In a city with more than 273,000 school-going children, Aucklanders - particularly Auckland house-hunters - spend a disproportionate time focusing on house prices in a handful of suburbs that happen to be in zone for some of the city's more well-known schools.
Considered the prestige schools of their area, the Grammars - Auckland, Epsom Girls, Mt Albert, Takapuna - plus Westlake Boys’ and Girls’ high schools on the North Shore and Macleans to the south east, these school zones are said to add premiums to house values. Yet, all up, they educate just under 13,000 high-schoolers.
When Auckland Council economists did the maths last year, all else being equal, a house in a decile 10 zone sells for around $225,000 more than an identical house in a decile 1 zone, each additional decile on average adding about $22,500 to the price of a home. Being in the double Grammar zone added up to $130,000 to a house price.
Does that mean that you can only buy in zone if you have more than a million bucks to spend on a house? OneRoof.co.nz has found homes in the above zones - small, but still with three bedrooms - for as little as $695,000. Some of our picks are guided by the CV, and as such aren't a definitive guide to price, as houses can sell above and below their council valuation. With that in mind, here are our picks:
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Double Grammar Zone
Double Grammar Zone covers all of Newmarket and Parnell, most of Remuera and Epsom and parts of Mt Eden. Home-owners within zone are eligible to send their children to Auckland Grammar, Epsom Girls Grammar.
At the top end of the market, buyers could easily pay in excess of $10 million to secure a Grammar Zone address. The median values of the suburbs within the zone range from $1.2 million to $1.7 million.
But you can find houses with asking prices and CVs of less than $1 million.
60 Harold Street Mt Eden
The boys could pretty much roll out of bed at five to nine and still make assembly if you bought a new townhouse in Harold Street, Eden Terrace. The three-bed 91sqm home has a small balcony for outdoor living, and is a mere block from Mt Eden railway station. Asking price $898,000.
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82 Esplanade Road, Mt Eden
A three-bed apartment in an historic 1920s block on Esplanade Road boasts beautiful details, including arts and crafts style panelling and staircase, bay windows and good bathroom. There’s enough of a courtyard garden for kids and their mates to spread out, plus a double garage for the cars. It has a CV of $830,000. Auction March 30.
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Mt Albert Grammar
The median value of houses in Mt Albert is $1.087 million and in neighbouring Sandringham it's $1.137 million, so the stretch to get into zone for Mt Albert Grammar may not be as painful for families as the stretch to get into neighbouring Double Grammar Zone. And there options for under a million dollars.
37/17 Lyon Avenue, Mt Albert
A three-bed terrace in a large complex on Lyon Ave has a good-sized deck and a private courtyard, pretty much right over the fence from Grammar’s paddocks. St Lukes shops and movies are just up the road for easy teen entertaining, buses galore on all the main roads, or a few blocks to Baldwin Avenue train station. Asking price $815,000.
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30A Aroha Avenue, Sandringham
This 136sqm brick and plaster two storied town house on Aroha Ave has an internal garage and some garden on 235sqm of land. Right next to a park and St Lukes to keep the kids amused. Asking price $880,000
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26 Arabi Street, Sandringham
Further into Sandringham proper - easy to get to the fabulous eats of Sandringham Road - is a nicely updated 1950s bungalow on Arabi. Cool kitchen and bathroom, wood floor, white paint, good outdoor living on 429 square metres, tons of public transport options. CV $920,000. Price by negotiation.
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Takapuna Grammar
The school known for producing global pop stars, Takapuna Grammar is on the bubble of Devonport/Bayswater/Belmont peninsula, where kids have mostly gone to the same intermediate school or one of only five primary schools. The median value of residential properties in this zone ranges from just over a million dollars to $1.566 million.
2/221 Lake Road, Belmont
Entry level here is on Lake Road - the kids merely cross the road - in a solid 1950s brick and rough-cast bungalow. Three beds, but a bonus garage/recreation room that the teens can disappear into. Easy bus, cycling routes into Takapuna or Devonport, and beaches behind the school. CV $870,000. Tender closes March 20.
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Westlake Girls, Westlake Boys
The zone for these schools takes in Milford, Forrest Hill, Campbell Bay and parts of Wairau Valley and Hillcrest where the median value of properties ranges from $1.19 million to $1.8 million.
3/20 Seaview Road, Milford
A smart little two-bed unit in Seaview gets you into the zone, where there’s enough deck to spread outside and Milford beach is just down the road. Asking price $695,000.
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2/6 Mira Place, Mairangi Bay
A cool bit of 1970s North Shore bones await a bit of a tidy up on Mira Place. Again, there are only two bedrooms, two bathrooms including master with ensuite and open plan living on a fair bit of dirt. The cross-lease property is in the Windsor Park area of Mairangi Bay, so there’s that whole North Shore beach life not too far away. CV $870,000. Auction April 4.
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2/24 Merton Avenue, Glenfield
A family-sized three bedroom, two storied plaster home backing on to back yard into Normanton Reserve. Close to Wairau Park and includes a nice leafy garden and tidy kitchen and bathroom. Asking price $735,000.
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2/311 Wairau Road, Totara Vale
A brick-clad do-up on Wairau Road with three bedrooms and a bonus of ground floor rumpus room. The bus is right outside the door, so there’s no need for the parent taxi service, the dairy over the road to take care of teen snack-attacks. Asking price $749,000.
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1/40 Edgeworth Road, Glenfield
Near Wakefield Park, this house is a rather cool slice of 1960s. Three beds, loads of decks and lawns and an easy walk to the mall for the kids. CV $850,000. By negotiation.
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Macleans College
The magnet for the south east, Macleans College has a school roll 2200 students. The median value of properties in Macleans zone suburbs hovers around the $1.2 million mark, but there are options where CVs or asking prices sit under $1 million.
2/328 Bucklands Beach Road, Bucklands Beach
A tidy 1988 brick place just needs a bit of lick and polish to modernise it, but it’s got all the bones - good layout, sunny yard, double garage. And location, an easy walk to school or Pakuranga Domain.
Asking price $864,000.
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2/157 Bucklands Beach Road
A 140sqm 1990s house at the end of a right of way with a good private yard and double garage. CV $860,000. Auction March 20.
