Street thinks that Slough has an edge on other areas in the country.

He said: "I think Slough will be slightly different to other places because people still want to invest into it. Crossrail is attracting investors and it's not just investors but also people looking to move to the area."

The Royal Borough has seen a rise of 11.5 per cent in its house prices but it didn't fall into the top 100 local authorities."

With new opportunities in the town, Mr Moss has seen investors outbidding first time buyers to acquire property. He said: "In a way it was quite sad to see. There are emotions attached to buying your first home, it's like buying your first care or getting married."

A home in Windsor and Maidenhead will set you back an average of £477,770 now, compared to the £428,658 it would have cost you in May 2015.

www.sloughobserver.co.uk