Local property experts ESPC has revealed how much being in a top Edinburgh school catchment affects your home's value.
Schools went back this week following the summer holidays, and that means plenty of homeowners and prospective buyers are starting to think about their next move.
It’s understandable that many family buyers would want to secure a new home and pathway to their ideal school sooner rather than later. It’s well known that places at the top-ranking secondary schools in Edinburgh are hard to come by, with ever-increasing demand for spaces at those in the top 10 specifically.
With that in mind, ESPC has revealed just how much being in the catchment area for a top-ranking school impacts a property’s appeal.
Paul Hilton, CEO of ESPC, said: “The average selling price for homes in the catchment for Edinburgh’s top ten secondary schools doesn’t fall lower than £413,000, which is around £47,000 higher than the average price for a three-bedroom home across the city.
“Homes in the best-performing catchment areas tend to attract higher demand from buyers, with properties more likely to set closing dates, and buyers more likely to pay a higher premium above the Home Report valuation.
“Remember, if you have a particular school catchment in mind, you can use ESPC’s unique ‘search by school catchment’ tool to find homes in the right area for your ideal school.”
Our photo gallery below shows the property price data for homes in the catchment area for Edinburgh’s top 5 schools (according to the most recent Sunday Times school league tables), compared to schools in the rankings at places 11-15, to see how much being close to a top-ranking school affects the value of a local family home.
5. Balerno Community High School
On the outskirts of Edinburgh, fifth-place Balerno Community High School offers huge appeal for buyers looking to enjoy a village lifestyle for their families. The catchment covers the village of Balerno itself, plus the popular family neighbourhoods of Ratho and Kirknewton. Average property selling price for a three-bed home: £439,051. Median selling time: 26 days. Closing dates: 17 per cent. Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 100.1 per cent. | Stock
6. Queensferry Community High School
Sitting just outside the top 10 rankings, Queensferry Community High School’s catchment area covers South Queensferry, Kirkliston and Dalmeny. The market here is generally much closer to the overall Edinburgh averages, with some clear differences in demand between this and the top-ranking schools, which is great news for buyers. Average property selling price for a three-bed home: £355,785. Median selling time: 38 days. Closing dates: 12 per cent. Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 100.7 per cent. | Stock
7. Holy Rood RC High School
Located close to Portobello and Duddingston, Holy Rood RC High has a wider catchment area due to it being an RC school, spanning the whole of east and southeast Edinburgh, plus large parts of central and southern Edinburgh, which makes defining the market slightly harder to judge against schools with a more limited catchment. Average property selling price for a three-bed home: £375,574. Median selling time: 21 days. Closing dates: 20 per cent. Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 102.5 per cent. | Stock
8. Broughton High School
Notable areas of Edinburgh’s north and northwest make up the catchment areas for 13th -place Broughton High, including Stockbridge, Inverleith and Canonmills, alongside areas of Granton. Given the area’s amenities and proximity to town, property demand remains high for homes within this catchment. Average property selling price for a three-bed home: £394,374. Median selling time: 18 days. Closing dates: 20 per cent. Average amount of Home Report valuation paid: 103.2 per cent. | City of Edinburgh Council