Guide
What your budget actually buys in Sydney's south (2026)
Six rungs, all-in and before land. The number people bring us is usually right; what it buys is usually two years out of date.
The short version
Most of our first calls start with a number. "We've got about $250k." "The bank will go to $800k." "We don't want to spend more than a hundred." The number is usually right. What it buys is usually wrong, because the figures people carry around are two years old, came from a builder's $/m² rate that left out half the cost, or came from a mate.
Every rung below is all-in: build, site works, demolition where relevant, council contributions, and design and approval. Every rung is before land, assumes a volume-to-mid finish, and is indicative. When you're done here, run your own block through the cost estimator.
| Budget | What it buys | Approval |
|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | Design and approval only — the whole package, consultants included | CDC or DA |
| $60–100k | A pool with barrier and coping, or a deck, outdoor room and carport | Mostly CDC |
| $180–280k | A two-bed 60 m² granny flat, turnkey, approved and connected | CDC on most R2 lots |
| $300–500k | A second-storey addition (80–120 m²) or a large ground-floor extension | CDC or DA |
| $550–850k | A new single-storey home on your block, demolition included | CDC or DA |
| $1.0–1.4m | An attached duplex, two dwellings, subdivided | CDC or DA |
Why "$/m²" is where budgets go wrong
The NSW average new house came in at $2,396/m² in the last financial year. A builder in Sydney's south will quote $2,200–3,000/m² for a volume-to-mid single-storey home and $2,400–3,300/m² for two storeys. Those numbers are real. They are also only the building.
| What the $/m² rate leaves out | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Site works | $15–30k flat and clean; $40–80k with slope, rock or hard access |
| Reactive clay | $80–140 per m² added to the slab |
| Demolition | $15–45k; asbestos adds $3–25k |
| Council contributions | $15–35k per new dwelling |
| Design and approval | $8.5–23k for a straightforward DA package; $30k+ on a constrained site |
| Long service levy | 0.25% of the cost of works over $25,000 |
Add those up and a "$2,400/m²" house is a $2,900–3,300/m² project. That is the gap the ladder closes.
Under $50k — the approval, not the build
The bottom rung is the one we'd argue is the smartest in a slow market. Under $50k buys the complete design and approval for almost any project, ready to build when you are.
Our part, from the fee page (ex GST): secondary dwelling CDC from $4,300; alterations and additions DA from $4,800; new dwelling CDC $5,800 or DA $6,800; dual occupancy CDC $10,800 or DA $12,800. The rest is consultants and fees — survey $1.5–3.5k, structural $1.5–6k, stormwater $1.5–5k, BASIX $700–1,300, geotech $300–800, private certifier $1.5–5k, and specialist reports at $800–5k each where the site has a flood, bushfire or heritage overlay.
So a granny flat is approved and construction-ready for roughly $12–20k. A new home or duplex, $20–45k. A development consent or a CDC then lasts five years, and the design and approval cost is the only line on this page that doesn't inflate while you wait.
$60–100k — a pool, or a deck and carport package
A fibreglass 8 × 4 m pool is $60–82k installed in Sydney right now; concrete, $72–98k; a plunge pool starts around $40k. Then the barrier ($2–4k aluminium, $7–15k frameless glass), coping and paving ($8–25k) and heating if you want it ($3–9k). Slope, rock or poor access add $10–35k. Most pools are complying development if the setbacks work.
The same money buys a covered deck and outdoor room with a carport or double garage. Or, from the rung above, the full design and approval for a duplex with change left over. All three are legitimate. Price all three before you pick.
$180–280k — a two-bed granny flat, turnkey
Build: $180–260k turnkey for a 60 m² two-bed at $2,200–3,300/m². Design and CDC approval from $4,300 plus consultants. Council contributions $0–20k depending on the LGA. Site works from $15k with services nearby.
On most R2 blocks of 450 m² or more it's a CDC under the Housing SEPP — a private certifier, weeks not months, no neighbour notification. It's also a new dwelling under the post-May 2026 negative gearing rules (confirm that with your accountant), and it's the size of job good builders are keen to price properly right now. The rules, and why "60 m²" isn't the whole story, are in the granny flat guide.
$300–500k — a second storey, or a serious ground-floor extension
Second-storey addition. 80–120 m² at $2,400–4,500/m². The rate looks like a ground-floor extension but the extras don't: roof removal and replacement $25–45k, cutting the stair in $15–30k, a BASIX retrofit $8–25k, and if the footings weren't built for it, underpinning $15–50k. You keep the whole yard.
Ground-floor extension. $2,500–4,500/m², simpler structure, no living upstairs during the build, but you lose yard — and on a 550 m² block that can be the difference between a granny flat later and no granny flat.
Which one works is usually decided by the slab and the site coverage, not by taste. That's a site review question before it's a design question. Approval pathways for both are in the renovating and extending guide.
$550–850k — a new single-storey home on your block
Knock-down rebuild. Build 180–220 m² at $2,200–3,000/m² ($400–660k); demolition $15–45k; site works $15–30k flat or $40–80k difficult; contributions $15–35k; design and approval $12–25k all-in. A two-storey home of 220–260 m² runs $700k–1.0m on the same basis.
Whether the block supports the end value in a market that's 7% off its February peak is the first question, and it's a $990 desktop feasibility. The answer is sometimes "not at this end value", and you want that before drawings.
$1.0–1.4m — an attached duplex, subdivided
Two attached dwellings of 170–190 m² each at $2,200–2,900/m² is $750k–1.05m. A Rawlinsons-derived Sydney series this year put medium-spec duplex work at $2,295–2,565/m², so the low end is real. Demolition $15–45k, site works $15–80k, contributions $15–35k per dwelling, design, approval and consultants $30k+, then subdivision as a separate application.
What you need for it to be on the table: R2 zoning with dual occupancy permitted, the LEP minimum lot width (often 15 m for attached), the frontage, and no overlay that pushes it out of CDC into a long DA. About a third of the blocks we look at qualify; of those, roughly half stack up in this market. The full picture is in the dual occupancy guide.
Two things to notice about the ladder
Every rung has $10–30k of design and approval inside it, and it's the only part that doesn't inflate. Construction input prices rose about 2% in the June 2026 quarter alone and 4–5% for the year. A $700k build is roughly $30k dearer in twelve months. Being ready costs less than not being ready.
The rung you can afford is often one above the one you think. Not because the numbers are smaller than you feared, but because once the site, contributions and approvals are in the number, the choice between "pool" and "granny flat", or between "extension" and "rebuild", gets clearer.
Where to go next
- The cost estimator — your own block, your own finish level, the hidden lines included
- What design and approval costs — our fees and the third-party stack
- Small projects that hold their value — the rungs you can finish this cycle
- Desktop feasibility — which rungs your site actually supports
Common questions
Are these figures quotes?
No. They are indicative all-in ranges for Sydney’s south at a volume-to-mid finish, before land, current at September 2026. They are a guide to what to budget, not a cost estimate for finance or contract purposes. Run your own block through the cost estimator, then get a builder’s price on a complete set of drawings.
Why does a granny flat cost more per square metre than a house?
Because the expensive rooms do not shrink. A 60 m² secondary dwelling still carries a full kitchen, a bathroom and a laundry, so the wet-area cost is spread over far fewer square metres. Expect $2,200–3,300/m² against $2,200–3,000/m² for a single-storey house.
What is the difference between "build cost" and "all-in"?
Build cost is the builder’s contract for the building. All-in adds what sits around it: site works, demolition, council contributions, the long service levy, and the design, consultant and approval fees. On a typical block in our patch the gap is $60–150k.
Is the design and approval cost included in each rung?
Yes. Every rung carries roughly $10–30k of design, consultant and approval fees. It is the only part of the number that does not rise with construction inflation, which is why it makes sense to do it early even when the build has to wait.
How much do costs rise if I wait a year?
ABS house-construction input prices rose about 2% in the June 2026 quarter alone and 4–5% over the year, and trade prices rose 5.1% in the first half of 2026. On a $700k build that is roughly $30k in twelve months.
Which rung is right for my block?
That is decided by the site before it is decided by the budget: zoning, lot size and width, overlays, easements and the slab you already have. A $990 desktop feasibility reads those controls for your specific lot and tells you which projects the site genuinely supports.
General information about NSW planning, current at September 2026. Not advice on a particular site — the instruments are amended often and councils vary them locally.
Want the number for your block?
Run the cost estimator, then send us the address. A $990 desktop feasibility tells you which rungs your site actually supports.