Since Nan Bought

Western Adelaide · South Australia

What's changed in Fulham since Nan bought

In 1955 a typical Fulham house was about $7,700, or 4.5 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $1.07M, or 10.8 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.

Price, 1955 → 2026
$7,700 → $1.07M
Years of wages
4.5 → 10.8
Rebuilt or infill today
30% of homes

Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Adelaide median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Fulham 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
$7,700≈ 4.5 yrs of wages ($1,700/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1955
5%
1965
$11,000≈ 3.9 yrs of wages ($2,800/yr)

Cream brick veneer, one bathroom, a Hills Hoist.

Of today's houses, standing by 1965
28%
1975
$31,500≈ 3.9 yrs of wages ($8,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1975
58%
1985
$85,500≈ 4.3 yrs of wages ($20,000/yr)

The ensuite arrives. Colorbond replaces galvanised iron.

Of today's houses, standing by 1985
70%
1995
$135,000≈ 4 yrs of wages ($34,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1995
70%
2005
$330,000≈ 6 yrs of wages ($55,000/yr)

Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.

Of today's houses, standing by 2005
76%
2015
$535,000≈ 6.9 yrs of wages ($78,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 2015
87%
2026
$1.07M≈ 10.8 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 ~30% infill that replaced an earlier house.

What's been knocked down

Rebuild pressure in Fulham is high. Two or three homes replacing one on many streets. Original houses are becoming the minority and land value drives everything. Wide 1960s blocks near the river are going two-for-one; Fulham Gardens is further behind.

Locals know: Airport flight path overlays affect building height and acoustic requirements on some streets.

What Nan's block does today

A typical Fulham block is 650-850m². Three realistic paths in 2026.

Split it into two Torrens titles

Blocks of 650-850m² in Fulham 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 Fulham

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

Modelled on the Adelaide median of the day and Fulham's current position relative to the city, a typical Fulham house was around $11,000 in 1965, or about 3.9 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $1.07M, or about 10.8 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.

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

Roughly 30% of today's homes in Fulham 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 Fulham like when it was built?+

The largest share of Fulham (35%) is 1960s cream brick veneer (1960s). Triple-fronted cream brick veneer, low hip tiled roof, aluminium or steel windows, concrete slab, carport on the side. The Adelaide suburb standard.

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