19/07/2004

Finding better schools prime reason for house move, says survey

Up to 71,000 people will have moved home between April and September 2004 to ensure they fall into a better school catchment area, according to a survey published today.

According to Sainsbury’s Bank, moving home to secure the best schooling for their children was a greater motivation than moving to a house with a garden (50,000 people) or relocating from the city to the country (47,000).

Securing a better school education was also stated as a reason to move home by more people than moving in with a partner (22,000), disagreeable neighbours (27,000) or getting married (38,000).

A regional trend also reveals that parents in the Midlands and the south of England were more likely to move house in order to get into a better school catchment area than those based in the north of England and Scotland.

The survey’s findings underline the drastic measures taken by parents to get their children the best possible education.

Sainbury's Bank said that desperation to secure their offspring’s future is also helping to fuel the high cost of buying a home within a popular school catchment area. People are generally prepared to pay over 10% or more on the value of a property, the equivalent of almost £15,000 on the average UK house price, the survey found.

Robert O’May, home insurance manager, Sainsbury’s Bank said: “Our findings underline parents’ determination to secure a good school for their children, even to the point of moving house to ensure they live within a desirable catchment area.”

More than 2,000 UK homeowners were interviewed by telephone for Sainsbury's Bank.

(gmcg)

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