Understand the importance of schools: Tips for expat Australian property buyers

A location near a good private school heads the wish-list of most expats.

“Schools are very, very important to expat buyers,” says Ross Savas of Kay & Burton Real Estate.

As Shayne Harris of Savills Australia emphasises, the need for their children to attend secondary school is often the trigger for expats to return to Australia.

And Angus Raine of Raine & Horne says that as children reach secondary-school age, expats face a decision. They often have to “bite the bullet” and decide whether they will return to Australia or remain living overseas for the next 20 or 30 years.

David Morrell of Morrell and Koren points out that just because an expat has, say, $10 million to spend on a home, it doesn’t mean that a property can be bought near the school they want and that their children can get into that school.