Since Nan Bought

Eastern Melbourne · Victoria

What's changed in Templestowe since Nan bought

In 1955 a typical Templestowe house was about $11,000, or 6.5 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $1.7M, or 17 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.

Price, 1955 → 2026
$11,000 → $1.7M
Years of wages
6.5 → 17
Rebuilt or infill today
25% of homes

Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Melbourne median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Templestowe 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
$11,000≈ 6.5 yrs of wages ($1,700/yr)

Commission homes on the fringe; weatherboards and brick closer in.

Of today's houses, standing by 1955
5%
1965
$17,000≈ 6.1 yrs of wages ($2,800/yr)

Triple-fronted cream brick, timber floors on stumps.

Of today's houses, standing by 1965
5%
1975
$51,000≈ 6.4 yrs of wages ($8,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1975
25%
1985
$130,000≈ 6.5 yrs of wages ($20,000/yr)

The ensuite arrives. Rumpus rooms and pergolas.

Of today's houses, standing by 1985
53%
1995
$230,000≈ 6.8 yrs of wages ($34,000/yr)

Four-two-two under one roof. Federation-revival gables.

Of today's houses, standing by 1995
68%
2005
$590,000≈ 10.7 yrs of wages ($55,000/yr)

Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.

Of today's houses, standing by 2005
80%
2015
$1.15M≈ 14.7 yrs of wages ($78,000/yr)

Dual occupancies everywhere. Black frames and butler's pantries.

Of today's houses, standing by 2015
89%
2026
$1.7M≈ 17 yrs of wages ($100,000/yr)

7-star, no new gas, townhouse pairs. 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 Templestowe is medium. A knockdown or a subdivision every few streets. Character is shifting but the original stock still dominates. Big 1970s blocks near the Yarra are the KDR target. Single large rebuilds more than subdivision.

Locals know: Sloping blocks toward the river and a Significant Landscape Overlay on many streets. Tree removal is the first approval you will need.

What Nan's block does today

A typical Templestowe block is 800-1,500m². Three realistic paths in 2026.

Dual occupancy under ResCode

Blocks of 800-1,500m² in Templestowe commonly support two dwellings, subject to overlays. Two townhouses typically $650K-$900K each to build, plus a 6-12 month permit.

Read the guide

Knock it down, build one

One 230-280m² family home on the full block, $650K-$1.2M depending on builder tier and suburb.

Read the guide

Keep it and fix it

Restump, rewire, roof and a bathroom: $70K-$140K to bring an old Melbourne house up to modern comfort.

Read the guide

Questions about Templestowe

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

Modelled on the Melbourne median of the day and Templestowe's current position relative to the city, a typical Templestowe house was around $17,000 in 1965, or about 6.1 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $1.7M, or about 17 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.

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

Roughly 25% of today's homes in Templestowe are infill: townhouses, courtyard homes or rebuilds that replaced an earlier house. Rebuild pressure is medium: A knockdown or a subdivision every few streets. Character is shifting but the original stock still dominates.

What was Templestowe like when it was built?+

The largest share of Templestowe (40%) is 1970s brown brick (1970s). Brown or clinker brick veneer, aluminium windows, ducted gas heating, family room, double carport. Project homes in the new estates of the day.

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