Renovating a kitchen is a substantial investment of both time and money, involving numerous decisions throughout the process, such as layout, colours and finishes, appliances, trades, and budget control.
Selecting a reputable and experienced kitchen company is crucial to guide you through the process and ensure a stress-free experience and the best possible outcome.
COMPLETE KITCHENS has been designing and manufacturing high quality custom kitchens and laundries in Melbourne for the past 45 years. From high-end designer kitchens for luxury homes through to mid-range kitchens for families, we specialize in listening to what our clients need. No matter how big or small the job, we deliver crafted cabinetry and excellent service on time, and on budget.
As a starting point, let’s get an idea about what’s included in a full kitchen renovation. We will help you to understand the scope of works and an approximate cost of your kitchen project with a custom kitchen company like CK.
Proper design, planning, and execution are key to successful kitchen renovations. At Complete Kitchens, we understand this and offer a professional kitchen design service to ensure that everything is done right from the start.
Our Comprehensive Kitchen Design Service is led by our expert kitchen designers who will visit your home to take measurements and design the overall look of your space. They will carefully consider your “kitchen wants” and “kitchen needs” to create a design that suits your style, budget, and practical requirements. This includes selecting materials, styles, finishes, and ensuring functionality, space availability, and building restrictions are taken into account.
In addition to designing and costing your kitchen, our team will respect your budget and provide you with the best options and timeline for your project.
For a medium-sized kitchen with high-quality custom-made cabinetry, a budget of at least $25,000 is recommended. This price includes our professional kitchen design service, local manufacturing and installation.
At Complete Kitchens, many of the kitchens cabinetry we install cost between $25,000 and $35,000. Our standard cabinetry is made locally using Polytec or Laminex boards, and features soft-closing hinged doors and drawer systems from German manufacturer Hettich. We also use Blum and Hafele for their high-quality fittings and accessories.
Keep in mind that the final cost of your kitchen may be affected by factors such as its size, materials, and accessories. For example, laminate products are typically more affordable than vinyl wrap or 2Pac paint. The type and thickness of the stone benchtop also impact the budget.
In terms of benchtops, for a medium-size kitchen, the costs of new zero-silica reconstituted stone , in standard colour range is around $3,000-$5,000, however, some of the marble look stones can be double that. Other premium reconstituted products such as porcelain, sintered stone, and natural stones like granite, quartz or marble vary from slab to slab.
At Complete Kitchens, our designers can include benchtop options in our quote for you. Alternatively, you can source your own supplier if you prefer.
Apart from the stone benchtops, other options are available, such as Laminate (HPL), Corian, Solid Timber, Stainless Steel etc.
Visit Kitchen Benchtops to learn more about our recommendations.
When budgeting for your kitchen renovation, it’s important to factor in the cost of tradespeople. Depending on the scope of your project, you should allow at least $8,000 for trades such as demolition, plumbing, electrical, plastering, and carpentry if required. Other trades you may need include tilers, painters and professional caulkers.
Prior to the renovation, the existing kitchen needs to be demolished, commonly referred to as a rip-out. This process typically starts at a cost of $1,200, which includes disconnecting the services, and the removal of all debris. If you wish to keep the old cabinets to resell or repurpose, careful removal may cost slightly more than a standard demolition and disposal of debris.
For a large scare of demolition works, especially including the rip-out of the tiling floor, it’s generally best to hire a stripping-out company. These professionals specialize in demolitions and have the proper equipment for the job. However, it the removal involves preserving certain elements or requires some carpentry work, a skilled carpenter is a better choice.
When renovating a kitchen, it is generally more cost-effective to keep the kitchen in its current location rather than relocating it, as this avoids the significant cost of running new plumbing and electrical cables to a new location.
Kitchen plumbing and electrical work can be divided into two stages: rough-in and fit-off.
During the rough-in stage, the plumber and electrician will install the necessary pipes and wiring required for the new kitchen design. This includes moving pipes and wires to accommodate new kitchen layouts or appliances.
After the new kitchen is installed, the plumber and electrician will return for fit-off. This involves connecting the kitchen sink, tapware, dishwasher, and any other plumbing fixtures, as well as installing power points, lighting, and connecting the rangehood, oven, cooktop and any other electrical appliances.
It’s important to note that appliances should be available on-site during the fit-off stage to ensure proper installation and fitting.
In a kitchen renovation, a plasterer is required to ensure the walls and ceilings are in optimal condition for the final finish. In most projects, two visits are required.
The first visit is for initial patching. After the plumbing and electrical rough-ins, the plasterer comes in to patch up any necessary holes in the walls and prepare the surface for subsequent work.
The second visit occurs after the installation of the new kitchen. During this visit, the plasterer will address any additional patching, install or repair cornices, and add other decorative mouldings to ensure a cohesive and finished look in the kitchen.
A Tiler is optional. You only need one if you have selected a tiled splashback or tiled floor.
In recent years, tiled splashback have made a significant comeback. The availability of a new range of materials, patterns, and colours has been one of the main contributing factors to this resurgence. Homeowners now have endless options to choose from, including unique shapes or finishes to add visual interest to their kitchens.
If you’re considering this option, the cost for tiles alone can range from $80 to $500 per square metre, with an additional $800 to $1500 for the tiler’s labor in an average-sized kitchen. However, keep in mind that some contemporary patterned tiles may come at a higher cost, but they can also serve as an eye-catching feature in a simple kitchen space. If your walls are not perfectly square or you opt for more intricate tiles, additional charges for the tiler may apply.
At Complete Kitchens, we collaborate with a team of reliable and professional tradespeople who are well-versed in our high standards, ensuring a seamless renovation process. Your designer can provide you with an estimate of the trade costs, which you will pay directly to the tradespeople.
We charge a small coordination fee for each trade, allowing you to avoid the high costs of a project manager. This approach is cost-effective, efficient and flexible.
You are most welcome to supply and organize your own trades. Just keep in mind that in Victoria, the plumbers and electricians are required to be licensed. They also need to provide you with a Compliance Certificate upon completion, which you will need for insurance purposes.
While Complete Kitchens is a registered domestic builder, you may require the services of an additional builder if you are planning any structural work to enhance your kitchen area, such as removing a wall, relocating a door, or changing a window. If you need help finding a reliable builder, we can recommend one who can provide a quote for your project.
In this case, your builder will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing all the trades involved in the project to ensure that everything is completed to code and within the specified timeframe. Complete Kitchens will coordinate with the builder to supply and install your kitchen cabinetry.
When it comes to kitchen appliances, there are many brands and price ranges to choose from. Entry-level brands can cost up to $5,000 for a standard kitchen, while market leaders are more expensive. Integrated appliances cost more and may require coordinated cabinetry.
At Complete Kitchens, we do not resell appliances, but we are premium partners with leading manufacturers and retailers such as E & S Trading and Miele Appliances. We also display premium appliances in our showroom to help you envision how they will look with your cabinetry.
For custom-built kitchens, clients have flexibility to choose their preferred appliances. Our design and technical teams will carefully review the layout and specifications to ensure everything fits. Some integrated appliances may need to be delivered to our factory for pre-fitting to your pre-assembled kitchen.
Next Step?
Visit our Process page to learn how we work.
