Unsurprisingly, the competition for houses within the catchment areas of good schools is fierce. School admission rules are mainly based on location. Children need to live within the catchment area of the school for the best chance of being accepted. Research has suggested that schools that have received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted resulted in a 13.2% higher cost of a home near a school than those rated as Good or below.
This soar in prices also has its own advantages, these houses will be in well built-up areas with shops, parks and transport links nearby. Furthermore, with a school’s reputation to uphold, these areas will likely be safer where cars won’t be seen racing through. Living near to other parents and children of similar ages can create like-minded communities. This in turn can complement the social skills of children.
An experienced buying agent will research historic property values, recent sales data and pinpoint hotspots that buyers should target to find their ideal home for the best possible price.
Matt Turner, Founder of Astute Property Search, comments: “With over 21 years of experience in the property market, I have a deep knowledge of how the market works and the one constant that I have found has little to no compromise is proximity to good schools – it’s a factor that keeps the property market turning, even in the bad times.
“We have found that buyers can compromise on location, property type or proximity to amenities and transport connections – often investing ahead of the curve in anticipation that improvements to infrastructure or living habits will turn in their favour. But schools have their own pulling power, creating mini bubbles around them where good homes are like gold dust.
“In London, being within catchment of a top-rated school can add up to a £100,000 premium compared to similar homes nearby but just out of catchment 4. This is where a buying agent will earn their fees, it is down to us to study these locations, infiltrate the mini bubble and keep our finger on the pulse to be the first in when a home comes onto the market, as well as find elements that could help negotiate the best price – from sourcing doer uppers to finding vendors keen to sell and open to negotiate on the price for a smooth sell.
"The competition can be fierce, so we will always add the edge to those going it alone and that’s the difference between a child’s education it’s worth the investment.”
