Lots of us will go to great lengths to buy a home near a good school.
In fact, more than a quarter of parents buy a house to be in the catchment area of a high-performing school.
We're used to paying more for the privilege, too. Being close to a good school can add a whopping £83,000 to a home's price tag.
And in London, it can cost you £200,000 to buy near a top school.
But that doesn’t have to be the case.
There are some areas around the UK where you pay less for a home that's close to a highly rated school.
We've compared our house price data with postcodes that have a school rated Outstanding by Ofsted, with help from money.co.uk.
And there are some towns and cities where it's actually cheaper to buy a home in the same area as a top school.
The cheapest places to buy a house close to an Outstanding school
| Town/city | Average house prices in postcodes without an Outstanding school | Average house prices in postcodes with an Outstanding school | House price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wakefield | £307,866 | £210,137 | -31.74% |
| Wolverhampton | £234,242 | £182,181 | -22.23% |
| Watford | £669,635 | £553,283 | -17.38% |
| Oxford | £533,443 | £441,751 | -17.19% |
| Darlington | £210,204 | £175,761 | -16.39% |
| Dudley | £261,540 | £226,960 | -13.22% |
| Tweeddale | £222,885 | £198,299 | -11.03% |
| Kingston upon Thames | £783,619 | £698,489 | -10.86% |
| Bournemouth | £430,498 | £385,450 | -10.46% |
| North West London | £1,042,580 | £940,133 | -9.83% |
1. Wakefield: 32% cheaper to buy a home near an Outstanding school
Wakefield offers the most savings to buy a house near an Outstanding school.
There are 8 Outstanding schools in Wakefield at the moment, and you'll pay £210,137 on average to live in the same postcode as one. That's 31.74% cheaper than homes in other Wakefield areas.
To buy a home further away from an Outstanding school, you're looking at an average of £307,866.
The average sold price for a property in Wakefield in the last 12 months is £230,293.
2. Wolverhampton: 22% cheaper to buy a home near an Outstanding school
Wolverhampton comes in at second place, with a 22.23% decrease in price if you buy a house close to one of its 14 Outstanding schools.
You'll pay an average of £182,000 to live in the same postcode as a top school in Wolverhampton.
Homes further away from Outstanding schools cost an average of £234,242.
The average sold price for a property in Wolverhampton in the last 12 months is £230,025.
3. Watford: 17% cheaper to buy a home near an Outstanding school
Watford is a hotspot for Outstanding schools, with 15 schools gaining top marks from Ofsted.
You’ll pay less to live close to them too, saving 17% by buying a home in the same postcode. The average sale price is £553,283.
Homes further away from good schools come in at an average of £669,635.
The average sold price for a property in Watford in the last 12 months is £455,504.
The most expensive places to buy a house close to an Outstanding school
This table shows the towns and cities in the UK where house prices increase the most in postcodes with an Outstanding school.
| Town/city | Average house prices in areas without an Outstanding school | Average house prices in areas with an Outstanding school | House price difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | £125,917 | £176,326 | 40.03% |
| Durham | £154,791 | £215,646 | 39.31% |
| Blackpool | £158,753 | £208,846 | 31.55% |
| Stockport | £277,440 | £361,865 | 30.43% |
| Swindon | £331,484 | £429,330 | 29.52% |
1. Sunderland: 40% more expensive to buy a home near an Outstanding school
There are 17 Outstanding schools in Sunderland and you’re looking at paying 40% more to live near them.
You'll pay an average of £176,326 for a home in the same area as a top school in Sunderland.
If you buy outside of those areas, that figure drops to £125,917.
2. Durham: 39% more expensive to buy a home near an Outstanding school
There are currently 8 schools in Durham rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
Homes in the same postcode as these schools cost an average of £215,646.
That's 39% more expensive than homes in areas without a top school, which cost an average of £154,791.
3. Blackpool: 31% more expensive to buy a home near an Outstanding school
There are just 5 Outstanding schools in Blackpool. And homes nearby are in high demand, with an average price of £208,846.
Meanwhile, homes in Blackpool postcodes without a top school cost 31% less, at an average of £158,753.
Do you live near a school?
If you live near a school, your home's value might have changed.
Schools are rated by Ofsted every few years. If they go up or down in the ratings, it could impact the value of your home.
Read more about how schools change the price of a home on money.co.uk.