Since Nan Bought

Western Melbourne · Victoria

What's changed in Werribee since Nan bought

In 1955 a typical Werribee house was about $6,800, or 4 years of an average wage. In 2026 it is about $700,000, or 7 years. Here is the decade-by-decade version, what was standing when, and what her block does now.

Price, 1955 → 2026
$6,800 → $700,000
Years of wages
4 → 7
Rebuilt or infill today
0% of homes

Modelled, not measured. Prices are the Melbourne median house price of the day (rounded, dollars of the day) scaled to where Werribee 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
$6,800≈ 4 yrs of wages ($1,700/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1955
10%
1965
$9,900≈ 3.5 yrs of wages ($2,800/yr)

Triple-fronted cream brick, timber floors on stumps.

Of today's houses, standing by 1965
10%
1975
$28,500≈ 3.6 yrs of wages ($8,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1975
20%
1985
$67,000≈ 3.4 yrs of wages ($20,000/yr)

The ensuite arrives. Rumpus rooms and pergolas.

Of today's houses, standing by 1985
36%
1995
$115,000≈ 3.4 yrs of wages ($34,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 1995
49%
2005
$275,000≈ 5 yrs of wages ($55,000/yr)

Biggest houses in the world. Alfresco and theatre room.

Of today's houses, standing by 2005
65%
2015
$505,000≈ 6.5 yrs of wages ($78,000/yr)

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

Of today's houses, standing by 2015
83%
2026
$700,000≈ 7 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%

What's been knocked down

Rebuild pressure in Werribee is medium. A knockdown or a subdivision every few streets. Character is shifting but the original stock still dominates. A country town swallowed by the growth corridor. Old Werribee is renovating; everything west is estate.

Locals know: Highly reactive basalt clay. Waffle-pod slabs and articulation joints are standard, and older homes show the cracks.

What Nan's block does today

A typical Werribee block is 400-700m². Three realistic paths in 2026.

Dual occupancy under ResCode

Blocks of 400-700m² in Werribee 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 Werribee

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

Modelled on the Melbourne median of the day and Werribee's current position relative to the city, a typical Werribee house was around $9,900 in 1965, or about 3.5 years of an average full-time wage. In 2026 it is around $700,000, or about 7 years of wages. These are indicative figures, not sales records.

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

Roughly 0% of today's homes in Werribee 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 Werribee like when it was built?+

The largest share of Werribee (25%) is 1980s-90s brick veneer (1980s-1990s). Brick veneer with tiled roof, ensuite, rumpus, double garage by the 90s, ducted heating. Rendered Federation-revival gables late in the period.

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