The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 38: Aug/Sept 2018 | Page 13
LEGAL
10 Minutes with Bower & Bailey’s
Eugene Murphy
How is the Swindon
property market looking
at the moment?
01793 610 466
Eugene is a partner
at Swindon’s Bower
& Bailey Solicitors,
specialising in
property law. We
met over coffee to
discuss the current
trends in the Swindon
residential property
market.
Swindon is currently being
highlighted as a property hotspot.
Back in January figures from
the Halifax indicated that house
prices in Swindon were among
the fastest rising in the UK with
a 7.8% increase in the average
home cost as opposed to the UK
average increase of 2.7 per cent
at the time.
Whilst growth across the UK is
slowing down and property prices
are purported to be flattening out
Swindon seems to be bucking
the trend. Current economic
thought seems to be that house
prices will continue to increase
albeit at a slower pace than in
previous years. There is no sign of
abatement in Swindon.
Many purchasers are taking
the view that it’s an ideal time to
purchase a property in Swindon
as homes are likely to rise more
than average especially when
there is planned investment
in the transport infrastructure
with high speed rail planned to
London and Bristol.
What is the biggest
challenge in the current
climate?
The biggest challenges are
economic. However, Swindon has
many positive attributes which
help it buck the trend.
Diverse & Strong Labour
Market: There is a healthy and
strong labour market which is
robust.
Affordability: The price of
property in Swindon is very
affordable compared to Oxford,
Reading and Bristol. This
coupled with the continuing low
mortgage rates bode well. Brexit
will undoubtedly impact on the
behaviour of investors in the
housing market. As a solicitor I
act in diverse property matters
and it’s always a challenge to
ensure that the client’s best
interests are met.
Is there a rise in
interest from developers
in Swindon?
There are many large scale new
build developments ongoing
around Swindon and its environs.
It is an extremely exciting time to
be in the property sector. There
is a great appetite for new build
property with a high level of buyer
demand. Back in April Emoov
named Swindon as the UK’s most
in demand place to live.
It’s great to see this diverse
market investment in Swindon on
a residential level.
I am fortunate to have a wealth
of experience and expertise
having worked in the Swindon
Property Market since 1999. At
Bower & Bailey Solicitors we
have experts dealing in new
build work and the Help to Buy
scheme. I feel lucky we have such
talent in our different property
teams.
What do you love most
about your job?
Swindon continues to thrive
and develop through further
expansion and I am proud
to play a positive role in that
development. I have had the
pleasure of working in Swindon
for nearly 20 years. During this
time I have enjoyed working with
influencers, decision makers
and thought leaders within the
property and legal sector.
I’ve developed and grown
strong relationships with various
stakeholders in the property
market. Bower & Bailey are an
increasingly expanding firm with
a sizeable property department
who have excellent relationships
with local estate agents and
property developers.
“Swindon is a
property hotspot”
Eugene Murphy, Partner, Bower
& Bailey Solicitors can be
contacted via email :
[email protected]
Twitter @BowerBailey
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Cambridge House,
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Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 1PJ
T: 01793 610466
F: 01793 511505
www.bowerandbailey.co.uk
06/11/2015
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE
2018 08:23
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