Useful online tool helps hunt for homes in school catchment areas

Prices of homes near to the highest achieving schools are continuing to rise, according to new figures from Strutt & Parker who say that school catchment areas can offer investors and parents some reassurance against the fluctuations of the property market.

“Catchment areas for state schools are clearly defined and parents choosing to send their children to public schools will also want to be within a certain distance,” says James Mackenzie from Strutt & Parker’. “We often see homes near to good boarding schools enter fierce competitive bidding wars”.

These properties often hold their value in a problematic market and tend to sell faster if the market stalls on the basis that there will always be parents willing to pay the extra premium for their children. For those parents looking at state schools, the competition for an address within the catchment area of a top-rated school makes them very attractive investments as there is always a strong demand among parents.

One useful tool which helps in the hunt for homes in specific school catchment areas is Zoopla SmartMaps. SmartMaps allows you to draw the boundaries around a location you are interested in, such as a school. You can then register for email alerts for new properties within that area and also email multiple agents with property in the area. This also works for renting . As well as being easy to use, it’s also quite fun.

Useful web sites for more information
Property Search Engine
Independent property news
Zoopla Smart Maps

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