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Why invest in Swindon buy-to-let properties?

Tue 18 May 2021

Ask a property expert where to invest outside of London and they’ll point you to the M4 corridor. Property prices continue to grow more rapidly than anywhere else in the UK. Oxford, Bristol, and Reading reaped big benefits in the dramatic 2020 market, with both Oxford and Bristol seeing a staggering 11% rise.
 

This is all well and good for those who invested in the area pre-pandemic. But it also priced a lot of keen and ready investors out of the market, forcing them to look elsewhere.
 

This may not be such a bad thing. 
 

In contrast to the much older property markets along the M4, enthusiasm feels stronger in Swindon. It presents a fresh opportunity, having led the country in growth for several years, and there’s a thriving community of property lovers to network with and bounce ideas off of - Swindon Property Investors Network and Swindon Progressive Property Network to name a couple.
 

Prolific development in Swindon is signalling a new era for the town. Residential tower blocks are being proposed,heritage is being preserved, and one of the country’s largest strategic developments is on the cards.  
 

Here are the top 3 reasons you should be seriously considering Swindon for your rental property portfolio.


  1. Homeworking habits


Let’s start with the unignorable. Modern work life has changed, and it may never return to its original state of play. The London mass exodus has already started. Young professionals and families no longer need to be in the City, and are looking to counties like Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire for a slower pace of life. 
 

With the electrification of the railway, those same commuters can now reach Paddington Station within 49 minutes, meaning those who need to be in the office only a couple of days a week can make the journey relatively quickly.
 

Swindon property also offers much more square footage and garden space than dense city areas like London and Bristol. It’s also considerably more affordable than neighbouring cities like Oxford, Bath, and Reading. 


  1. A balanced lifestyle 


Swindon offers a greener and more relaxed life in abundance (proximity to AONBs and several county parks), in a healthy balance with urban benefits and opportunities (a number of retail centres throughou the town, an improving business district, and forward-thinking developments like the Workshed coworking development). 


  1. Promising employment


Where there are jobs, there will be renters. And Swindon is expected to see some of the fastest economic growth in the UK during the COVID recovery period. 
 

Corporate development is on an upwards trajectory in Swindon, running parallel to residential building. Local technology, financial services, and manufacturing activity is already long-established and growing. 
 

In a recent development, retail giant Amazon signed a 20 year lease on a warehouse on Swindon’s Symmetry Park industrial estate. Where corporate jobs and small business may be harder hit by the pandemic, warehousing and labour provide a strong economic backbone for the city.


So let’s look at the stats. 


The average monthly rent in Swindon is currently £677. This strikes a good balance between returns for landlords and affordability for tenants. 


Rental yields are averaging a comfortable 4.8%, rising in line with the rest of the country.


Terraced houses can be bought for an average of £204,695 - an accessible entry point for new or single-property landlords.


Semis sold for an average of £255,849 in 2021, and detached properties for an average of £366,129. Compared to Oxford’s averages of £581,292 for semis, that’s a big saving for investment landlords.  


There’s no doubt Swindon checks all the boxes for a solid investment that’s likely to pay dividends years into the future. The key is keeping up to speed with the new opportunities available, so you don’t miss out on the best prices and biggest yields.  


With over 800 properties in under management, if you’re considering investing in Swindon property, join our buy-to-let investor concierge service for exclusive updates before they reach property portals. Contact Mike Dewhurst on 01793 709090 to discuss your goals and objectives for a tailored service. 
 

Ready to sell? To find out how much your property is worth, please contact Chris Dewhurst for a FREE valuation. 01793 701111 / chris@dewhurstandco.com

Ready to let? To find out how much your property would rent for, please contact Mike Dewhurst. 01793 709090 / mike@dewhurstandco.com

DEWHURST & CO. 1996 - 2021. 25 YEARS AS INDEPENDENT PROPERTY EXPERTS IN SWINDON.