August 3, 2026
What a kitchen renovation actually costs, line by line
Where the money goes in a mid-range kitchen, which items are worth paying more for, and the three lines most quotes leave out.
Cabinetry and worktops usually account for just over half of a kitchen budget, but the lines that catch people out sit elsewhere: floor levelling, electrical upgrades to meet current code, and making good the ceiling after a wall or bulkhead comes down. Ask any quote you receive to itemise those three separately.
Spend the extra money on the things that move every day — drawer runners, hinges and the tap — and save it on the things that do not, like decorative end panels. And treat any quote that arrives as a single number with suspicion: it is not a price, it is a guess with your money attached.