On the 17th of January this year, my wife Lou and I, along with a few other close family members, fulfilled a long-time dream of opening our very own school…Carlyle College Nottingham Road. Situated on the old Kings School campus, we have been privileged to take over a legacy of education that spans about 115 years and along with it, a property that is breathtakingly beautiful with views of the surrounding farmlands and the Drakensburg mountains beyond. We have done a lot of work to the grounds and buildings and breathed new life into the space, as well as developed an innovative, value for money educational offering that caters for the surrounding community and offers a complete journey from Grade R to 12.
But what does this have to do with real estate you ask? Well, simply put, education and schooling is one of the biggest drivers to an area’s growth, desirability and property values. Of course our motivation for taking on such a mammoth task was born from our desire to give our own kids a quality education in a beautiful country setting, but for that to be worth the financial investment and risks, the principles and well documented links between real estate growth and schooling gave us the confidence to take the leap of faith.
Growing up on the KZN North Coast, we had limited primary schooling options and even fewer high schools in the area. This meant that we were either shipped off to boarding schools or spent hours driving into Durban each day on the school bus. The result was that despite the area being a popular tourist destination, many people couldn’t justify making a permanent move without adequate options for their kids. It took a few pioneering educators to launch some additional options in the area, in the hope that their faith would be repaid by parents looking for a lifestyle change and a non-boarding school. Yes, other factors like healthcare, airports and some desirable residential estates contributed to the growth, but they all worked hand in hand with Education at the forefront for the young families who made up a big portion of the demographic keen to head down the coast. Some years on, and the variety and number of schools is quite astonishing.
The Midlands area is certainly no different. We have been blessed for many years with a number of incredible schools from Mooi River, Nottingham Road and Howick, to Hilton and Pietermaritzburg. It has also been fantastic to see a number of newer offerings developing in more recent times which perhaps provide a more diverse and affordable offering to a broader demographic.
As we see more families looking to make a move to the Midlands area in search of a better lifestyle and fantastic educational offering, it will be interesting to see the impact on house prices and general real estate values in surrounding neighbourhoods and towns. Having seen this in other areas before, I’ve got a feeling that we’ll be seeing some significant growth in the years to come.
Wording Tim Johnson – Principal, Local Real Estate