We’d like to do a kitchen renovation too. Thank you for all the advice.

Try to do whatever you can yourself, get multiple quotes for what you can’t do. Join buy swap sell sites or look on gumtree.
Our kitchen was by far our hardest and most time consuming renovation, the end result is so great though. Good luck!

Thanks for all of the terrific and helpful answers and tips – we will be embarking on this project as soon as we can. Appreciate the help!

We’re in the middle of swapping our master bedroom and kitchen over so the kitchen and loungeroom can be one big open plan area. Its been horrible. We’re doing most of it ourselves to save money (which we have saved thousands) but we’ve been sleeping in the loungeroom since October now! The kitchen is finally going in this weekend and then it should only be a couple more weeks.

Tips:

No matter how long you think it will take, it will take 5 times longer.

If you get a bunnings or ikea kitchen it will only be cheaper if you can put it together yourself and install it yourself. They end up costing a lot more if you pay someone to do it. Just go a kitchen company if you’re going pay someone to do it.

Bug bomb your house a lot. Everything that has been living happily in your walls will be booted out and want to become friends.

No not at this stage maybe in the future!

I re-did mine. I used a Kaboodle kitchen so I was able to choose options that suited my budget and we were able to do the install ourselves saving us money

I had so much fun doing our kitchen ! We bought a flat pack and put it together ourselves. We got someone to measure and then mitre cut the bench top. I did the tiling for the splashback- it was a lot easier than you’d think. We are in a new house now with a new kitchen. This one has all been done by the home previous owners, when the house was built as part of a package …and the design drives me crazy.
If I was doing it again……..I’d get better quality hinges on the cupboards.
I wouldn’t use granite or Ceasarstone on the benchtops, it’s not very forgiving.
I’d spend the extra to get the appliances that I really, really want.
I wouldn’t build up and around the fridge – who knows which one we’ll get next time.
I’d include drawers rather than cupboards wherever I could.
I would have high sides on the drawers to maximise storage potential.
I wouldn’t have a sink in the island bench.
I would have the sink overlooking a window. I would install awesome lighting!

Remember the triangle of the stove, the fridge, the sink. These need to be easily accessible to each other without being too close. Never put your fridge right near the oven or stove.

Have fun with it and think how you would like to be using the space.
Makes me almost want to start on this one

We had our kitchen gutted and renovated about 5 yrs ago. The cost depends on the size of your kitchen, the extent to what you are willing to demolish and renovate, and the type of supplies you use. We went all out and had 2-3pk cupboards, granite bench top and splash backs, an appliance cupboard with granite top, large pantry and a larder and new oven, induction hot plates and dishwasher. But if you have seen TV shows on selling homes they also just do a make over and maybe paint the existing tiles etc. It is up to you how far you go and to what extent. My tip is to research builders/kitchen firms, and get different quotes from a range of different firms also at this time you can suss out the firms re pore with you and see if you like or dislike a particular person/firm. We are about 1/2 way through a bathroom renovation at this very moment.
You must do a lot of homework before you decide …research, look at photo’s on the web and if you are limited to a particular budget discuss it with the kitchen firm as they will work with you and give advice.
BIG TIP: be prepared for a LOT OF MESS and regarding a kitchen, time when you can not cook ,so takeaway or visits to a friends for meals may be necessary.
Have fun and just look to the future and your finished kitchen..BEST OF LUCK.