School zones

School zones are an important thing to consider when you purchase a property. Whether you have kids, are planning to, or are wanting to invest in property; it is a factor that impacts on the value of the home.

It’s that time of the year that school zones are an important consideration. Students can now enrol for the 2023 school year.

We’re sharing what school zones are, why they exist, and how they can affect the value of your home. We also spotlighting one of our Christchurch developments, that is primely located for school zones in 2023.

What are school zones?

A school zone is a clearly defined geographical area around a school, with its boundaries indicated by street names and numbers or other geographical features.

All students living inside their home zone and wanting to enrol are guaranteed a place at school. Students living outside the zone can apply to enrol but their enrolment depends on out-of-zone places being available. If a state school has an enrolment scheme, it will have a home zone.

What is the purpose of school zones?

School zones are designed to guarantee local students a place at their local school. They also aim to prevent overcrowding and balance student populations across a local networks of schools.

How school zones can affect the value of your home:

Properties in zone for sought-after schools, or in more than one school zone, tend to be priced much higher. Having the benefit of many school options is always an appealing feature for a home buyer. 

With an increase in the population across New Zealand and Australia, there is an influx of students into schools. Some schools have had such a large intake of in zone enrolments they have to limit out of zone enrolments or simply do not have capacity for any out of zone enrolments. This creates more competition for the out of zone enrolments or forces people to live in homes in the zone of the school they want their students to attend.

All in part contributing to increasing the value of homes that are in good school zoning locaitons.

Example of a Williams Corporation Development that is primely located for school zones:

Our Williams Corporation team took our 66B Wharenui Road development and researched what Christchurch schools it was in zone for. The red markers below indicate those which it is in zone for.

Key schools that these homes are in zone for include 

• Christchurch Girls’ High School
• Christchurch Boys’ High School
• Rangi Ruru Girls High School
• Villa Maria College
• St Thomas
• Riccarton High School

When purchasing property, it is important to factor in school zones. Whether you have kids, or are planning to have kids, researching which zones are in your potential suburbs will pay off in the long run for the re-sale price of your property.