You just got off the phone with a designer and were astounded by the price they gave you. Alternatively, you may have fallen in love with a kitchen only to be disappointed by the price. Perhaps you recently discovered how much your next-door neighbor spent on their kitchen renovation and home cleaning or home improvement.
Regardless of how you arrived at this page, I'm sure you're experiencing sticker shock. I know I did ten years ago when I started in this profession, and my father still references projects as if we're still in the 1990s.
The typical cost of a kitchen renovation today is between $80,000 and $120,000 depending on the material you choose. That's a typical kitchen, not one of the two island kitchens with a 60-inch range and a wall of Sub-Zero refrigerators.
How much does a kitchen remodel cost on average in Australia?*
• $18,000 as a starting point
• The pricing range is $25,000-$35,000 on average.
• $40,000-$100,000+ premium pricing range
It's all about the size...
Though these are merely averages, it's worth noting that the size of your kitchen will have a major impact on the cost of your remodel per square foot. A modest kitchen renovations cost, for example, may cost as low as $15,000, while a conventional, big renovation could cost $70,000 or more.
Before you undertake a total kitchen makeover, there are a few things to think about like the kitchen design, the kitchen cabinets, and plumbing and electricals.
Take a good, hard look at the area you have before you start thinking about aesthetics like taps and tiles. Consider the following:
• What do you want to get out of the space?
• What do you want it to look like and how do you want it to work?
• Is the space the correct size and configuration?
Budget and real estate value are two factors to consider
After you've thought about these factors, you'll need to decide how much you're willing to pay. If you want to sell and relocate in the future, it's critical to include the resale value of your property when calculating expenditures.
If you want to make a profit or break even when it comes time to sell your house, the industry recommends spending three to eight percent of the property's worth on a comprehensive kitchen remodel.
In other words, with an average property price of $1.4 million in Sydney, the ordinary homeowner may spend $43,000 to $78,000 on a kitchen remodel without lowering the resale value.
I don't have that kind of money
If you don't have that kind of money but still want to update your kitchen, here are some more options:
• Instead of replacing your cabinets, reface or refinish them with an average kitchen remodel.
• Refinish your appliances if they're old or need to be updated with a stainless-steel look is a good idea.
• Rather than replacing everything at once, replace items in phases for your dream kitchen.
The process of design and layout
If you want to make significant changes to the layout, you need to budget at least $40,000.
This is because you'll need to hire a certified architect to file a permit application with your local council, demonstrating that the new area will meet all construction standards and regulations.
Changing the current structure and footprint will cost more in terms of labor and materials, as well as design and permit application fees of ten to fifteen percent of the overall project expenditure which homeowners spend.
Important factors to consider while planning the layout of your kitchen
In most situations, the size and form of your space will decide the best design, but while planning the layout of your newly remodeled kitchen, it's always good to think about the traditional "working triangle."
By putting each appliance on three points of a triangle, this approach is meant to save labor and travel distance between the sink, refrigerator, and oven.
This method works with most kitchen layouts, however, you may need to ‘flatten' the triangle if you have to run all of the appliances and the sink along one wall. To do so, arrange the three locations in a straight line with only a few steps between them.
How much does it cost to buy materials?
The following are the three major components of your kitchen material costs:
1. Cabinets.
2. Benchtops.
3. Detailing.
Cabinetry is expensive
New cabinets are a game-changer in terms of a kitchen's interior design overall appearance and feel, so it's no surprise that they account for around 30% of the price. Stock cabinets, such as those seen in home centers, range in price from $80 to $400 per cabinet.
Semi-stock cabinets (such as those seen at IKEA or Bunnings that are custom-ordered from a company's inventory) are of higher quality and, as a result, cost between $2000 and $900 per cabinet.
You may expect to pay between $600 and $1,600 per cabinet if you want entirely bespoke cabinetry.
The price of a benchtop
Benchtops might cost up to 10% of your overall budget, depending on the material and size of your kitchen. The cost of materials varies considerably per square meter, and the kind of edge you pick as well as the thickness of the counter will add to the cost.
The finishing touches
The true flair comes in the shape of the finishing touches once the major components are in place. Appliances can make or break a room, so plan on spending $1,000 to $5,000 on them, depending on your desired degree of luxury.
The fun part of the design is choosing a tile backsplash, and the possibilities are nearly infinite (the average backsplash costs $1,600). Kitchen lighting is also important; recessed lights cost approximately $180 to install, and over-the-island pendants cost around $200. Last but not least, there are kitchen mixers, which start at approximately $350 and go up to $1,200.
How much does it cost to hire someone?
Even if you're simply replacing a few fixtures in your kitchen, you'll need to budget for labor (demolition, disposal, and installation).
It's also crucial to budget for unforeseen expenses. For example, removing the wall tiles may reveal that the plasterboard has to be repaired, in which case stripping the area prior to installation will cost an average of $2,200.
Preparation work to protect the flooring ($600-$1000), waterproofing (around $1,200), electrical and plumbing licenses ($900-$2,000), and plumbing work ($2,200-$5,500) are all things to consider.
A breakdown of the typical cost of a kitchen makeover
The average cost of a complete kitchen remodels ranges from $22,000 to $60,000, with a median cost of approximately $25,000. Materials, installation, lighting, and plumbing fittings are all included in the price.