Buying guide
Budget kitchen renovations: Getting big results, with little $
You don’t need to spend $50k to make your kitchen beautiful
AI summary
A budget kitchen renovation is achievable for under $25,000 by focusing on smart savings and creativity. The biggest cost-cutters are DIY labour and reusing materials.
Simple updates like painting walls or cabinets, replacing handles, and updating tapware can make a huge impact. For larger changes, consider affordable materials:
- Benchtops: Laminate is the most budget-friendly.
- Cabinetry: Reuse existing units or choose a kitset kitchen.
- Flooring: Vinyl and tiles are cost-effective options.
By getting hands-on and sourcing second-hand items on Trade Me, you can create a stunning new space for less.
Got a spare 30 to 60 grand lying around? Nope, me neither. Unless you want to take out a renovation loan or extend your mortgage, that means a typical kitchen reno may be out of your budget.
All is not lost though. You can still transform your space with a budget kitchen renovation, which may cost anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000. You’ll need to get creative, do a little extra work, and compromise - but it’ll be well worth it once you’re cooking in your slick new kitchen. Here’s everything you need to know.
How much does a kitchen renovation cost?
A kitchen renovation costs about as much as you want it to. At the budget end of the scale, you could make DIY changes for free using found or thrifted materials or stuff you’ve got lying around. For a premium reno you can have the experts install the best of the best.
| heading 1 | Budget | Mid-range | Premium | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | Price range | $25,000 and under | $25,000 and under | $25,000 to $60,000 | $25,000 to $60,000 | $60,000+ | $60,000+ |
| DIY required? | DIY required? | Yes / Possibly | Yes / Possibly | No | No | No | No |
We’re aiming for a budget kitchen renovation here, which means spending between $0 and $25,000 (preferably on the lower end of the scale if we can manage it).
How to keep costs down in your budget kitchen renovation
DIY as much as possible
The biggest cost of any kitchen renovation is usually labour. Buildings, plumbers, electricians, joiners, tilers and other trades usually charge $75 to $150 an hour and kitchen renovations can require a lot of time.
To keep costs down you can do as much of the work yourself as possible. More on this later.
Reusing existing materials
The second biggest cost of most kitchen renos is materials so if you’re on a budget it’s a great idea to reuse, repurpose existing materials - or find cheap second hand stuff. For example, you could:
Paint your cabinet doors and replace their handles with some second hand ones you found on Trade Me.
Replace the cabinet doors and keep your cabinetry.
Keep most appliances and replace ones that are failing or looking rough (you can find second hand appliances on Trade Me too).
Find second hand tiles on Trade Me and lay them yourself.
When you’re sticking to a budget you can still get a fantastic kitchen, but you will need to make up for your lack of cash with creativity, time, and resourcefulness.
Doing a little yourself can make a big difference.
Update taps and other fixtures
Most older kitchens are perfectly usable but a few things make them look dated - often fixtures and fittings like taps, sinks, and mixers. Simply replacing these can make all the difference. You can install taps yourself in many cases if they are in the same spot and the same type of tap.
Paint walls
One of my first homes was a state house with beautiful matai floors and a timber kitchen that had been updated in the 90s. The problem was, the previous owners had painted the walls and back of the bench a bright grape purple colour - repainting this a more neutral shade transformed the kitchen, cost a couple hundred dollars and a day of work. There are lots of similiar homes around NZ that could be transformed with a splash of paint.
How to DIY - 5 tips
The first rule of DIY (especially in kitchens) is not to bite off more than you can chew. You can’t do structural stuff, complex electrical or plumbing, gasfitting, or anything involving waterproofing. You should be cautious of building cabinetry or installing appliances that aren’t hardwired. This stuff is for the handy homeowner with spare time
2. Pick the low hanging fruitThe easiest stuff to do in your kitchen reno is painting walls, tiles, or cabinets, installing pre-built cabinetry, installing vinyl or tiles, and demolition. You can also replace simple stuff like door handles, towel hooks, and open shelving. With time, YouTube tutorials, and a lot of patience, almost anyone can do the above DIY tasks.
3. Use YouTube, Trade Me Property and other resources
If you are doing it yourself make sure you take the time to learn first. Trade Me Property has a huge hub of renovation content for general tips plus YouTube, Reddit, Bunnings, and Mitre 10 have plenty of tutorials for specific DIY stuff like tiling or painting.
4. Rent tools or buy them second hand
If you’re getting into DIY it could be worth buying yourself a set of tools - Trade Me has a great second hand selection. Alternatively you can rent specific tools from companies like HirePool
5. Go for a kitset
Kitset kitchens are very affordable and can be high quality. You could possibly get a full kitchen under the $25,000 budget, especially if you were to install it yourself.
A budget kitchen renovation can still look premium.
What materials can I afford if I’m renovating on a budget?
Countertop
The cheapest benchtop material you can buy is laminate. This stuff does the job, lasts 10-15 years if maintained properly, and can hold up to the demands of a moderately busy kitchen. The next step up is timber. These look amazing, and are relatively affordable, but they require very regular maintenance and may not be super durable. Next is engineered stone - these cost a bit more but can look very premium.
| Material | Price range ($ per sqm) | Price for 4 sqm benchtop | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laminate | Laminate | $120 to $350body 2 | $120 to $350body 2 | $480 to $1,400 | $480 to $1,400 |
| Timber | Timber | $350 to $650 | $350 to $650 | $1,400 to $2,600 | $1,400 to $2,600 |
| Engineered stone | Engineered stone | $400 to $800 | $400 to $800 | $1,600 to $3,200 | $1,600 to $3,200 |
Flooring
Linoleum, vinyl, and tiles are your three main options when it comes to budget flooring. You can possibly install linoleum or vinyl planks yourself, but sheets need to be installed by a professional as they can be tricky. You can tile yourself too - go for a large format floor tile to make installation easier.
Cabinetry
Cabinetry can be very expensive, even at the budget end of the scale so it’s always best to try and reuse it. If you can’t, custom cabinetry is probably out of the question budget wise, so you’re best to go with a kitset.
Melamine is the cheapest material on the market, and if it’s well cared for and maintained it does the job. It also comes in a huge amount of colours and finishes and is offered by most kitset providers.
Lighting
If you can leave your lighting be, do it. But if you need to replace the easiest option is LED downlights, focused over work areas - go for a warm, not cool, white to avoid feeling like you’re being interrogated every time you have breakfast. An electrician will have to install these.
Ready to get started?
A kitchen renovation can be as cheap or expensive, as easy or time consuming as you want it to be. The trick to spending less is using your own time wherever possible, finding cheaper materials second hand on sites like Trade Me, or repurposing the materials you already have.
Get a little creative, and get your hands dirty and you might be surprised what you can do for ten grand.
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