Get Schooled: Home Buying Tips for Parents of School-Aged Children

by Jill Heineck, Associate Broker
Heineck & Company @ Keller Williams Realty Peachtree Road

As a parent, you want the best educational experience for your child. The feeling is innate. As a Realtor®, I’ve found school choice is the foremost detail leading a home search for parents looking to balance price, area choice, and their children’s education.

Some buyers come to me already having an idea of what type of education they want, and some don’t. In both cases, school choice affects their home search. Buyers need to consider the following factors for selecting either private or public education.

Count Your Pennies. Most likely, the biggest factor for the buyer to think through is the cost of the education.

Private schools require tuition, some reasonable and some costly. Buyers should calculate anticipated tuition by considering how many children will attend and for how many years. Questions to ask: Is the tuition affordable for my family for the long-term?

Most people consider public school education free. You do not pay tuition; however, living in a good school district often translates into higher property values. Questions to ask: Does the tax base still allow the public education to be affordable? Could the benefit of consistent home value appreciation outweigh the cost of taxes?

Location, Location, Location. It plays a huge role in a buyer’s decision, and in reference to education as well.

Private schools rarely offer transportation, which could prove problematic. Questions to ask: Is the commute reasonable for either me or my spouse? Can I afford a house near the private school?

An obvious perk of public school is free transportation; children are guaranteed a seat on the bus. Questions to ask: Am I comfortable with my child riding the bus? Is the location of the public school convenient to the house?

Only the Best. Many people believe private education delivers a superior level of education. Questions to ask: How does the private school surpass the public school experience? What is my child’s learning style, and would the private school support it?

Other parents contend children receive the same top-quality experience in public school. Questions to ask: Does the education provided match my standards? What is my child’s learning style, and would the public school support it?

Loved It, Hated It. To be frank, sometimes the decision is based on the parents’ educational experience. The buyer may have attended private school and either loved it or hated it. Her spouse may have had a positive or negative public school experience. Questions to ask: What type of education do I think will best benefit my child?

Willing to Sacrifice? Purchasing a home requires give and take. When choosing private or public education, you may need to make sacrifices. You may purchase a smaller home in order to pay private school tuition or select an older home to secure a better district. Questions to ask: Am I willing to sacrifice home features and size to afford private school or to purchase a home in a better school district?

Do Your Homework. Whether you decide on private or public education, thoroughly research your desired schools. Scores are not the only meaningful data point when choosing a school. School experiences are subjective and depend largely on parent participation as well as teacher involvement in the child’s learning experience.

Follow these tips:

• Visit the school—meet principals and teachers; explore school values
• Go online for school info—evaluate statistics, report cards, curriculums, activities
• Talk to parents with children in the school—ask your Realtor® to connect you with past clients
• Avoid unhelpful gossip or hype about the school—remember others’ experiences are subjective

If you are relocating from another US region or a different country, I recommend a company such as School Choice International. Their sole focus is helping families choose the right schools for their children. Let’s face it: moving from Oklahoma to Atlanta can be as shocking as coming from Singapore.

Making the call between private or public education is not easy. Public school is normally cheaper, but private school can be a feasible option. Create a pros and cons list to help you manage tradeoffs, but in many ways, it is the buyer’s belief system that decides—with some passionate about private and some persistent about public.

Here’s my advice: Go with your gut. Look at your finances realistically. Don’t be so concerned with the school decision that you overlook other important home buying factors.

Do this, and you’ll earn an A+ in smart home buying practices.