What were the most in-demand school zones for Canberra property hunters ahead of the school year?

School zones are proving to be a major factor in property buying decisions for families in 2022, with many parents willing to pay extra or downsize to secure a home within a particular enrolment zone.

Allhomes internal data, which looked at buyer behaviour based on search terms between October and December, revealed that Telopea Park School was the most popular priority enrolment area for property hunters. 

This was followed by the Alfred Deakin High School, Lyneham High School and Tuner School priority enrolment areas.

The top 10 zones that property hunters actively searched for were mostly spread across the Inner North, Inner South and Woden Valley.

With the median house price in all three regions in excess of $1 million, according to the latest Domain House Price Report, buyers have been willing to forego certain luxuries in a bid to purchase a property within those school areas.

“Some families who were looking to get into certain priority enrolment areas had to downsize because these schools are all located in the Inner North and Inner South,” said Bree Currall of Belle Property Canberra.

“Obviously, what you get for $1 million in Gungahlin versus what you can get with that price in the Inner North and Inner South is vastly different … so some families have sacrificed that space to get into those schools.

“However, we do have buyers who are willing to pay a premium to get into certain schools, so everyone’s circumstances vary.”

Andrew Chamberlain of Blackshaw Manuka said he wasn’t surprised by the top 10 schools, and noted that every school “offers a unique experience for every student”.

“Telopea Park School, for instance, has an English-French bilingual program on offer and some parents are quite particular about what they want their kids to learn … for some parents, this style of learning is non-negotiable,” he said.

“But one thing that’s great about Canberra, there’s really no school that families avoid. Schools across the ACT, by and large, have extremely high standards.”

Ms Currall added that October to December was a busy period for parents looking to move ahead of the new school year.

“They want to get in before the new school year begins and begin the enrolment process,” she said. “Some young families with primary school-aged kids start to hunt during this time to get their children in earlier than later.

“Then we also have families who are also looking in the long term and want to purchase something that is also near a certain high school or college.”

Mr Chamberlain noted that “a growing family is often what precipitates a move in the first place”.

“While purchasing property solely on a school zone isn’t a key driver for some buyers, where they purchase ultimately dictates where their kids can be enrolled into”.