Kitchen Renovation Sydney: Real Eastwood Case Study (2026)
A tired 1990s kitchen in Eastwood, fully rebuilt in five weeks for $38,400 — $11,000 under the next-best fixed-price quote. Here are the before/after photos, the line-by-line cost, the timeline, and the three design decisions that kept the budget honest.
Get a Free Kitchen QuoteThe project at a glance
Suburb
Eastwood, Sydney
Footprint
12 m² (U-shape)
Timeline
5 working weeks
Final cost
$38,400
The customer was a family of four in Eastwood who had been quoted $49,000 and $52,000 by two well-known Northern District builders. Both quotes were fixed-price and bundled — meaning no line items, no choice of supplier, and no way to see where the margin sat. The brief: a brighter, more functional U-shaped kitchen with a stone island bench big enough to seat three, and a full appliance package, without crossing $40k.
The completed kitchen handed back at $38,400 — $11,000 (22%) below the closest builder quote — with stone benchtops, two-pack cabinetry, a gas cooktop, integrated rangehood, electric oven, dishwasher and pendant lighting. Below is the full breakdown and the three design decisions that made the saving real.
Line-by-line cost breakdown
Every number here is from the actual invoices, GST included. We publish them because the single biggest reason Sydney homeowners overpay on kitchens is that they never see what each item actually costs.
| Item | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Strip-out, skip & make-safe | $1,650 |
| Plumbing rough-in & fit-off (licensed) | $2,400 |
| Electrical rough-in & fit-off (licensed) | $3,150 |
| Gas connection (licensed gasfitter) | $880 |
| Two-pack cabinetry (CNC, supply + install) | $11,200 |
| Stone benchtops incl. waterfall island (4.6 m²) | $6,500 |
| Subway-tile splashback (tiles + labour) | $1,420 |
| Sink, mixer tap & soap dispenser | $740 |
| Gas cooktop & integrated rangehood | $2,180 |
| Electric pyrolytic oven | $1,580 |
| Dishwasher (integrated) | $1,090 |
| Pendant lights & LED downlights | $640 |
| Painting, patching & cornice repair | $1,250 |
| Project management & site supervision | $2,900 |
| Final clean, certificates & handover | $820 |
| TOTAL (incl. GST) | $38,400 |
Builder quotes: $49,000 and $52,000
The same scope quoted by two traditional fixed-price builders came in at $49k and $52k. The 22% saving is not magic — it is the absence of three line items the customer never sees on a builder quote: cabinetry markup (typically 25–35% on top of trade), appliance retail margin, and a site supervision fee folded into the headline number.
Three design decisions that saved $11,000
1. U-shape on the existing wet wall
The original kitchen already had plumbing on one wall. Keeping the new U-shape aligned to that wet wall meant the plumber did not relocate any waste lines and the electrician ran new circuits in the same chase. Reworking these properly costs $3,000–$5,000 more than re-using them — and it adds a week to the schedule.
2. CNC two-pack cabinetry direct from the maker
A traditional builder would source two-pack cabinetry through a fabricator they have a margin agreement with — typically 25–35% on top of trade price. Ordering the same cabinetry directly from the CNC shop saved roughly $3,200 here, with zero compromise on hinges, soft-close drawers or finish quality.
3. Stone, not engineered, on a 20mm profile
Stone benchtops are the line item homeowners most often overspend on. A 40mm mitred edge on a thicker profile can add $2,000 to a 4.6 m² job. A 20mm slab with a thin square edge looks contemporary, is easier to template, and lets you spend the saved budget on a real waterfall end to the island — which is what people actually notice.
5-week timeline
Week 1 — Design lock & cabinetry order
Final 3D design signed off, cabinetry CNC ordered, stone benchtop templating booked, all appliance models confirmed. This is the week to lock decisions — every later change costs three times more.
Week 2 — Strip-out & rough-in
Old cabinets, splashback and bench removed. Licensed plumber re-routes the sink waste, licensed electrician runs new circuits for the cooktop, oven and rangehood. Walls patched, ceiling repaired, painting starts.
Week 3 — Cabinetry install & stone templating
Carcasses and doors installed and aligned. Stonemason takes a laser template of the in-place cabinets — this is critical because measurements off plans are never quite right.
Week 4 — Splashback & benchtop install
Subway-tile splashback laid and grouted. Stone benchtops fabricated and installed, including the island waterfall edge. Sink and tap fit-off, gas cooktop connected by licensed gasfitter.
Week 5 — Appliances, fit-off & handover
Oven, dishwasher and fridge installed and tested. Final electrical fit-off, kickboards, handles, hardware. Final clean and defect walkthrough with the customer.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mid-range kitchen renovation cost in Sydney in 2026?
A mid-range kitchen renovation in Sydney in 2026 typically costs $30,000–$45,000. The job in this case study came in at $38,400 including GST, with stone benchtops, two-pack cabinetry, a gas cooktop, integrated rangehood, dishwasher and full appliance install.
How long does a kitchen renovation take in Sydney?
A typical Sydney kitchen renovation takes 4–6 weeks from strip-out to handover, assuming cabinetry is ordered before demolition starts. Stone benchtop fabrication is the longest dependent step — usually 2–3 weeks after template — so it should be sequenced first.
Is a U-shaped kitchen layout still a good idea?
Yes, particularly in standard Sydney detached homes where the kitchen is enclosed on three sides. A U-shape gives the most usable bench length per square metre, keeps the working triangle tight, and lets you run plumbing and electrical down a single wet wall — which materially reduces cost.
Do I need council approval to renovate a kitchen in Sydney?
Most kitchen renovations in Sydney are exempt development if you do not move external walls, do not enlarge any window openings, and do not relocate gas connections. Strata properties almost always require strata committee approval and a licensed plumber's certificate for gas work, regardless of council.
What's the cheapest part of a kitchen to splurge on visually?
Tapware and the splashback. A premium mixer tap and a well-tiled splashback together cost under $1,800 and visually upgrade the whole room. The most expensive items to upgrade — stone, cabinetry, appliances — are where most of the budget should already sit.
How much can Zokoon's direct-to-trade model save on a kitchen renovation?
On the Eastwood job, two prior fixed-price builder quotes came back at $49,000 and $52,000. Final cost was $38,400 — a saving of roughly $11,000 (22%). The saving came from trade-direct pricing on cabinetry and stone, no builder margin on appliances, and an in-house project manager replacing the builder's site supervision fee.
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