Which areas do you cover?

We cover a wide range of areas including Kiama, Gerringong, Gerroa, Jamberoo, Shellharbour, Berry, Nowra, and the broader regions of Illawarra, Shoalhaven, and the Southern Highlands.

Do you take on small renovation jobs?

Yes—we tailor our approach to suit everything from bathroom upgrades to full-home renovations.

What makes EDM Building different from other builders?

We’re a local, family-owned company with a reputation built on trust, care, and delivery. Every team member—from carpenters to apprentices—operates by our values: excellence, integrity, communication, and attention to detail. We don’t just build houses. We build long-term relationships.

Forever Home or Stepping Stone? Why Renovations Make Both Work

Eli Maguire
Aug 21, 2025
2 min read

When it comes to buying property, Australians are more divided than ever before. The latest Mortgage Choice Home Loan Report shows a clear generational split in how people see their first home:

41% of Baby Boomers bought their first property with the intention of staying for life.
Millennials (54%) and Gen Z (47%) are more likely to treat their first place as a stepping stone — a way to get on the ladder and trade up.
And increasingly, younger buyers (22% of Gen Z) are jumping straight into fixer-uppers, hoping to create value through renovations.

Here’s the truth: you could be either.A forever-home thinker.A stepping-stone strategist.Or even a fixer-upper adventurer.

But no matter which mindset you lean towards, renovations are the missing link that make both approaches work.

Renovations for the Forever-Home Thinker

If you love your suburb and never want to leave, renovations mean you don’t have to. You can modernise, extend, or reconfigure your home to match your lifestyle today.

Take the Boomer couple in Minnamurra who added a light-filled extension to their original brick home. They’d lived there for 30 years and didn’t want to leave their neighbours or the view they loved. Renovating gave them their dream forever home — without saying goodbye to the community they’d built.

Renovations for the Stepping-Stone Strategist

For younger buyers, the first home is often just the start. Adding value is everything, and the right renovation can supercharge your property’s potential.

A great example? A young couple in Oak Flats who bought a tired fibro cottage. They invested in a new kitchen and bathroom renovation — two years later, they sold with enough equity to move into their forever suburb of Kiama.

That’s the power of a smart renovation: it accelerates your path forward.

Renovations for the Fixer-Upper Adventurer

Then there are those who see opportunity where others see work. Buying a fixer-upper might look like a compromise, but it doesn’t have to be.

We’ve seen first-home buyers in Shellharbour turn “rough diamonds” into standout homes — combining smart design, quality finishes, and strategic upgrades to create properties that shine brighter than new builds on the market.

The Local Reality in the Illawarra

Across Oak Flats, Shellharbour, Gerringong, and Kiama, this story repeats itself every week. Families upgrade character homes, younger couples take on older properties, and investors unlock hidden value.

The common thread? Renovations are the lever that deliver both lifestyle and long-term value.

Why EDM Building? Clarity Before Construction

Of course, the biggest fear around renovating is cost blowouts. At EDM, we do things differently:

Fixed-price quoting — no surprises, no stress.
Accurate construction cost estimating — clarity before you commit.
Free tools like our Kitchen & Bathroom Calculators — so you can plan smarter from day one.

Whether you’re staying put or planning your next step, we give you the security to make confident decisions.

Final Word

So, are you a forever-home thinker or a stepping-stone strategist? You could be either.The key is making the choice work for you — and that’s where renovations come in.

Renovations don’t just improve homes. They unlock opportunities.