Victorians spend more than $7 billion on renovations Home renovations are becoming more popular in Victoria. A RECORD $7.15 billion spend on renovation projects across the state has taken Victoria a step closer to becoming the nation's renovation capital. But the shift may come at the expense of the great Australian backyard, according to a respected industry group. A surge in renovation activity in the past 12 months - brought on in part by an obsession with reality renovation TV shows - brings the total spend on renovations in our state to an estimated $7.15 billion, about $127 million higher than the previous financial year. Next year the figure is expected to grow to $7.45 billion, according to the Master Builders Association of Victoria, which has noted an uptick in interest in the upcoming Build and Renovation Expo. The association's figures show that, if the trend continues, we are expected to take the home renovation crown from NSW by 2016. MBAV executive director Radley de Silva said the surge was being driven by a declining number of new homes being built in Victoria - and by what's on TV. "Clearly consumer confidence has been low and people have looked at saving on stamp duty and investing in their existing home," Mr de Silva said. And popular TV shows are making people believe that doing an addition is quite easy. Underpinning this has been increased demand for extending and modernising entertainment and living areas, particularly in areas with high property values, according to Mr de Silva. " (But) backyards are generally tending to become much smaller in size and I can't see that trend reversing any time soon," he said. The great backyard, as I knew it, is certainly no more. 27 Jackson St, Northcote An Edwardian style renovated, two-bedroom house on 290sq m - $780,000-$850,00 7/10 Dudley St, Brighton A three-bedroom villa recently renovated in Brighton's Golden Mile - $1.4 million 70 Frankston Flinders Rd, Frankston South A timbre house with three-bedrooms and a tidy renovation - $330,000-plus 2 Ashdown Court, Bundoora Solid brick house with a renovated kitchen and three bedrooms - $400,000-plus 12 Darvall Court, Werribee A spacious brick home, renovated throughout and featuring three bedrooms - $270,000-$285,000 Check out Saturday's Realestate section in the Herald Sun for the latest tips and insights into Melbourne's residential property market. And grab the Sunday Herald Sun to see how your suburb performed at auctions this weekend.