u/Dismal_Necessary_572

Need a reality check/advice on kitchen renovation budgeting.

We budgeted around $30k for a kitchen reno and are currently getting quotes, but it’s looking like that budget doesn’t stretch very far anymore.

The budget is intended to cover:

• Joinery (island, pantry, fridge panel, standard drawer cabinets — no wall units)
• Removal and installation of kitchen
• Flooring
• Trades (plumber, electrician, etc.)

We’re already getting quotes that are $5k+ over budget, and that’s still using a standard laminate benchtop.

To save a bit, we’ll be doing the painting ourselves once the old kitchen has been removed, so we are trying to cut costs where we can already.

For people who’ve gone through this:

• What parts of the project did you scale back or downgrade to stay within budget?
• What upgrades were actually worth the money?
• Were there areas where spending less ended up causing regrets later?
• Any hidden costs that surprised you?
• What would you do differently if you renovated again?
• Did anyone manage to keep costs reasonable without sacrificing too much quality?

Also interested in whether people found flat-pack kitchens, partial DIY, or mixing custom/non-custom joinery worthwhile financially.

Trying to work out whether our expectations are unrealistic, or if there are smarter ways to approach this without blowing the budget.

Looking for some advice from people who’ve recently done a kitchen reno 👀

We’re currently getting quotes and had budgeted around $30k, but honestly it’s looking like that doesn’t go very far these days.

Our budget is meant to cover:

• Joinery (kitchen island, pantry, fridge panel, standard drawer cabinets — no wall units)
• Removal + install of the kitchen
• Flooring
• Trades needed (plumber/electrician etc.)

We’re already coming in over budget by $5k+ and that’s with a pretty standard laminate benchtop, nothing fancy.

For those who’ve been through this:

• What did you downgrade or skip to bring costs down?
• Anything you thought was worth spending more on vs not worth it?
• Any tips for keeping costs reasonable without regretting it later?
• Who did you use and would you recommend them?
• Anyone we should avoid?
• What would you do differently if you were doing your kitchen again?
• Were there any hidden costs or surprise expenses that caught you off guard?

Also curious if people found flat-pack/custom joinery mix worthwhile, or if there are certain things suppliers upsell that aren’t really necessary.

Feels like every little thing adds up fast 😅