How Much Does A Kitchen Renovation Cost?
The latest 2018/19 HIA Kitchens and Bathrooms survey found the average value of a kitchen installed in new homes to be $25,707, which is now lower than the $26,280 average value of kitchens installed as part of renovations.
As a general rule of thumb entry level kitchen renovations will start around $10,000 to $25,000. A mid range kitchen renovation will cost between $25,000 to $50,000 with premium kitchens starting at $50,000 and beyond. Here at Retreat Design, our average kitchen renovation spend is $35,000 which means we are competitive in the market when it comes to budget and price range.
When setting your kitchen renovation budget it’s important to consider the cost relative to the value of your home. Our research suggests you should look to spend between 3% to 8% of your home value on your kitchen. This ensures you are maximizing the financial benefit of a well fitted out kitchen come sale time without over capitalising in the short term. Of course, this is a guide only and your personal circumstances and what you want to get out of your kitchen renovation will guide your budget.
When you start thinking about how much does a kitchen renovation cost there are a few areas that need consideration. As a general rule of thumb, kitchen renovation costs can be broken into two broad categories:
kitchen renovation product costs, and,
trade and installation costs.
Kitchen Renovation Product Costs
The product costs of a kitchen renovation are broken into three areas:
Cabinetry,
Bench-tops and splash-backs, and,
Appliances
The proportion spent on each of these three areas will depend on the functionality you want to get out of your kitchen. If you are a great cook, you’ll probably want to distribute a significant portion of your budget to appliances. Where as if you love entertaining, having large bench-top surfaces will more likely be important and therefore take up a larger portion of your budget.
Cabinetry
Whatever the distribution of expenditure, one thing is certain, spending money on good quality cabinetry saves you money in the long run. Good quality cabinetry includes the carcasses, door fronts and internal hardware. Quality of cabinetry does reflect in the overall price and paying more upfront means a hassle free future for your new space.
Good quality hardware such as Grass and Blum will definitely stand the pressure test of a busy kitchen and comes with an extensive warranty. So rather than spending money at some point in the future on replacing hardware, spend a bit more up front for good quality brands with extensive warranties.
Similarly, good quality carcasses made of water resistant melamine will ensure your kitchen can withstand spills and the impact of food and drink preparation.
Door fronts are where you can make a difference with budget. For a really affordable door front, melamine is the widest used product. Mid level door finishes include flat colour laminate, wood effect laminate, lacquer and super laminates such as Fenix NTM®. Solid wood doors and other more prestigious finishes such as oxidised lacquer come with a higher price tag. Again, you do get what you pay for, a melamine door finish will not stand the test of time like Fenix NTM®.
Benchtop and Splashback
Again there is a really wide price range to consider when deciding on bench-tops and splash-backs. Starting with splash-backs, the cheapest option is perspex which starts at around $50/ms. Glass and stone are popular mid range options with prices ranging from $350/ms up to $1600/ms. If you choose to tile your splash-back then you will need to add in the cost of a tiler. Plain white tiles can cost as little as $25/ms but remember to add around $125/ms for a good quality tiler to lay your splash-back.
Laminate is the entry level bench-top option with prices starting at $120/ms. The potential downside to laminate bench-tops is that they do leave burn marks as don’t perform well with heat and moisture. If you are renovating a property you plan to rent out this has to be a real consideration as a laminate bench-top burnt by tenants is unsightly and will require replacement.
Mid price bench-top options include:
wood,
stainless steel,
engineered stone such as Caesarstone etc
Acrylic resins such as Corian
All of these mid price options have pros and cons. Stainless steel will mark over time but requires very little maintenance and is extremely hard wearing. Wood, engineered stone and resin are all porous to a degree so some staining can occur over time. As long as you are prepared for the potential wearability of your bench-top option then these options won’t cost you anything beyond the initial installation. Even small chips can be repaired using “stone repair kits”.
Natural stone including granite and marble are heavy wearing bench-tops that come with a higher price tag. These are less porous and extremely durable meaning although its a high up front cost, your marble or granite bench-top will last the real test of time.
Appliances
If you are on a budget, shop around for your appliances and buy them during the sales. You can usually buy your appliances at any time and keep them until the cabinetry arrives and is ready to house. You can generally get an entry level oven, hotplate and hood in a package for around $3,000. Entry level dishwashers and fridges cost around $1000 each. Again, its important to check the warranty as paying a bit more up front for a well known brand with a comprehensive warranty may save you money in the long run.
A popular option in today’s kitchen renovations is to integrate appliances into cabinetry. As a rule of thumb, add 15% to your appliance budget if you want to go integrated!
Trade and Installation Costs
Once your kitchen cabinetry arrives, you need to get it installed. A qualified cabinet maker’s day rate ranges from $500 to $750 per day. If you are on a really tight budget, you may think to try to install your kitchen yourself. However, kitchens are actually deceptively tricky to install and a qualified cabinet maker as your kitchen installer is recommended. At Retreat Design, our kitchens generally take 2 to 5 days to install with one of our employed experienced cabinet makers.
Other trade costs that you need to consider include:
a plumber to remove the old fittings, chase and install new fittings,
a demolition crew,
rubbish removal,
an electrician to remove the old fittings, chase and install new fittings,
a plasterer and painting crew depending on the difference between the old and new footprint of the kitchen.
Costs of a kitchen renovation increase dramatically if structural walls or changes need to be made. Other significant costs include moving plumbing and electrical fittings significantly from their original positions and reworking flooring that may be found under existing kitchens.
At Retreat Design we ask you your budget up front (or at least a general idea) to make sure we can really deliver on your brief.We make sure our quote is comprehensive and covers all the foreseeable costs.
As we have been providing kitchen renovations to the Perth market for over 12 years we have a really comprehensive price ladder. Our Italian cabinetry providers have a wide variety of cabinetry options which means we can cater for pretty much any cabinetry budget. We also have access to a broad range of bench-tops, splash-backs and accessories through our suppliers to cater for any price point. Our tradespeople have all been working with us for many years and so our trade prices are competitive.
Kitchens are a really important element of the home. Not only do they sell houses but they also bring families and friends together to create happiness and good memories. Setting out your kitchen renovation cost is an important part of the decision making process and using an experienced kitchen designer can really help.
At Retreat Design our team of kitchen designers would love to chat to you about your next project. For a free no obligation quote, call the showroom on 6101 1190 or come in an visit at 156 Onslow Rd, Shenton Park.