Since Nan Bought

Northern Adelaide · South Australia

What's changed in Davoren Park since Nan bought

In 1955 a typical Davoren Park house was about $5,300, or 3.1 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $450,000, or 4.5 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.

Price, 1955 → 2026
$5,300 → $450,000
Years of wages
3.1 → 4.5
Rebuilt or infill today
25% of homes

Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Adelaide median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Davoren Park 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
$5,300≈ 3.1 yrs of wages ($1,700/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1955
35%
1965
$7,100≈ 2.5 yrs of wages ($2,800/yr)

Cream brick veneer, one bathroom, a Hills Hoist.

Of today's houses, standing by 1965
70%
1975
$19,000≈ 2.4 yrs of wages ($8,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1975
73%
1985
$48,000≈ 2.4 yrs of wages ($20,000/yr)

The ensuite arrives. Colorbond replaces galvanised iron.

Of today's houses, standing by 1985
75%
1995
$70,000≈ 2.1 yrs of wages ($34,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1995
75%
2005
$160,000≈ 2.9 yrs of wages ($55,000/yr)

Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.

Of today's houses, standing by 2005
80%
2015
$240,000≈ 3.1 yrs of wages ($78,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 2015
89%
2026
$450,000≈ 4.5 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%

Includes ~25% infill that replaced an earlier house.

What's been knocked down

Rebuild pressure in Davoren Park is high. Two or three homes replacing one on many streets. Original houses are becoming the minority and land value drives everything. Playford Alive renewal has rebuilt entire blocks. Expect a 1960 Trust home next to a 2022 townhouse.

Locals know: Cheapest established land in metro Adelaide, which is why so many first builds and investor rebuilds land here.

What Nan's block does today

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

Split it into two Torrens titles

Blocks of 600-800m² in Davoren Park 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 Davoren Park

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

Modelled on the Adelaide median of the day and Davoren Park's current position relative to the city, a typical Davoren Park house was around $7,100 in 1965, or about 2.5 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $450,000, or about 4.5 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.

How much of Davoren Park has been knocked down and rebuilt?+

Roughly 25% of today's homes in Davoren Park are infill: townhouses, courtyard homes or rebuilds that replaced an earlier house. Rebuild pressure is high: Two or three homes replacing one on many streets. Original houses are becoming the minority and land value drives everything.

What was Davoren Park like when it was built?+

The largest share of Davoren Park (70%) is post-war trust and commission homes (1945-1965). SA Housing Trust double-brick and cream-brick semis and singles, concrete or timber floors, small windows, hip roofs in tile or iron. Solid and simple.

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