Most of the renovations we get asked about around Wollongong start in the same room. The kitchen is where everyone ends up, so when it's tired or badly laid out, the whole house feels it. Before you get too deep into finishes and inspiration photos, it helps to know roughly what a kitchen renovation costs, and, more usefully, what makes one job twice the price of another.
Here's the honest version for a NSW kitchen in 2026. Treat every number below as a starting point, not a quote.
What is the average kitchen renovation cost?
Most kitchen renovations in NSW land somewhere around $25,000 to $50,000. Below that you're keeping the existing layout and using entry-level cabinetry and laminate; above it you're into full custom joinery, premium stone and moved walls.
There isn't really a single average, because two kitchens the same size can sit twenty thousand dollars apart on cabinetry alone. The mid-range band is where most Illawarra jobs settle: custom or semi-custom cabinets, stone benchtops, new tiling and lighting, and the layout more or less where it already is.
The figure people quote from a few years back is no longer much use as a guide. Cabinetry, stone and trade labour have all moved since, so price a kitchen on today's numbers rather than on what a neighbour paid in 2022.
Rough price tiers
Kitchen renovations sit across a wide band, and where you land depends more on your choices than on the room itself. As a rough guide across the Illawarra and Southern Highlands:
- Budget refresh, around $12,000 to $25,000. Same layout, new flat-pack or entry-level cabinetry, laminate benchtops, a tidy-up of the existing plumbing and electrical, mid-range appliances.
- Mid-range, around $25,000 to $50,000. Custom or semi-custom cabinetry, stone benchtops, better appliances, new tiling and lighting, maybe a small layout tweak.
- High-end, $50,000 and up. Full custom joinery, a large island, premium stone, integrated appliances, moved walls or windows, and finishes chosen to last decades.
These bands overlap, and they move with the size of the room and the state of what's behind the walls. A galley kitchen in a Wollongong unit and a big open-plan kitchen in a Southern Highlands home are not the same job.
What does a small kitchen renovation cost?
A small kitchen sits at the lower end of those bands, often in the $12,000 to $25,000 range if you keep the layout and use entry-level or flat-pack cabinetry. Less bench, fewer cabinets and a smaller floor area all pull the number down.
What a small room doesn't discount is the trades. Plumbing, electrical, waterproofing where it's needed, tiling and painting all still have to happen, and a call-out for each is much the same whether the kitchen is four metres long or eight. That's why halving the size doesn't halve the price.
The one thing that can undo the saving is moving the sink or the stove. In a small kitchen there's rarely a spare wall to move them to, so a layout change usually means new plumbing and wiring runs through cabinetry that's already tight.
What drives a kitchen renovation cost
Four things move the number more than anything else.
Cabinetry. This is usually the biggest single line. Flat-pack is cheapest, custom-built joinery costs more but fits your space exactly and lasts longer. The number of cabinets, drawers over doors, and internal fit-outs all add up.
Benchtops. Laminate is the budget option. Engineered and natural stone cost more, and the price climbs with the size of the slab and the edge detail. An island bench adds a whole extra run of benchtop.
Appliances. You can spend a little or a lot here, and it's the easiest place to control the budget. Integrated and built-in appliances also cost more to install, not just to buy.
Layout changes. Keeping the sink, stove and fridge roughly where they are keeps costs down. Moving them means new plumbing, gas and wiring, and that's where a mid-range job can quietly turn into a high-end one.
Where the money actually goes
People often picture the spend as benchtops and shiny appliances. In practice, a fair chunk is labour and the things you never see.
- Cabinetry and joinery, often a third or more of the total.
- Benchtops and splashback.
- Appliances and tapware.
- Trades you can't skip: plumbing, electrical, tiling, plastering, painting.
- Removal and disposal of the old kitchen.
The unglamorous middle of that list is where a lot of the budget lives. Good tiling and clean electrical work don't show up in a photo, but they're the difference between a kitchen that feels right and one that doesn't.
What can blow the budget
A few things reliably push the number up, and most of them stay hidden until demolition day:
- Moving plumbing or gas, especially to a new wall.
- Old wiring that has to be brought up to standard.
- Water damage, rot or asbestos found once the old kitchen comes out, which is common in older Illawarra homes.
- Structural changes, like removing a wall to open up to the living area.
- Changing your mind on finishes mid-build.
Most kitchen renovations don't need council approval, but knocking out a wall or altering the structure can change that. It's worth checking with your council or a certifier before you commit to a layout that moves walls.
Getting a real number for your kitchen
The ranges above are useful for setting expectations, but your kitchen has its own answer. It comes down to the size of the room, the finishes you choose, and what's hiding behind the current cabinets.
The way we work at Ovas is to look at your actual kitchen, talk through what you want, and put it in a fixed-price proposal so you know the number before anything is pulled apart. Ten-plus years around the Illawarra means we've seen what older homes tend to hide, and we'd rather flag it early than surprise you halfway through.
Want a hand with this at your place? Get a free quote or call 0434 037 851.