Since Nan Bought

Southern Adelaide · South Australia

What's changed in Mitcham since Nan bought

In 1955 a typical Mitcham house was about $8,400, or 4.9 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $1.25M, or 12.5 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.

Price, 1955 → 2026
$8,400 → $1.25M
Years of wages
4.9 → 12.5
Rebuilt or infill today
15% of homes

Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Adelaide median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Mitcham 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
$8,400≈ 4.9 yrs of wages ($1,700/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1955
61%
1965
$12,500≈ 4.5 yrs of wages ($2,800/yr)

Cream brick veneer, one bathroom, a Hills Hoist.

Of today's houses, standing by 1965
71%
1975
$35,000≈ 4.4 yrs of wages ($8,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1975
80%
1985
$96,500≈ 4.8 yrs of wages ($20,000/yr)

The ensuite arrives. Colorbond replaces galvanised iron.

Of today's houses, standing by 1985
82%
1995
$150,000≈ 4.4 yrs of wages ($34,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1995
84%
2005
$375,000≈ 6.8 yrs of wages ($55,000/yr)

Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.

Of today's houses, standing by 2005
88%
2015
$615,000≈ 7.9 yrs of wages ($78,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 2015
94%
2026
$1.25M≈ 12.5 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 ~15% infill that replaced an earlier house.

What's been knocked down

Rebuild pressure in Mitcham is low. Streets look much as they did. Occasional renovation, very little demolition. Historic Conservation zoning over the village and most streets. Renovation, rear extensions and the occasional sympathetic rebuild.

Locals know: Brownhill Creek runs through the suburb and a flood overlay follows it. Ask before you plan a basement.

What Nan's block does today

A typical Mitcham block is 600-1,000m². Three realistic paths in 2026.

Split it into two Torrens titles

Blocks of 600-1,000m² in Mitcham 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 Mitcham

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

Modelled on the Adelaide median of the day and Mitcham's current position relative to the city, a typical Mitcham house was around $12,500 in 1965, or about 4.5 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $1.25M, or about 12.5 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.

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

Roughly 15% of today's homes in Mitcham 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 Mitcham like when it was built?+

The largest share of Mitcham (30%) is villas and cottages (1850s-1910s). Bluestone or sandstone fronts, brick quoins, slate or corrugated-iron roofs, a bullnose verandah and 3.3m ceilings. Rooms off a central hall.

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