Property Management

Home buyers form queue for best school zones

Wanted: Three to four bedroom house in the much sought-after Elmwood Normal Schools area of Christchurch. Money available: $600,000. Problem: No one wants to sell.

Sunday, September 28th 2003

That's the frustrating scenario facing an English family having to rent as demand for property is outstripping supply.

Immigrants and people shifting to Christchurch from other parts of New Zealand are targeting areas they think have good schools - in particular Elmwood, Christchurch Boys and Christchurch Girls, and Burnside High Schools.

As a result, property prices in those areas are booming.

The same has happened in Auckland, where Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls have raised prices in those suburbs. To a lesser extent a similar trend is developing in the capital around Wellington College and Samuel Marsden School.

Read More - Opens in a new window

Most Read

Unity First Home Buyer special 3.95
SBS FirstHome Combo 3.99
TSB Special 4.49
SBS Bank Special 4.49
Co-operative Bank - First Home Special 4.49
ICBC 4.49
Unity Special 4.49
ASB Bank 4.59
ANZ Special 4.59
Westpac Special 4.59
Kiwibank Special 4.59
ICBC 4.89
Unity Special 4.89
BNZ - Std 4.89
Kiwibank Special 4.89
SBS Bank Special 4.89
Kainga Ora 4.95
China Construction Bank 4.95
TSB Special 5.09
ANZ Special 5.09
ASB Bank 5.09
Nelson Building Society 5.09
Westpac Special 5.59
ICBC 5.65
Kainga Ora 5.69
TSB Special 5.69
SBS Bank Special 5.69
AIA - Go Home Loans 5.69
ASB Bank 5.69
BNZ - Std 5.79
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 5.89
Kiwibank Special 5.89
China Construction Bank 5.99
SBS FirstHome Combo 3.29
AIA - Back My Build 3.34
SBS Construction lending for FHB 3.74
CFML 321 Loans 3.95
Co-operative Bank - Owner Occ 4.99
Co-operative Bank - Standard 4.99
Heartland Bank - Online 5.30
ICBC 5.39
Kiwibank - Offset 5.65
Kiwibank 5.75
Unity Standard 5.79

More Stories

Thursday, February 19th 2026

RBNZ expects slower house price growth in the current recovery

The Reserve Bank thinks house prices will rise at a much slower pace during the current recovery than they have in past cycles.

Wednesday, January 07th 2026

Queenstown not off the radar for first home buyers

First home buyers are not being deterred by Queenstown’s soaring house prices.

Record levels of first home buyers taking out low deposit loans

Tuesday, December 23rd 2025

Record levels of first home buyers taking out low deposit loans

About half of all first home buyer lending has been done at a less than 20% deposit in recent months.

Buyers sitting on the sidelines in best time to buy in a decade

Thursday, December 04th 2025

Buyers sitting on the sidelines in best time to buy in a decade

Stable house prices, low interest rates and plenty of houses to choose from are still not enticing buyers.