Street values

[JadeFeather]

Hi
We have been looking at properties recently and I'm struggling to understand why some streets have lower values than others. Sometimes I've seen houses of similar size and condition have a price difference of around 50k. I've looked at things like location, transport links and schools but there's very little difference so I'm at a loss to understand why some streets seem to have lower values than others? I put in an offer for a property in line with another one that sold recently on the same road but it was just rejected. Just seen another one which is slightly (4 mins ) closer to station and it's 75k more than the one I put in an offer for. Don't understand!

The Government have washed their hands of education, or so my local councillors say. Most new places are created by enlarging existing schools or setting up a new free school - the latter being an academy so out of LA control. The LA can support a school with things like planning but won't actually build a new school itself. In my area a typical 1930s semi can vary in price by the sum you describe if not more. It is usually a combination of either if it is pre or post war built (architecture preference), close to the local amazing school which despite being a six form entry has a catchment that has reduced from over two miles to well under a mile in about four years; if it backs onto a railway; if it has a shared drive; how close to the railway station; if it needs updating; if it is next to a twitten/alley.

Where I live it's the same. It goes by the street, quite unbelievable when you compare but it's just how it's done here

Our old street the terrace houses on each side looked exactly the same from the street and had the same no of rooms etc but when you looked at the plans you realised that because the way the back lane cut at an angle on one side the houses on that side had considerably smaller rooms (kitchen and a bedroom) at the back as well as much smaller yards. This meant houses on one side were considerably more expensive despite looking the same at first glance.

OP when you say its been in catchment - do you mean places have been offered to children who live on your street (or further away from the school)?

Just to make it clear (and sorry if this is what you have already checked) - the published catchment is very often different to reality so you do need to find out what actually happens.

If the street is in the "published" catchment that is a start, obviously, but you need to find out how far away from the school places were offered.

So, the school might say their catchment is a 1 mile circle around the school. Obviously in a city (particularly London), this will cover hundreds of children. So while in theory you're in catchment, places will actually only be offered to children living within say 500m of the school.

The street is dotted blue one these maps

www.richmond.gov.uk/primary_school_allocation_maps

I don't think you can know for sure, but thats a really useful tool from Richmond (and positive that places have been offered).

But going back to your original question, being on the edge might account for the difference in price of the house £75k more expensive if its closer to the school / not borderline.