PHOTO: A high Walk Score will add tens of thousands to your property value – and could shave a fortune off your mortgage too. Picture: iStock Source: istock

It’s an essential tool used by 30,000 experts – but while most of us have probably never heard of it, it could make you a small fortune.

Properties with gorgeous water views that are close to schools have always fetched staggering prices.

But now there’s a new factor that could be just as important and could make you up to $50,000 richer – and it all comes down to one little number.

Real estate agents in North America and elsewhere around the world have been using the “Walk Score” system to spruik properties for years now, although most Aussies have probably still never heard of it.

But according to one expert, it’s set to become a huge property buzzword in 2020.

In a nutshell, the Walk Score is a system with a score from one to 100 that measures the ease of “walkability” of any address – in other words, it assesses how easy it is to walk from your home to places that meet your daily needs, like schools, work, shops and parks.

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