Where a good school is worth more than your dream house

IT seems home buyers are increasingly willing to sacrifice their dream house for an address in a popular school zone — despite increasing enrolment caps. Here are some of the top picks in the east.

Students at Glenunga International High School. picture: Bianca De Marchi

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BUYERS are willing to sacrifice their dream home to land in a popular school zones, real estate agents says.

Agents are increasingly being approached by families looking to buy houses in desirable school zones, in suburbs including Glenunga, Linden Park and Glenside.

Walter Irvine sales consultant Lidija Kies said she had been approached by several families desperate to buy in the Linden Park Primary and Glenunga International High school zones.

“A house we had in St Georges, which was right behind the Linden Park Primary School, sold right before we even got it on the internet, just from the for sale sign,” Mrs Kies said.

“The family who were sending their kids there, they really wanted to buy a house to make sure their kids could stay in the school.”

In recent years, the east’s most popular schools have stopped taking students from outside their zones.

Rose Park and Linden Park primary schools have now frozen enrolments, meaning even students living in the zones are not guaranteed a place.

This home in Rose Park is set to be auctioned this weekend.

In the past five years, the average price of houses in Glenunga has risen by 23.6 per cent to almost $873,000.

The average house price in neighbouring Highgate, outside the Glenunga International High zone, has risen by just 3.9 per cent to $831,000.

Harcourts sale consultant Michael Stentiford said families were happy to pay much more than the asking price due to the fierce competition between buyers.

“Buyers are certainly willing to compromise in the size of the property, if that means they will get into the zone,” Mr Stentiford said.

This home in Glenunga has recently been listed for auction.

“If you took a comparable property outside the zone, it would be 10 per cent less.”

In 2014, mother of two Ida Mok approached Mrs Kies to help her find a house in the Glenunga school zone.

After door knocking houses in Myrtle Bank, Mrs Kies was able to find someone who was interested in selling to the family.

“It wasn’t the dream home that they were looking for but to get in the area and get her kids at that school that is what she was willing to sacrifice,” Mrs Kies said.

Mrs Mok was relieved to be able to send her children to Glenunga.

“As a parent you do your very best to get your kids into a good school,” Mrs Mok said.

“Being able to secure a home it was essentially easier to win the lottery.

“I was quite fortunate to get one here; I just made it into the zone to be honest.”