In 1955 a typical Unley house was about $9,600, or 5.6 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $1.57M, or 15.8 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.
Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Adelaide median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Unley 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.
Trust homes and fibro on the fringe; stone villas closer in.
Cream brick veneer, one bathroom, a Hills Hoist.
Brown brick project homes, ducted evaporative, a family room.
The ensuite arrives. Colorbond replaces galvanised iron.
Four-two-two under one roof. Rendered feature walls.
Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.
Two-for-one subdivisions start. Solar on a third of roofs.
7-star, all-electric, 300m² blocks. Or a rebuild on Nan's.
Includes ~15% infill that replaced an earlier house.
Rebuild pressure in Unley is low. Streets look much as they did. Occasional renovation, very little demolition. Heritage and character zoning across most of it. Renovation is the only game, and it is expensive.
Locals know: Ceiling heights of 3.3m to 3.6m are standard, which is why every Unley renovation costs more per square metre than the same job in the suburbs.
A typical Unley block is 400-800m². Three realistic paths in 2026.
Blocks of 400-800m² in Unley are the size developers look for. Two 4-bed homes typically $550K-$750K each to build, before demolition and civils.
Read the guideOne 220-260m² family home on the full block, $520K-$900K depending on builder tier. Keeps the backyard.
Read the guideRoof, rewire, switchboard, salt damp and a bathroom: $60K-$120K to bring an old Adelaide house up to modern comfort.
Read the guideModelled on the Adelaide median of the day and Unley's current position relative to the city, a typical Unley house was around $14,500 in 1965, or about 5.2 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $1.57M, or about 15.8 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.
Roughly 15% of today's homes in Unley 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.
The largest share of Unley (55%) 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.
We use cookies to improve your experience. Cookies on. Learn more