Former Houghton Primary latest in string of SA schools to hit the market

Life is set to be restored to the empty halls and classrooms of many closed South Australian schools, with several hitting the market or selling across the state in recent months.

The former Houghton Primary School at 1376 Lower North East Rd is the latest to be listed for sale – about a decade after its last student left the grounds.

The 1.46ha site is being sold by CBRE on behalf of the Department for Education.

CBRE agent Rhyce Scott, who is selling the 1.46ha site with Oliver Grivell and Ned Looker, said it closed in 2014 and hadn’t been used since.

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Houghton Primary School closed about a decade ago.

It is the latest in a string of schools to hit the market across the state in recent months.

It’s being sold via expressions of interest.

“It’s an interesting site – it has three titles, two of them have the rural production zoning, which makes it a little bit difficult to develop but there’s one title that’s township zoned,” he said.

The property includes multiple buildings, including a former house, a playground and an oval.

“I think the early learning centre was an old house,” Mr Scott said.

While only on the market a few days, Mr Scott said he had already received 60 to 70 inquiries about the property.

“We have had some schools look at it and standard developers, the other option is for people to turn it back into a home,” he said.

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The selling agents have received several inquiries about the property since it was listed.

It spans 1.46ha over three titles.

Part of the property was once a residential address.

There as also an early learning centre on the site.

The Houghton site is the latest in a string of former schools to be offered to the market in recent months.

Glossop’s former high school campus officially changed hands in June following its million-dollar sale, while its former primary school and kindergarten was snapped up for $280,000 in January.

There is no word yet on what the high school site will be used for but the primary school and kindergarten is expected to be turned into a home after a young family purchased it.

Meanwhile, the old Tarpeena Primary School, which closed in 2011 and has since been transformed into a home, was listed for sale in April with a $1.125m to $1.145m price guide.

Expressions of interest for the former Houghton school close at 4pm on August 28.