What visitors always ask

Planning bands only: about $8,000–$20,000 cosmetic; $25,000–$55,000 mid-range same footprint; $60,000–$120,000+ high-spec. Layout changes are site-specific and often $80,000–$150,000+. AUD, typical 12–20 m² kitchens, 2024–2026 commentary. Full assumptions on the kitchen cost guide.

Planning bands only: about $8,000–$18,000 cosmetic; $15,000–$35,000 same-footprint gut with waterproofing; $25,000–$50,000+ if wastes move; $45,000–$80,000+ luxury or expanded. Full assumptions on the bathroom cost guide.

A galley. If you only have one long wall, a single run plus a peninsula. An island in a narrow room is a blockage. Measure leftover circulation before you draw seating.

Laminate is the value heat-sensitive option. Engineered stone is the familiar mid-to-high look (trivets still required). Porcelain slabs are the heat/UV conversation and need specialist fabrication. There is no universal winner — match cooking style and band. Details on the benchtops page.

A membrane system that stops water reaching the building. Tiles are not waterproofing. Australian wet areas are framed by the NCC and referenced standards such as AS 3740 — read the official ABCB publications, not invented clause numbers.

Keep one bath in a family house if you can. Ensuite can usually be shower-only. Choose the room and the household, not the reel.

Design and cabinet manufacture often take longer than the noisy weeks. On site, a same-footprint mid-range kitchen is commonly discussed as about four to eight weeks after joinery is ready — not a promise.

Like-for-like finishes often do not need a planning permit. Licensed plumbing and current waterproofing still apply. Moving walls, windows, or the wet area can trigger building approval. Ask a registered practitioner and your state authority.

Porcelain with wet-area slip performance your tiler will warranty, in a format that can still fall to the waste. Confirm ratings with the installer. We do not invent slip codes here.

Brief, design and lock appliances, approvals, strip, first-fix services, cabinets, benches, splashback, second-fix. Bathrooms insert waterproofing before tile.

Split carcass (moisture and edge-tape), door (look and repair), and hardware (what you touch). Melamine carcasses are common and fine when detailed well at the sink and dishwasher.

Shower-only, compact vanity, toilet out of the door swing, extraction to outside, and do not steal the entire robe.

Often 600–750 mm in a tight ensuite; 900–1200 mm if circulation survives the shower door. Measure leftover wall, then subtract swings.

Yes when the island end is a primary elevation and the fabricator can mitre it cleanly. No when the end faces a wall or the money would buy a better substrate.

Set a cook + extract + wash + cold package first, lock SKUs before cabinets are cut, and include circuits and install in the same list.

Painted glass or a slab continuation. Tile is fine if grout is mid-tone and tight. Stainless shows streaks and hides less than people hope.

Yes — it is the standard cost-control move. Replace fixtures on the existing wastes.

Ducted exhaust first, then a heat lamp or 3-in-1 for a short warm-up. Under-tile if the floor is already open. Hydronic if the house already has it.

Island only if circulation remains on the working sides. Otherwise a peninsula.

Falls before the membrane, full upturns, sealed penetrations, curing time, and do not tile before the system is accepted. Photos for the inspector.

Serviceable aerators, chrome you can descale, WaterMark where it applies, WELS for water use. Local utilities publish hardness maps — use them.

Yes for step-free access if you will pay for a more demanding tanked floor. No as a styling shortcut upstairs over a neighbour.

One for every daily appliance plus spares on the prep run and island. Dedicated circuits for major appliances. An electrician designs the board — we do not invent amps.

Cosmetic keeps layout and (in bathrooms) the membrane if it is sound. Full reno strips, redoes hidden work, and replaces joinery or the wet area.

Measured plan, who cooks, what must be stored, locked appliance models, whether services can move, and a planning-band budget with contingency.