Home Renovations in Melbourne

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q1. How much does a full home renovation cost in Melbourne?

Full home renovations in Melbourne generally start around $150,000 for a cosmetic overhaul of a modest home and run past $500,000 where there is structural change, new services and premium finishes throughout. As a guide, budget roughly $20,000 to $40,000 per bathroom, $35,000 to $55,000 for the kitchen and $8,000 to $25,000 for the laundry, then add flooring, painting, joinery, electrical and structural work. The age and condition of the house is the single biggest variable.

Q2. How long does a full home renovation take?

Three to six months on site for most full home renovations, depending on scope and whether the work is structural. Permit and design approvals sit outside that and can add four to twelve weeks. You receive a dated program before we start, with the milestones that matter to you marked, so you can plan accommodation and deliveries around it.

Q3. Do I need to move out during a full home renovation?

For a genuine whole of house renovation, usually yes, at least for the period when the kitchen and bathrooms are out. Some clients stay for the early structural stage and move out for the finishing trades. If moving out is not possible, we can stage the work so you always have a functioning kitchen or bathroom, though that will extend the overall timeline and add cost. We will map both options at quoting.

Q4. Should I renovate or knock down and rebuild?

It depends on what you are keeping. If the structure is sound, the layout is workable and you value the character of the house, renovating is usually better value. If you are replacing the roof, the wiring, the plumbing, the floor plan and the footprint, you are effectively building a new house at renovation prices, and a knockdown rebuild often costs less and delivers more. Heritage overlays, which apply across much of Melbourne's inner east, may take the decision out of your hands. We give an honest assessment at the first meeting, including when the honest answer is that you should not use us for a renovation.

Q5. Do I need permits for a full home renovation in Victoria?

Almost certainly. Any structural change, alteration to the building footprint, new wet areas or significant service relocation requires a building permit issued by a registered building surveyor. If your property sits in a heritage or neighbourhood character overlay, which is common in Kew, Hawthorn, Armadale and Brighton, you may also need a planning permit from council, and that takes considerably longer. We assess the overlays before quoting and manage the applications.

Q6. Can I renovate my home in stages?

Yes, and plenty of clients do. The important thing is sequence. Services, structure and flooring should come before wet areas, wet areas before the kitchen, and finishes last. Renovating out of order is how people end up paying to redo work they have already paid for. Staging costs more in total because trades mobilise repeatedly, but it lets you stay in the house and spread the spend.

Q7. Can you renovate an apartment?

Yes. The main difference is approvals. Work touching common property, including bathroom waterproofing and most plumbing, needs written owners corporation approval before it starts, and in Victoria they generally have 30 days to respond. There are also practical constraints such as lift bookings, restricted work hours and no on site skip. We price for those upfront rather than raising them as variations later.

Q8. What insurance and warranty applies to a full home renovation?

From 1 July 2026, eligible domestic building work in Victoria valued over $20,000 and up to three storeys is covered by the Building and Plumbing Commission's Home Warranty scheme, which replaced Domestic Building Insurance. It covers work that is incomplete, defective or non compliant where the builder cannot or will not fix it, with cover up to $400,000. Statutory warranty periods for structural and non structural defects apply on top. We arrange the required cover as part of your contract.