THE SCHOOL ZONE PREMIUM

Summer Hill, Annandale & Leichhardt Through a Buyer’s Lens

In the Inner West, school zones are the closest thing we have to guaranteed demand. Not because buyers are blindly chasing reputations, but because a good catchment compresses risk. Homes in strong school zones rarely suffer the volatility seen elsewhere. And three suburbs exemplify this more than any others: Summer Hill, Annandale and Leichhardt.

Summer Hill is the poster child of family logic: tree-lined streets, federation homes, and a school reputation that functions almost like a brand. Annandale is the prestige version of the same idea — highly walkable, beautifully preserved architecture, and a demographic that blends old Inner West identity with new professional money. Meanwhile, Leichhardt offers lifestyle with choice: multiple schools, village energy, and a buyer base willing to pay a premium for the sense of community that surrounds Norton Street.

The school zone effect isn’t just academic performance. It’s psychology. Buyers in these suburbs walk into inspections pre-justifying a higher spend. And that shapes outcomes much more than most sellers realise.

— From the desk of
Ramon Raneal