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Living near international schools: more than just an address
Discover how proximity to international schools drives Spain’s prime property market, adding value, status and community for global families.
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In Spain’s prime property market, choosing a home is rarely a matter of chance. For many international families, the true deciding factor is not square footage or architectural design, but the distance to their children’s school. Proximity to an international school has become one of the great drivers of residential demand in Madrid, Barcelona and Marbella.
The school shapes the map
In markets such as Madrid, Barcelona, Marbella or Mallorca, more than 40% of international buyers with school-aged children rank proximity to school among their top three priorities, alongside security and quality of the property. In practice, this means the first filter is not neighbourhood or price, but the ten-to-fifteen-minute radius between the house and the classroom.
The logic is clear. Daily commutes matter, but so does something less tangible: the school is where family life gravitates. From sporting fixtures and birthday parties to professional networking, it is where newcomers weave their first connections. To live nearby is, in many ways, to gain faster access to that community.
The value in proximity
The effect on the market is unmistakable. Homes near prestigious international schools command a sustained demand and typically sell at a premium of 10% to 20% compared to similar areas without them. In some cases, the difference is even more pronounced: in Barcelona, for instance, living close to La Vall can add as much as 51% to property values.
Neighbourhoods such as La Moraleja in Madrid, Sant Just and Esplugues in Barcelona or Sierra Blanca in Marbella show how schools can transform entire residential districts, consolidating their prime positioning and identity.
For investors, the rationale is just as compelling: these homes offer consistently high occupancy and above-average yields, fuelled by the constant influx of expatriate families who rent before buying.
Beyond Bricks and Mortar
Yet convenience alone does not explain the appeal. Living near an international school is also about joining a cosmopolitan social ecosystem. Multinational executives, diplomats, entrepreneurs and affluent Spanish families form communities that not only reinforce the desirability of an area but also elevate its social status.
As Paloma Pérez, CEO Residential of Lucas Fox, puts it:
“Homes near prestigious international schools are not just properties. They are gateways into a global community. For many buyers, the school defines the neighbourhood and sustains its value over time.”
In this sense, a house is no longer just a physical space. It becomes part of a lifestyle: a network of contacts, a cultural affinity, a setting where children grow up in an international environment and parents find a like-minded social circle.
A lifestyle anchored in education
From La Moraleja to Sarrià–Sant Gervasi, and from Esplugues to Sierra Blanca, international schools have moved beyond their role as educational institutions to become genuine catalysts of neighbourhood identity. They no longer simply determine where families live — they shape how they live.
In an increasingly globalised market, where a home is as much a life project as an investment, proximity to an international school is no longer a practical detail. It is a reflection of a broader choice: to embrace an international, connected lifestyle with a clear view to the future.
