How to Renovate Your Kitchen on a Budget

Honestly? It depends on how much you’re changing. A benchtop swap versus a full rip-out with new plumbing are very different jobs, and so are their price tags. For a ballpark based on your kitchen’s size and finishes, give our Kitchen Renovation Cost Estimator a go.

As a general rule of thumb:

• Under $10k: cosmetic improvements
  Think fresh paint on walls and cabinet doors, new handles, a new sink and tap, a laminate benchtop, or a kitset kitchen installed.

• $10k to $20k: functional improvements
  Here you can look at new or custom cabinetry, quality fixtures and fittings, entry-level appliances, a basic splashback and budget-friendly flooring like vinyl.
• $20k to $50k: additions and upgrades
  This opens up engineered stone benchtops, soft-close drawers, quality tiling and new flooring. It’s also where moving plumbing and electrical tends to come in, and that’s what bumps costs up fastest.
• $50k+: complete overhaul
  A whole new layout: natural stone benchtops, a custom island, clever storage, recessed or dimmable lighting, premium appliances, new wooden or tiled flooring, and a new oven or rangehood to often round it out. With more trades involved and bigger decisions to make, expect a longer timeframe.

Here’s a closer look at six of them. You’ll find out ballpark figures, general inclusions and key takeaways. Most of the work was undertaken by a builder, with some subtrades involved including plumbers, electricians, painters and tilers.

👉 Rangehood and splashback swap, around $1,000

• Remove old tiles
• Patch and paint the wall
• Install a new rangehood, ducting and external vent
• Supply and install new tiles.

Worth knowing: The new rangehood didn’t fit the old gap, which meant some changes to the cabinetry were needed. Even a simple swap can have a knock-on effect, so keep this in mind when upgrading to new appliances.

👉 Kitset kitchen install, labour only, around $4,500

• Remove the old kitchen
• Assemble and install the homeowner’s kitset
• Electrical and plumbing reconnection
• Rubbish removal, sundries and travel.

Worth knowing: The homeowner had already done some demo of the old kitchen themselves, and they had already purchased a kitset from a retail hardware store, which is why the cost came in lower.

👉 Leak behind the sink, new cabinets, around $8,000

• Remove waterlogged cabinets so the plumber can reach a leaking pipe
• Supply and install new cabinets on the same footprint
• Remove a disused hot water cylinder and reconnect the plumbing
• Tip run for the old cabinets
• Install new benchtop.

Worth knowing: Sticking to the same footprint meant the flooring didn’t need redoing, and the stock-standard cabinet shapes were easy to find and replace. For this job, the homeowner had already purchased a stone benchtop, so the install was labour-only.

👉 Refresh before selling, around $15,000

• Repair minor water damage to the main cabinet carcass
• Add one custom storage unit for a pantry
• Replace the laminate top with engineered stone
• Plumber to disconnect and reconnect services
• New hinges and a two-coat repaint of the cabinetry
• Install mid-range vinyl flooring.

Worth knowing: This job started as a water damage repair, but with the cabinets, benchtop and flooring already coming out, the homeowner decided to refresh all three.

👉 New pantry doorway and layout tweak, around $20,000

• Design help for the kitchen and pantry
• Form a new doorway into an unused storage room
• Supply and install new kitchen cabinetry
• Relocate the oven and hob, and shift the sink slightly
• Fit pantry cupboards.

Worth knowing: Relocating the doorway and oven are what nudged this into the next bracket alongside new kitchen cabinets and a pantry.

👉 Full replacement, same layout, around $26,000

• Builder to project manage the plumber, electrician, plasterer and tiler
• Supply and install a flat-pack kitchen with a laminate benchtop
• Strip wallpaper and plaster the walls ready for paint
• Subway tile splashback
• New sink and mixer
• Remove all waste.

Worth knowing: The homeowner outsourced project management of multiple trades to the builder for this job, which meant a slightly higher labour component, but the result is a more seamless organisation of not only timing, but also communication, measurements and problem solving. Take this into consideration when comparing quotes.

If you’re handy, there are jobs you can take on yourself: stripping out the old kitchen, painting, swapping handles and styling the finished space. If your cabinet carcasses are in good nick, painting or replacing just the doors can stretch your budget too.

That said, a tradie who’s across the whole job can plan the order of work, measure accurately (no offence) and line up the other trades, and that often saves more than going it alone. It’s always worth asking what they’d be happy for you to take on.

Even the best-planned kitchen can throw up a surprise or two. Keep these in mind:

1. Moving plumbing or electrical points
2. Bringing old wiring up to code
3. Patching and painting walls once old cabinets or splashbacks come off
4. Extra framing to support a heavy stone benchtop
5. Knock-on work, like a new rangehood needing a new splashback
6. Skip hire and dump fees.

A contingency of 10–20% will help you take any surprises in your stride.

Before work begins: Once you’re happy with the quote, get clear on the practical side.

• Who’s ordering materials, and who’s responsible if something doesn’t fit?
• Who’s my main contact for progress updates?
• How will we communicate throughout the renovation?
• If possible, can I meet your subcontractors before work begins?
• How long will I be without water, electricity or a working kitchen?
• How do you manage surprises like hidden damage?
• Can you provide compliance certificates for the electrical and plumbing work?

For most like-for-like kitchen reno jobs, not usually. Repairing or replacing existing materials and keeping them in the same location is unlikely to need consent, as long as the number of sanitary plumbing fixtures (e.g. a sink) doesn’t increase.

You’ll likely need a consent if you’re doing something like:

• Adding a sanitary fixture where there wasn’t one before, like a kitchenette in a sleepout
• Doing plumbing work that could affect floor joists or wall framing
• Removing or altering a load-bearing wall.

Even if a building consent isn’t required, any electrical, gas, and plumbing work must still be done by a licensed and certified tradesperson, and work must still comply with the New Zealand Building Code.

It’s always important to do your due diligence by asking your tradie about their experience and any qualifications, licences or certifications they may need for the work being carried out. By doing this, as well as looking at previous work and reading genuine reviews on their Builderscrack profile, you can ensure you’re hiring the right person for the job.

We’ve covered a lot of ground. We hope this has helped you understand what it means for a builder to have a qualification, licence or membership.

A few things to remember as a good rule of thumb:

• Keep your layout: leaving the sink, oven and dishwasher where they are is one of the easiest ways to save.
• Moving services costs more: relocating plumbing or electrical, or doing structural work, is what bumps a kitchen into the next price bracket.
• Plan for the unknowns: hidden damage often only shows up once the old kitchen comes out, so set aside a 10–20% contingency.
• Check what’s included and excluded in your quote: extras like removing the old kitchen, wall repairs (from removing cabinets, splashbacks, and ovens), and taking away rubbish aren’t always automatically included, so ask upfront.
• Refresh rather than replace: painting cabinets that are in good nick, replacing hinges or upgrading handles can stretch your budget further and still have a noticeable impact on your day-to-day experience of the space.

Whether it’s a new benchtop or a whole new layout, tell us about the reno you have in mind and we’ll connect you with the right tradies to choose from, usually within minutes.