Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Buy BTL house for postcode for secondary? Please help

331 replies

Schoolhousemystery · 15/12/2023 12:26

Please tell me if I got it right or wrong in my head! I think there is probably something I have not considered well.

We live in a house which we bought and we have a mortgage.

We have saved around £100k which we can use for a deposit for another house.

Our kids are early KS1 years but we don't have a good comp secondary around - we live in a heavy grammar area.

Would it be a strategic move to buy a second property close to a good comp secondary, have a buy-to-let mortgage on it , and use this address for the secondary applications? It will work well for most grammars anyway.

Would it matter that someone else would live in there as the mortgage would be buy-to-let? If we get a place to that school we will move there but since the primary is next door to our house we wouldn't like to move from now. And we don't want the money to sit in our account forever.

This house would be used from us as a back-up if our kids won't do well in the grammar results.

AIBU - There is something I am missing and we can't use an address that someone else lives even if we own that property

AINBU - You can use the address of your hypothetical BTL property

OP posts:
SkySecret · 15/12/2023 15:29

Someone has probably already suggested this genius idea, but why don’t you just move bloody house nearer the time? Why buy a random “spare house” ready for god knows when?

Get a BTL if that’s what you were planning anyway, then prior to school app time, pop yours on the market and move house! You may be further away from primary school for a year or two but if it’s THAT important to you to be in a specific catchment area, then move there.

StarlightLime · 15/12/2023 15:30

TheShellBeach · 15/12/2023 14:19

I honestly had no idea how bad this is, and we are not intending to do it

So why start a thread about it if you're not intending to do it?
Hmm

She was hoping someone had a clever wheeze to enable her to do it...

Pinkelephant66 · 15/12/2023 15:33

I’m sure you can have two residential mortgages

FatMumSlimDad · 15/12/2023 15:34

You need to do like the rest of us do and move house before Year 6.

You put your current address (that the primary school has, that you LIVE at) on your secondary application.

If you're capable of affording 2 houses and 2 mortgages though then why not look at private schools?

KingsleyBorder · 15/12/2023 15:35

All this focus on owning the property, as if this creates some magical entitlement to a place at the school. OP, has it not crossed your mind that people who rent their homes are also entitled to an education for the children? The education authority could not care less what financial arrangements are in place in relation to the property. What they want is evidence of physical occupation on a permanent basis. That’s why it doesn’t matter in the slightest what sort of mortgage(s) you have.

StarlightLime · 15/12/2023 15:37

KingsleyBorder · 15/12/2023 15:35

All this focus on owning the property, as if this creates some magical entitlement to a place at the school. OP, has it not crossed your mind that people who rent their homes are also entitled to an education for the children? The education authority could not care less what financial arrangements are in place in relation to the property. What they want is evidence of physical occupation on a permanent basis. That’s why it doesn’t matter in the slightest what sort of mortgage(s) you have.

She can't use a rental address as her primary residence whilst owning property within a reasonable distance elsewhere.

ChannelLightVessel · 15/12/2023 15:40

I had a colleague who sent her DC to private primary school so that they would get into a state grammar. So that’s another way to do it if you have the money. And the fees are usually cheaper for primary than secondary.

FinallyHere · 15/12/2023 15:41

If not, I guess only cash buyers could "cheat" the system?

Do you plan to host any play dates in the 'other' house? Otherwise, how are you going to keep your actual residence secret from other parents. They will all know people whose DC did not get a place because ...

The only option is to move into the 'other' house when you apply for a place for your eldest DC and commute back to primary for any other DC they will most likely be allowed to keep their place at primary or they could move with you.

Them really is the breaks.

KeyWorker · 15/12/2023 15:42

If you are financially well off enough to consider a second home for the purposes of the school application, can you not consider private schools?

WelshNerd · 15/12/2023 15:42

if you have money and want to “cheat” the system, private school seems the easiest option.

Densol57 · 15/12/2023 15:42

I bought a "house" on a BTL and moved into it ( for insurances purposes so it wasnt empty ) for 6 months to completely refurbish it. Council tax and everything. Not for a school though but same difference and perfectly permitted under BTL mortgage

FreshWinterMorning · 15/12/2023 15:43

Are people on here not being arsed to read the OP's posts? She has said SHE IS NOT GOING TO DO IT.

Good call @Schoolhousemystery for the reasons many people have given.

All the best. Flowers

Cosyblankets · 15/12/2023 15:44

Densol57 · 15/12/2023 15:42

I bought a "house" on a BTL and moved into it ( for insurances purposes so it wasnt empty ) for 6 months to completely refurbish it. Council tax and everything. Not for a school though but same difference and perfectly permitted under BTL mortgage

I thought you weren't allowed to live in your own BTL. is that just when you're doing it up?

99victoria · 15/12/2023 15:54

You don't have to own the house you live in - friends of ours rented out their home then rented somewhere in the school catchment area and lived there for 2 years. Once their child was in the school of their choice they moved back. Their younger child got in because they had a sibling there already

Densol57 · 15/12/2023 15:59

Cosyblankets · 15/12/2023 15:44

I thought you weren't allowed to live in your own BTL. is that just when you're doing it up?

Show quote history

As I said, whilst I was refurbishing it. You can it if its temporary and you also have a property elsewhere. I do it with all my properties.

DeltaAlphaDelta79 · 15/12/2023 15:59

DinoDays · 15/12/2023 15:06

@DeltaAlphaDelta79

Now that sounds an interesting job! Please do an AMA!!

Show quote history

It's often not as interesting as it sounds, but thank you!

I have only been with the council for for a few years so am still a relative newbie, but have previously investigated other public sector and insurance fraud, with about 20 years experience. (give or take as a fraud investigator). I had considered an AMA before but I know there are a few other posters on here in the same industry. If enough people are interested, I might be persuaded 😁

KingsleyBorder · 15/12/2023 16:02

StarlightLime · 15/12/2023 15:37

She can't use a rental address as her primary residence whilst owning property within a reasonable distance elsewhere.

Show quote history

What are you on about? I’m talking about people who do not own their own homes, my point is that people who rent and can never get on the property ladder are just as entitled to education based on place of residence than people who own their own homes. That is why the authorities look at residence not ownership.

Did you think I was advising her to rent near the school or something?’

LeaveBritneyAlone · 15/12/2023 16:03

@DeltaAlphaDelta79 can I ask how you got into that line of work? I’m in an industry that bores the crap out of me. Looking for a new direction!

forgotmyusername1 · 15/12/2023 16:05

Mummyoflittledragon · 15/12/2023 15:04

100k will not touch the sides with 2 dcs.

Show quote history

100k plus second stamp duty and the monthly payments of a second mortgage on an empty property (may be around 1200-1500 a month)

that would cover some school fees

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 15/12/2023 16:09

Schoolhousemystery · 15/12/2023 13:49

Many responses here are very judgemental. I honestly had no idea how bad this is, and we are not intending to do it, of course, I was just trying to understand the options.

We are not from the UK and we don't know how the system works. We won't try to trick the system if it's something illegal.

Please stop criticising someone that asked for advice, like they have already committed a crime!

I asked if this can happen, I challenged it, I got the answers I wanted. I understood it's illegal and end of story.

Not being from the UK isn’t really a valid excuse for not knowing how things work here! You obvs know how a BTL mortgage works and the internet.

I’ve got a French friend (English husband), the DH knows nothing about school admissions, they moved somewhere better to enable their DC chances of getting into better schools (lifestyle choice too), similar with my Bosnian friend (English DH similar to first couple), they both did their research (the amount of forms they’re filling in for their 9 year old is horrendous!) online. Sure if that’s what you do, not just think “I’ll buy a property near the best state school here” and the authorities will not notice!

DragonMama3 · 15/12/2023 16:09

rent for a few months at an address that's in catchment.

DragonMama3 · 15/12/2023 16:10

so your gp, your council tax and all docs will be in the "right" address.

DragonMama3 · 15/12/2023 16:11

Renting a home isn't a crime.

Roundycippae · 15/12/2023 16:11

How about - move into the area, and become part of that local school
community. That’s really what helps state schools get good, parents living in the area, as part of the community, interested in the area/school/ocal stuff- invested.
Not people from miles away, driving their kids to the ‘good’ school while showing zero interest in the community around it.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 15/12/2023 16:12

Beezknees · 15/12/2023 15:29

You make it work by actually living in the area you want your kids to go to school in.

Although everyone I know just sends their kids to the local school, nobody chooses an area specifically for schools.

Yep that’s what my DM did years ago! And then paid and moved me to a private secondary school at 14 as the secondaries really were dire!