Top mark in finding school fit

STARTING school is three years away for my daughter but already I’m looking at catchments for “good schools”.

This is largely driven by fear from an over-protective mother hen who wants her daughter to go to a “good” school with “good” kids who provide a “good” influence.

Oh, and with attentive teachers who aren’t pulling their hair out over Johnnie who is causing a raucous in the corner.

I thought I was alone in my paranoia, but according to Cairns real estate agents, school catchments are a huge factor when young families or expectant parents are on the house hunt.

I’m told many first and second-home buyers want to be close to a reputable school and it is could very well sway a buyer from one property to another in a better location.

One agent told me of a mother who purchased an investment property in the high school catchment where she wanted her child to attend – and her daughter only started Prep last year.

Another told me of a parent who moved from one location and rented (for at least six months) within a specific catchment just so her son could nab a spot at the state school of her choice.

It is also the reason real estate websites – like realestate.com.au – have now added a ‘nearby schools’ section. Unconsciously, this has been on my mind for quite some time.

When my husband and I decided to sell our Trinity Beach home, I remember telling the agent to include Trinity Beach State School in the advertisement because of its good reputation.

Now embarking on the search for our “forever home”, I have been more inclined to look in areas where the schools have rated well online and through word-of-mouth.

It seems like a crazy tactic when looking at what one can afford, location to workplaces and amenities, but I guess it’s just something else to add to the ever-growing wish list.