Record numbers of family-sized houses are being put up for sale as private school parents relocate to balance increased school fees with the big house and a chi-chi lifestyle, according to a leading estate agent.
Ahead of the beginning of the next academic year, families are moving to areas with good state schools, or to parts of the country where property prices are lower, so they can still afford to have it all, explains Dominic Agace, chief executive of Winkworth.
'In the home counties, where many families who send children to private schools are based, stock levels are up 13 per cent compared to the same time last year,' Agace tells Country Life.
'Our research shows families making proactive decisions in response to Labour's VAT on school fees. Some are moving into sought-after state school catchments, and others are downsizing or relocate to manage costs,' he adds.
Agents across Winkworth's 100 nationwide offices are reporting huge demand and sealed bids for family-sized homes — and their research is echoed by analysis from Savills, who have identified a list of relocation hotspots.
Near the top of the list are Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, both in Kent — a county which is both easily commutable to London, and which has retained an enviable list of grammar schools. Each has outperformed the market in terms of annual house price growth. This four/five-bedroom townhouse is on the market at £899,950 via Savills.
This lovely end-of-terrace townhouse in the centre of Tunbridge Wells has a great location and is in the catchment for some superb schools.
Beyond south-east England, standouts include Chester and Lincoln, and again the influence of schools is clear. Lincolnshire has the highest number of grammar schools in the Midlands and the North, according to Nick Maud, author of the Savills analysis, while also offering buyers plenty for their budget. The East Midlands county has been ranked by Savills as the best for those families looking for a well-priced detached property near a private school.
The average property price for a detached house in Lincolnshire is £309,600, up almost seven per cent since 2021 and the peak of the pandemic. This compares to an average of £1,142,545 across Greater London.
Stamford School in the Georgian market town of the same name is one of the most prestigious public schools in the country with alumni such as author Colin Dexter who created Inspector Morse, and the conductor Sir Malcom Sargent, who first conducted the BBC Proms in 1948. For those happy to live a few miles out of the centre, there is a great choice of property, such as this eight-bedroom farmhouse, in need of work but with wonderful views, for £850,000 via Woodcock Holnes.
Eight bedrooms, four acres of land and wonderful views are on offer in this house near Stamford.
Lancashire comes second in the ranking, with an average detached house price of £365,352 and 42 private schools, followed by Staffordshire (£399,079 and 22 respectively).
Merseyside, Shropshire, West Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire complete the Savills top eight. All are in the top half of the country, demonstrating the dramatic north-south divide when it comes to house prices.
County | Detached house average price | Number of private schools |
Lincolnshire | £309,600 | 20 |
Lancashire | £365,352 | 42 |
Staffordshire | £378,791 | 22 |
Merseyside | £399,079 | 19 |
Shropshire | £401,212 | 18 |
West Yorkshire | £413,210 | 48 |
Leicestershire | £422,970 | 25 |
Northamptonshire | £438,307 | 18 |
Source: Savills research, using Land Registry price paid (Nov '23-Oct'24), Department for Education, and Independent Schools Council data
It would seem that the pandemic trend of householders relocating away from London for space and value for money has continued to a lesser degree and now school fees are a factor too.
'We had a family who sold up in Twickenham last year predicting that Labour would win the election and that Keir Starmer would make good on his promise to slap 20 per cent VAT on private school fees,' says James Sibley of Strutt & Parker. 'This sent them exploring areas of the country which were entirely unknown to them and where they had no connections.'
Their search for good private schools away from London eventually took them to Shropshire. The family with two small children sold their house in Greater London for £900,000 and bought a grand country property for £925,000 on the outskirts of Shrewsbury.
"They had looked at Buckinghamshire but they didn't get much more for their money than in Twickenham,' Sibley continues. 'He worked in aviation and can be based at the Manchester office and only has to be in London a couple of times a month.'
Shrewsbury School is renowned for its sporting focus and its former pupils include Charles Darwin, Richard Ingrams (co-founder of Private Eye) and Michael Palin — and the town from which it takes its name has some lovely places to live. There is currently a grand, double-fronted villa near the ancient centre, beautifully refurbished and with four bedrooms, up for sale with an asking price of £875,000 via Strutt & Parker.
2,200 sq ft, a lovely kitchen-diner opening on to a patio, town centre location and super-fast broadband at this Shrewsbury home.
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