School Zones: The True Cost of a Free Education

Do school zones have an effect on housing prices in Melbourne? You bet they do!

Unless you have school-aged children or are planning to have kids in the near future, school zones are unlikely to be high on the priority list when it comes to the criteria for your dream home. However, you could be doing yourself a disservice when it comes to capital growth potential if you’re not taking this into account.

Catchment zones: what are they exactly?

Generally speaking, school ‘zones’ or ‘catchments’ are areas set around schools, which the government indicates is where the bulk of a school’s pupils must live to be eligible to enrol. They mainly apply to government-run public schools. 

Property located within the zone for popular public primary and secondary schools have the potential to secure sale prices of up to 20% - 30% more than property outside the zone.