A new kitchen is the biggest renovation most Sydney homeowners take on inside the house. It is also the one with the widest price range. A working refresh and a full custom kitchen can be three times apart.
Get my kitchen estimate →This is a working guide to three things. The kind of kitchen you want. What drives the number up or down. And where the money is actually going.
The numbers are from real Sydney jobs. The opinions are from 35+ years of renovating kitchens out of our Leichhardt showroom. Some of what follows is what we tell every client at their first consultation. Other parts are what we tell only after they ask.
“Recent Origin project, Coogee (Eastern Suburbs). Custom cabinetry from our Botany factory.”
Here are the honest ranges. These are all-inclusive figures. Design, supply, install, project management. Not “starting from” teasers.
Standard layout, mainstream cabinetry and finishes. A working refresh.
Where most Origin kitchens land. Full custom cabinetry from our Botany factory, quality stone, a sensible appliance package, full install.
Larger footprint or structural changes. Premium stone slabs, upgraded appliances, custom joinery features, often two-tone cabinetry and feature pieces.
Most Sydney kitchens we quote land in the $40,000 to $60,000 zone. That is where a properly specified custom kitchen comes together without compromising on the parts you touch every day.
Two Sydney kitchens of similar size can land at very different prices. These are the five factors that move the number the most.
Cabinetry is usually 30 to 40% of a kitchen budget. Flat-pack cabinetry is cheaper upfront. It is rarely the lower long-term cost. Joinery that sags, drawers that misalign, finishes that wear within five years end up being replaced. Custom cabinetry built in a joinery factory comes out level, square and finished to a higher standard. It also fits the room you actually have, which is almost never a standard size.
Engineered stone, natural stone (marble, granite, dolomite) and porcelain slabs sit in a similar price band per square metre. The install cost, edge profile, joins and waste factor swing the total. A 4.5 metre run of premium stone typically lands at $3,000 to $8,000 supplied and installed, depending on the choice. Do not budget your stone last.
A standard appliance package (oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher) runs $4,000 to $8,000 mid-range, $10,000 to $20,000 premium, $25,000+ if you go integrated everything. Appliance choice affects cabinetry build. An integrated fridge needs a different cabinet to a freestanding one.
Moving plumbing and gas connections, taking out walls, raising ceilings, adding a window. Every structural decision adds to the bill. Most also add years of liveable value. A galley kitchen kept in its existing footprint is the cheapest option. An island kitchen with relocated services and a removed wall is the most expensive for the same room.
Tapware, handles, splashback, lighting, sinks. These are the elements where the difference between fine and “you will be glad every morning” is a few thousand dollars across the whole kitchen. They are not where to save unless you genuinely have to.
A $45,000 Sydney kitchen breaks down roughly like this. The example is a typical Origin sweet-spot project: a 4.2 metre galley with a small return and a stone island.
The two biggest lines are always cabinetry and stone. Together they are usually half the job. The “small” lines add up to more than people expect.
“Recent Origin project, Coogee. Cabinetry from our Botany factory.”
After 35+ years of renovating Sydney kitchens, we have a clear view on this. Here are the calls worth sharing.
1. Pendant lighting. Beautiful pendants are available from $80 to $1,500. Most clients can’t tell the difference at home. Save here, spend elsewhere.
2. Splashback tile. A simple gloss white subway tile, well-laid, is timeless and inexpensive. If your stone is doing the design lifting, the splashback can stay quiet.
3. Built-in microwave. A standalone microwave on a shelf costs nothing and dates less obviously than an integrated unit.
4. Pull-out bins. The mid-range option works exactly as well as the premium one.
5. Cabinetry. This is where to spend, every time. Custom joinery from a known factory with full-extension soft-close runners and quality hinges is the difference between a kitchen that looks good in five years and one that does not.
6. Tapware. You touch the mixer 30 times a day. Builders’ grade plastic-cartridge mixers fail. Solid-brass mixers do not.
7. Benchtop selection (laminate vs stone). Stone wears longer, sits better with custom cabinetry, and holds value at resale. Laminate dates faster and shows the cost of the saving inside five years.
8. The induction cooktop, if you cook. A good one is genuinely better every day. Worth the upgrade.
A few things that bite the budget late if no one mentioned them upfront.
Most Sydney kitchen renovations do not need a DA. Some do, particularly if you are changing windows, removing structural walls or altering external walls. Budget $1,500 to $5,000 if a DA applies.
Apartment kitchens almost always need strata approval. Time, not just money. Typically 4 to 8 weeks of approval before work starts. The homeowner lodges the application; we provide the supporting documentation.
Pre-1990 Sydney homes can have asbestos in old splashbacks, vinyl flooring or behind tiles. Licensed removal adds $1,500 to $5,000 if found.
Older switchboards sometimes can’t handle a new induction cooktop, dual-oven and dishwasher load together. Budget $1,800 to $3,500 if an upgrade is required.
Tile or board floors over uneven slabs need self-levelling compound before they can be laid. Often $500 to $1,500.
You will need a kettle and microwave somewhere for 6 to 8 weeks. Some clients add a small bar fridge in the garage. Not a huge cost but worth knowing about.
There is a reason one quote says $45,000 and another says “from $35,000”. One is fixed-price. The other is cost-plus.
Fixed price means the renovator carries the risk of overruns and quotes the whole job up front.
Cost-plus means you carry the risk. You pay for materials, labour and a margin on top, and the final number is whatever the job ends up being.
In our experience, fixed price is the better choice for residential kitchens in Sydney. Cost-plus jobs creep. The “from” number is the number you remember. The final invoice is something else. Don’t fall for low headline figures that are not the full quote.
Every Origin kitchen is quoted fixed price and all-inclusive, after a free in-home consultation and a showroom design session. Our quotes detail every task by trade so you know exactly what is included and what is not. The price you see is the total fixed price of the project, not an item-by-item bill. No mid-build surprises, no padded line totals, no hidden contingencies. Our Leichhardt showroom is open Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:30pm, by appointment. Full kitchen mock-ups, real stone slabs, the cabinetry from our own factory at Botany. Come in and have a look, or call us on 1300 998 925 to book the in-home consultation. It is free and there is no obligation.
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