Blog

It’s never been easier and more convenient to search for a house anywhere in the world. You can scroll through property listings for a house in Edinburgh right from the comfort of your home in Swindon. But there are limitations to only looking online. Some things you just can’t find out virtually, especially when you’re making a big move and have no prior experience of the area you’re moving to....

There’s a lot of decision-making that goes into buying a new home and so many things to take into consideration before you even think about arranging viewings. One of the main decisions is whether you are looking for a new build or pre-owned home. But is there really much difference? And how do you know which option is right for you? Here are some of the pros and cons to help you weigh up your...

It’s a tough time to be a private landlord. Rent freezes during Covid, which looks to be sticking around in places like Scotland, and a recent crackdown on laws regulating the private rental sector, with wide-sweeping reform to keep up to date with - and it looks like it’s only going to get stricter. With all this in mind, now might be the time for private landlords to take that next step with their...

You’re used to tightening your belt after Christmas and during the gloomy days of the new year where all you want to do is hibernate at home, but as the days get warmer and Summer seems just around the corner, it becomes more and more tempting to loosen a few notches and get out there to enjoy the sunshine. With the cost-of-living crisis still looming over us, here are some tips on keeping costs down so...

New tax rules for Swindon buy-to-let landlords from 2026 We at Richard James want to make you aware of some important changes that are coming into effect from April 2026. The UK Government is introducing Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax, which will affect how landlords report their income tax to HMRC. The original plan was for Landlords’ income of £10,000 or more from their properties must file...

With mortgage rates tripling over the last 12 months, one could be forgiven for thinking buying a Swindon home as a first-time buyer would out of the question.Yet, what if I told you, it is £622 a year cheaper to buy a Swindon home as a first-time buyer than renting, would you be surprised? The average 2-bed home in Swindon is worth £202,879. The monthly homeownership cost of such a Swindon home...

Insights from the 2021 Census The property market is one of the most important economic indicators, as it can significantly impact the prosperity of both the local and national economy.Recently, new data from the Census 2021 has become available that sheds light on seldom discussed areas of property, such as the types of properties Swindon has, together with how we live in and use our homes.This data...

While the winter comes with lots of happy things, like sparkly frosty mornings, hot chocolates, and, plenty of festivities, it can also come with extra clutter, extra mess (generally caused by more time inside) and the realisation that you have far too much stuff lying around. Like us, you probably try to forget about it before Christmas, thinking you'll have plenty of time to deal with it after Christmas,...

Traditionally, the first four months of the year are usually an estate agents’ busiest time for house sales. However, if the last three years have taught us anything, nothing is 'normal' and 'usual' anymore.The Swindon property market is finding that with the friction of higher mortgage rates and the effects of inflation on household budgets; things are slightly different in 2023 compared to recent...

As the British and Swindon property market navigates the ongoing economic turmoil, many Swindon homeowners and landlords may feel uncertain about the future.However, up-to-date data suggests that the 2023 property crash predicted by the many newspapers and the usual clickbait doom-mongers in the lead-up to Christmas on social media, may not be as bad as initially thought, and there are reasons to be...