- A woman paid $4.65m for a castle to get her sons into Auckland Grammar.
- Homes in the double grammar zone are highly sought after, driving up real estate prices.
- Families often sacrifice living standards for access to top schools in Remuera and Epsom.
Two years ago, OneRoof revealed that a mum had bought a castle to get her boys into Auckland Grammar.
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The woman shelled out $4.65 million for Auckland’s oldest “mock” castle, and while that seems extreme, most Kiwis would be surprised just how powerful the words “double grammar zone” are in real estate.
Homes in that valuable zone allows residents to enrol their kids at either Auckland Grammar (for boys) or Epsom Grammar (for girls). Both state-run schools are considered the best in the country.
And for that reason, demand for homes in the catchment area, which includes much of Remuera and Epsom, is consistently strong. Real estate prices in both suburbs are among the highest in the country, with families willing to pay a premium for access to good schooling.
Auckland Grammar is one of the country’s top schools. Photo / Greg Bowker
A mother of two school-age boys bought Firth’s Castle, in Auckland’s Epsom, in 2016 for over $4m so she could enrol them at Auckland Grammar. Photo / Supplied
OneRoof quizzed top Bayleys Remuera agent Steve Koerber, who has sold in the grammar zone heartland for some 30 years, why the zone still matters – and what it takes for families to secure a home in it.
First of all, says Koerber, parents really understand that both schools are highly regarded, not just locally, but also internationally, so they are prepared to sacrifice income and living standards for their children.
Families with an entry-level budget of $1m will squeeze into a very small unit, probably only two bedrooms and with no yard, for a double grammar zone address. Those with $2m to $3m to spend can get a three-bedroom home with a bit of yard – but no pool or big lawns, and probably with dated finishes.
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It is further up the scale that double grammar’s real estate market kicks into gear. One such home is a four-bedroom townhouse at 2/13 Walton Street, in Remuera.
The house is in the zone’s most active price bracket of $3m-$4.5m, comes with a decent garden and pool area, and has an immaculate finish. Even better, Koerber says, is the fact that the main bedroom and office are upstairs and the kids’ rooms are downstairs, with their own kitchen and rumpus room opening off the pool.
Its location is in the “super pocket of Remuera” – near Victoria Avenue and with sea views. “Every time we have a house like this, it will be incredibly popular: it is well priced, there is nothing to do, and it’s in double grammar zone,” Koerber tells OneRoof.
Bayleys agent Steve Koerber has been selling in the double grammar zone for some 30 years and knows how much parents are willing to sacrifice to get a home in the catchment area. Photo / Fiona Goodall
A four-bedroom townhouse at 2/13 Walton Street, in Remuera, is heading to auction with a declared reserve of $4m. Photo / Supplied
The house has been recently refreshed and is designed for families with school-age kids. Photo / Supplied
“I always fast forward to thinking ‘how many people do I see bidding at auction on this house?’. I think it would be two or three at the moment. In 2021, there would have been five.”
The agent says the owners realise that in this market, they’re not likely to recoup the $4.75m they paid at market peak, and are advertising the property with a reserve price of $4m. “There’s going to be a bit of a loss here, but it would be greater if we were outside the grammar zone,” Koerber says.
- 2/13 Walton Street, Remuera, Auckland, goes to auction on May 6
