Moving home for school catchment areas
Up to a quarter of home movers move home specifically to
make sure their children are in with the best chance of securing a place in
their chosen school.* This is one of the top reasons for families choosing to
move house.
This behaviour has increased competition for houses in
specific areas, particularly those within the catchment areas of good schools
with outstanding Ofsted reports. So in order to get your child into your
preferred school, you have to be ready to move quickly, when the right home for
you becomes available. This is made much easier if you can plan as far in
advance as possible, so start thinking about which school you would rather your
child go to before the rush begins (the deadline date for primary school
applications is 15th January and secondary school is 31st October).
Be prepared to pay!
A good school can have a significant effect on house
prices within its catchment area, adding up to a 20% premium onto the cost of a
house. This could mean a lot less house for your money so you may need to
carefully balance educational needs with the demands that growing children have
on the space within a home. Some may argue that the benefits of a good
education last a lifetime, and you could always move back to an area once the
children have left school.
Finding out the catchment areas
There are plenty of tools that can help you determine
where it is you might want to buy with regards to the local school’s catchment
area. Sites such as Zoopla and Right Move both offer postcode lookups so you
can start to research the areas you are interested in moving to.
Applying for the school
If you want your child to attend a specific school, you
should apply at least 6 weeks before they are due to start. Each local
authority is different, but the earlier you begin the process the better,
particularly if there is a chance that you aren’t successful with your first
choice.
You’ll need to have some sort of proof of your new
address. Usually, a school will accept a solicitors letter as proof if you’ve
not already moved in. If you know what school you want your child to attend,
talk directly with the school and confirm that you will qualify to have your
child attend if you were to move to the address. It is expensive to move
somewhere in vain when you’ve done so specifically for a school.
Other Resources
To see more details on applying for schools, see the
Gov.Uk site. Your local authority website will also have resources about local
schools.
If
you'd like to speak to a mortgage adviser about moving home, please don't
hesitate to contact us today.
*https://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/sep/02/one-in-four-families-m...
For further information call: 07967 323668
Email: Ian.Williams2@mab.org.ukor visit: www.mortgageadvicebureau.com/wiltshire
Your home may be repossessed
if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There will be a fee for mortgage
advice. The actual amount you pay will depend upon your circumstances.
The fee is up to 1% but a typical
fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.
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