Since Nan Bought

Northern Adelaide · South Australia

What's changed in Craigmore since Nan bought

In 1955 a typical Craigmore house was about $5,800, or 3.4 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $585,000, or 5.9 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.

Price, 1955 → 2026
$5,800 → $585,000
Years of wages
3.4 → 5.9
Rebuilt or infill today
0% of homes

Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Adelaide median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Craigmore sits against the city median in 2026, blended toward the median for earlier decades because suburbs move up and down the ladder. Wages are national average full-time earnings. Treat every figure as "about". For actual sales history, ask an agent or the state valuer.

The decades

1955
$5,800≈ 3.4 yrs of wages ($1,700/yr)

Trust homes and fibro on the fringe; stone villas closer in.

Of today's houses, standing by 1955
0%
1965
$8,000≈ 2.9 yrs of wages ($2,800/yr)

Cream brick veneer, one bathroom, a Hills Hoist.

Of today's houses, standing by 1965
0%
1975
$21,500≈ 2.7 yrs of wages ($8,000/yr)

Brown brick project homes, ducted evaporative, a family room.

Of today's houses, standing by 1975
13%
1985
$56,500≈ 2.8 yrs of wages ($20,000/yr)

The ensuite arrives. Colorbond replaces galvanised iron.

Of today's houses, standing by 1985
40%
1995
$83,500≈ 2.5 yrs of wages ($34,000/yr)

Four-two-two under one roof. Rendered feature walls.

Of today's houses, standing by 1995
70%
2005
$195,000≈ 3.5 yrs of wages ($55,000/yr)

Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.

Of today's houses, standing by 2005
93%
2015
$305,000≈ 3.9 yrs of wages ($78,000/yr)

Two-for-one subdivisions start. Solar on a third of roofs.

Of today's houses, standing by 2015
100%
2026
$585,000≈ 5.9 yrs of wages ($100,000/yr)

7-star, all-electric, 300m² blocks. Or a rebuild on Nan's.

Of today's houses, standing by 2026
100%

What's been knocked down

Rebuild pressure in Craigmore is low. Streets look much as they did. Occasional renovation, very little demolition. Established family suburb with almost no demolition.

Locals know: Sloping blocks toward the Little Para mean a lot of split-level 1980s homes and a lot of retaining walls due for replacement.

What Nan's block does today

A typical Craigmore block is 600-800m². Three realistic paths in 2026.

Split it into two Torrens titles

Blocks of 600-800m² in Craigmore are the size developers look for. Two 4-bed homes typically $550K-$750K each to build, before demolition and civils.

Read the guide

Knock it down, build one

One 220-260m² family home on the full block, $520K-$900K depending on builder tier. Keeps the backyard.

Read the guide

Keep it and fix it

Roof, rewire, switchboard, salt damp and a bathroom: $60K-$120K to bring an old Adelaide house up to modern comfort.

Read the guide

Questions about Craigmore

How much did a house in Craigmore cost in the 1960s?+

Modelled on the Adelaide median of the day and Craigmore's current position relative to the city, a typical Craigmore house was around $8,000 in 1965, or about 2.9 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $585,000, or about 5.9 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.

How much of Craigmore has been knocked down and rebuilt?+

Roughly 0% of today's homes in Craigmore are infill: townhouses, courtyard homes or rebuilds that replaced an earlier house. Rebuild pressure is low: Streets look much as they did. Occasional renovation, very little demolition.

What was Craigmore like when it was built?+

The largest share of Craigmore (60%) is 1980s-90s brick veneer (1980s-1990s). Brick veneer with a Colorbond or concrete-tile roof, ensuite, formal lounge nobody uses, double garage under the main roof by the 90s. Rendered feature walls arrive late.

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