Turnkey Beats Fixer-Uppers

At the upper end of the market, buyers are increasingly paying a premium to avoid renovation risk.

Advocates report that prestige purchasers are actively shunning homes that need major work, even when the discount looks tempting on paper.

The backdrop is important. Residential construction costs have risen by more than 40 per cent over the past five years, while the industry still needs over 100,000 extra workers to meet national housing targets.

That mix of higher costs, stretched building times and tradie shortages has made renovation timelines and quotes much harder to trust.

Busy professional families with school-aged children are the least willing to take that gamble.

Instead, many will stretch further to secure a fully finished home in the right school zone or lifestyle pocket, rather than juggle builders, delays and cost blowouts.

For investors, developers and renovators, the takeaway is clear: turnkey stock in quality locations is commanding the strongest competition, while fixer-uppers need a bigger margin to stack up.