DIY Kitchen Renovation Myths BUSTED: The True Costs of a DIY Kitchen Build

A renovated kitchen is an investment that will inevitably enhance the appearance and value of your home. The cost of a DIY Kitchen is often mis-calculated and usually undervalued.

Nowadays a large amount of time is spent rustling up delicious meals as well as enjoying leisure time with family and friends in the kitchen, so you want to make sure you get the design right. If you’re handy with tools and building IKEA furniture, you may be tempted to design and install your own kitchen. However, the kitchen is the most complicated room in the house, so if you want to DIY you must be willing to exude your time, effort and well-earned cash. So what is the true cost of a kitchen renovation?

How much will your DIY kitchen cost?

A kitchen’s price tag is dependent on its dimensions and the finishes you choose. Budget kitchens can start anywhere from $10k – $25k, your mid-range kitchens range from $25k – $40k and your luxury kitchens can start at $45k and go up to $90k and then some.

Nonetheless, most DIY kitchen overhaul projects will involve the removal of existing cabinetry, appliances, flooring and tiles, splashbacks, brief relocation/ replacement of walls and finishings plastering or rendering, removal and refitting plumbing and electrics, lighting and THEN adding it all back.

Proposed DIY Kitchen items and costs

Other than the back-breaking labour, mental anguish, and potential divorce, what is the average monetary cost of renovating your kitchen?

• New paint to cover your bare walls, once you’ve torn out the retro, timber cabinets: $1,000
• Tiling walls: $600
• Cooktop: $750
• Dishwasher: $800
• Oven: $1000
• Pendants and LED downlights: $1,000
• Flat back cabinets: $3,400 – $9,320 +
• That fancy, stone island benchtop, the missus wants is minimum $3,619 (if you prefer laminate, you’re looking at around $1,500)
• Flooring: $4,375 (including labour) to tile approximately 37 square metres with 600mm x 600mm ceramic tile
• Acrylic splashback might only cost a few hundred dollars, $675

And so much more! Including ducting a rangehood through the roof and wall, kitchen handles, sink and tap, steamer, warming draw, microwave…. make sure you have some extra budget left over for any unforeseen circumstances, and there will be a few.

Probably the most important cost to consider is hiring a qualified tradesperson, who installs the electricity, plumbing, gas and mechanical components. Even if the tradesperson is qualified in those areas, have they completed a kitchen renovation before? Not every electrician knows how to wire up a kitchen if they haven’t previously conducted this work… same goes for plumbing and the rest!

PROS and CONS of DIY Kitchen Build vs choosing a Professional Kitchen Renovator?

PROS of DIY Kitchen Build

• Handling the work yourself will save you labor costs, but won’t save you time
• It can be easier to salvage existing fixtures and furniture, which is another way to save money
• Personal satisfaction once the job is completed

CONS of DIY Kitchen Build

• Responsible for coordinating and sourcing all trades – plumbing, electrical, tradesmen etc.
• No fixed price contract so there is a risk of oscillating charges
• No warranty on the entire kitchen
• No assistance with making your kitchen not only aesthetically pleasing, but also functional. This is why visiting a kitchen showroom can be so beneficial as you can see the latest trends and space saving solutions
• Your DIY kitchen will not reflect the high quality kitchens built by professionals, no matter how many online tutorials you watch
• Dangerous if you’re using electric tools you haven’t used before

PROS of Choosing a Professional Kitchen Renovator

In order to determine what the pros are of using a kitchen renovator, we had to compare to the best in the business. Only a handful of kitchen companies in Sydney are licensed to completely renovate your kitchen and project manage the job. How can you tell? Ask them for a lump sum contract. If they can’t or won’t include everything, such as all trades, into one contract and ask you to pay ANY trades directly, they are probably not licensed. The other big give away is whether they offer home warranty insurance. If you don’t receive a certificate, they are not licensed. So we only spoke to kitchen companies that could do this and surprisingly, you could count them on one hand.

Nobby Kitchens have been Sydney’s leading kitchen connoisseurs since 1939. They are the number one stop when it comes to creating perfect, bespoke kitchens – and staying within budget. So what are the pros of choosing a professional kitchen renovator, in particular, Nobby:

• Kitchen renovators live and breathe kitchen design and are experts in the industry – a kitchen designer’s job is to translate your needs into a functional kitchen
• They’ve been in the industry for decades which means they’ve made majority of the mistakes prior, and will ensure you don’t experience any hiccups during your renovation
• Most kitchen renovators, like Nobby Kitchens, also offer fixed price contract that covers the entirety of your kitchen project, with no hidden fees
• Clients are assigned their own project manager to guide them and oversee the project and manage all trades
• Contract can include building work including tiling, cornice and plastering are included
• An extensive 10-year warranty and a Home Warranty Insurance Certificate will be granted to client projects prior to its onset at Nobby
• Kitchen renovators’ showrooms are filled with the latest and greatest in kitchen design which is great for inspiration
• A Nobby expert designer will design your kitchen on 3D technology so you can visualise your kitchen before the build
• Per kitchen renovation, there’s generally around 10 trades involved, which is almost the same number of trades when building a new home! This means the kitchen will be built fast and to the highest standard

CONS of Choosing a Professional Kitchen Renovator

• Generally higher costs due to the ease of managing the project (but so worth it)

If you have any questions or concerns during your DIY Kitchen renovation, give the team at Nobby a ring and they’ll sort you out. Just keep in mind that if you buy cheap, you often buy twice, so get the job done once, done well and done right – with Nobby Kitchens. Ready to start your kitchen renovation? Book a showroom visit here or call 1800 662 297.

Source: Get Building