How Much Does It Cost to Renovate a Home in Australia (2024)?

Home renovation can be extremely challenging if not planned and executed properly. While it can be tempting to do the home renovation by yourself to save some money, one often ends up spending more at the end of the process. Home renovation is done for various purposes. Some people undertake home renovation to earn profit by increasing the property’s value and selling it at a higher price. Others do it to beautify their house and increase its aesthetic appeal. Whatever be the reason, it is extremely important to decide on a specific budget and hire professionals if you have the slightest doubt in your mind regarding home renovation.

This blog minutely covers the types of renovation, the detailed cost list in a tabular form, and the popular debate about DIY or hiring professional renovation companies. This blog also throws some light on the warning signs, benefits, and common mistakes of home renovation that enrich the readers’ knowledge about the subject and helps them to hire the best professionals in the industry for home renovation.

Home renovation is repairing and improving old and damaged residential buildings. Home renovation is comparatively an economical option than buying a new property. The home renovation includes updates like repainting, installing new home appliances, new sanitary fittings, new floorings, etc.

There are four categorizations of home renovation- the basics, curb appeals, the best bang for the buck, and passion projects.

• The basics will involve minor repairs of basic house amenities like roof, floors, walls, gutters, and downspouts.
• The curb appeals will include well-maintained lawns, repainting the whole house, low-cost improvement of the landscapes, clean carpets, etc.
• Best-bang-for-the-buck includes new siding, kitchen renovations, and new windows.
• Passion projects include renovating swimming pools, tennis courts, wine cellars, and room games.

Most people find remodelling and renovation very confusing. Renovation is about making minor changes and repairing damaged and worn-out components of a house. On the other hand, remodelling involves the complete alteration of a housing segment. The segment could be the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or other house areas. Remodelling is comparatively more expensive and time consuming than renovation.

Without a doubt, home renovation can be costly and challenging, but there comes a time when it becomes very necessary and cannot be avoided. Further ignorance could lead to house collapse and injuries that may incur huge economic losses. There are several visible warning signs that a house may show for renovation. Few of the warning signs are –

• Cracks On Roof, Floors, And Walls

The most common warning sign is the development of major and minor cracks on walls, roofs, and floors. These cracks allow water to seep through them and weaken the strong bonding between building materials such as bricks and cement. Such cracks should be dealt with immediately. Even the slightest delay could lead to major complications as these cracks only get severe with every passing day owing to heating and weathering phenomena.

• Burning Smells

There is a dilute burning smell every time an electric appliance is turned on due to the heating effect involved. But any kind of a strong burning smell in the house is a major warning sign. An electric burning smell could indicate overheating or overlapping of wires. A strong gunpowder-like odour could indicate burned circuit board or motor fan. These burning smells are, at times, irresistible, and finding exact faults difficult. It can be equally expensive to hire an electric technician. Thus immediate action should be taken if a strong burning smell is coming from wires as they it could result in short circuits anytime.

• Creaky Windows and Doors

Another symptom of house renovation is creaky windows and doors. The windows and doors become difficult to open or close, and when done forcefully, they make an irritating creaky noise. Also, rusting on the windows and iron doors is another indication that your house is falling apart, and you have to replace or repair your doors and windows at the earliest.

• Improper Ventilation and Sunlight

If the house or a particular room is not getting proper ventilation or sunlight, it is high time to repair or alter it. Without proper sunlight and ventilation, the house becomes the best place for pest infestation and wall dampness. Both these developments are very harmful in terms of health and monetary expenses. Also, the lack of proper ventilation and sunlight makes a room appear dull and suffocating to live in.

• Malfunctioning Taps And Toilet Flushes

Non- functional taps and toilet flushes should be urgently dealt with. Any delay will not only lead to water wastage but will lead to waterlogging and, in a manner, will bring the whole life to a halt. The water-logged toilet flushes will stink and could invite harmful communicable diseases. Thus, malfunctioning taps and toilet flushes must be treated at the earliest.

When thinking about renovating your house, the first important task would be figuring out the cost and deciding upon a rough budget. While the average cost of getting your house renovated in Australia is between $ 60,000-$ 65,000, the average cost of home renovation in Melbourne is somewhere between $ 69,000- $ 74,000. But with minute planning, getting multiple quotations, and allowing flexible time and work duration, one can easily cut through the renovation cost. The following are the various segments of a house renovation along with their average estimated costs-

Investing in a kitchen renovation can be exciting and profitable. Many people have claimed to get a profit as high as $100,000 for their property when doing a kitchen renovation. Kitchen renovation completely changes the ambiance and storage capacity of a kitchen. It adds value to your property and makes the house look more organised and hygienic. At times people also renovate the kitchen to include some modern appliances into their conventional kitchen to improve its overall functionality. A standard kitchen renovation will take almost 6-8 weeks to complete in Melbourne. Following is the tabular representation of the cost of renovating a kitchen in Melbourne:

The cost mentioned above is just a rough estimation. The cost could differ owing to location, services availed, quality of materials used, dimension of the property, and the minimum hourly pay of the region.

The bathroom is an important segment in the house that one uses daily to freshen up, take relaxing showers and get ready for the office. Thus, it is important to keep it in good shape. Bathroom renovation can involve re-tiling work, upgrading the vanity area, or re-fitting taps and sanitary pipes to improve its overall functionality. Like the kitchen, bathroom renovation also adds to the value and look of the house and can make your life more comfortable. Bathroom renovation, too, is likely to be completed within 6-8 weeks in Melbourne. Following is the tabular representation of the estimated cost of the bathroom renovation in Melbourne-

The cost mentioned above is just a rough estimation. The cost could differ owing to location, services availed, quality of materials used, dimension of the property, and the minimum hourly pay of the region.

The bedroom is the most personalized space in the house. One spends the maximum time in the bedroom. Thus, its interiors and overall ambiance need to have calming effects where one can relax and entertain oneself over the television after a tiring day in the office. On average, the renovation of a standard bedroom takes almost a week or two to complete in Melbourne. Following is the tabular representation of the estimated cost of bedroom renovation in Melbourne-

The cost mentioned above is just a rough estimation. The cost could differ owing to location, services availed, quality of materials used, dimension of the property, and the minimum hourly pay of the region.

• Makes Your House More Comfortable & Functional

Renovation makes certain essential changes in the house, such as changes in flooring, wallpaper, interiors, walls, etc. This makes the house more comfortable to live in and appliances more functional in usage. When renovating a house, one has the opportunity to design the house as per one’s dream as far as it is structurally possible. An added home theatre, swimming pool, garden area or a small gymnasium would make one’s stay at home more enjoyable and comfortable.

• Increases The Value Of Your House

Home renovation kind of breathes new life into your house. From the roof to the floor, everything appears new and mesmerising. The whole ambiance of the house and its reflectivity change. Both- the monetary and aesthetical – value of the house increases manifold. The house will earn a huge monetary profit after renovation. At the same time it will also radiate newness and positivity to the family members.

• Reduces Your Electricity Bills

Home renovation largely helps reduce your electricity bills and save a good amount of money. A damaged house with old windows and doors would allow heat escape and thus will require extra energy to maintain the desired temperature in summers and winters. So, insulating your house walls and replacing old windows and doors during renovation could help one be energy efficient. At the same time, the upgradation of home appliances, such as refrigerators, coolers, air conditioners, etc., would mean less consumption of energy and facilitate more savings.

• Customises The House According To One’s Needs

When one buys a finished house, parts of the house do not meet one’s taste and style. And one always wants to change them according to one’s preferences. The home renovation provides one with this opportunity for home customization. Most people usually opt for kitchen and bedroom customization to provide personal touches. Some may like to change the bedroom wallpaper; others may like to alter the furniture set up or flooring of the bedroom to make it more comfortable and appealing.

The most common dilemma that homeowners face when planning a home renovation is whether to DIY or hire professional renovation companies for the task. Both options have their pros and cons, and it entirely depends upon one’s choices when selecting between the two. But few basic parameters determine the selection of a person.

• Safety

Safety is an essential parameter to consider when deciding between hiring professionals or DIY. While one may feel confident enough to undertake the renovation work by oneself, the risk of unforeseen emergencies and injuries is always there. Hence, it is always better to hire professional renovation companies that have well-trained and experienced teams which can tackle emergencies with ease.

• Skills

Home renovation is not that easy. It requires a certain set of skills to make it smooth and convenient. Doing minor renovating tasks such as painting and building a fence, tearing up a wall, improving a loose table, etc., involve a ‘learning as you go’ approach. But this is not the case with major projects. Having no prior technical knowledge about major renovation works can be disastrous while undertaking them independently. Though several books explain the process, lacking in experience can do more harm than good. Hence, it is always advised to hire professionals for major renovation projects who have years of experience and specialty under their belts.

• Time

There is an old saying that time is money. Thus, while planning to do a renovation yourself, it is important to consider the time you can put in. Most major renovation works can take several weeks and months to complete. Thus, it would mean cutting on your earnings if DIY. At the same time, many places mandate obtaining a work permit, which is very difficult and time consuming to obtain. Thus, one should wisely decide whether to proceed with DIY or hire professional renovation companies.

• Budget

The most important parameter that should be considered before choosing between the two is the budget. A budget works as the blueprint for your renovation work. While it may be tempting to go with DIY to save some money, it is not the case in reality. When doing it yourself, the chances of errors increase. One would also spend extra while buying materials for the renovation work. In contrast, the professionals would provide cost-effective quotations and avail raw materials at comparatively minimal rates. The professionals also provide insurance and hassle-free services that save one from losses and related stress.

Most people choose renovation or remodelling to either improve the aesthetics of their house or earn huge profits by increasing its value. But home renovation is not an easy nut to crack. It requires detailed planning and proper execution. Failing to do so could invite heavy economic losses in the end. Thus one should avoid a few common mistakes while renovating a house. These mistakes include –

• Not Hiring Professional Renovation Companies

Most people try to finish the major renovation work by themselves rather than hire professional renovation companies. While minor projects could be done by oneself, not hiring professionals further would result in mistakes that would result in huge economic losses. Thus, one should be clear when to stop DIY and call professionals for their help.

• Not Taking Appropriate Safety Measures

Whether DIY or hiring professional renovation companies, taking appropriate safety measures is crucial, any kind of ignorance of the safety measures would result in serious injuries that could be life-threatening. Thus, such a mistake should be avoided, and proper safety gear and equipment should be used during a home renovation. When hiring professionals, one should ensure that the team of professionals is insured against work-related injuries.

• Compromising on the Material Quality

Most people make a mistake by compromising on the material quality that is to be used in the renovation process. To save a few bucks, people often buy inferior quality paint, tiles, appliances, etc. Though initially, it may appear cost-effective, one ends up spending more in the end. The paint, tiles, or appliances easily fade away and break, demanding frequent replacements. Thus, when renovating a house, one should avoid compromising on the material quality used for renovation.

• Having Unrealistic Expectations

Before finalising a design for renovation or remodelling, it is important to check whether it is going well with your house set up and design. Equally important is the fact that your design must appear realistic and achievable. It is important to consult with professionals about a genuine plan or design that suits your house and its needs. Having unrealistic expectations could lead to complications and wastage of time, money, and resources.

Hence, home renovation or remodelling is very important for increasing the value of your house and making it a more comfortable place to live in. Doing minor but wise changes in your house could offer you better returns. The budget completely dictates your renovation process. Thus, it is important to have a rough idea about the renovation cost of the house as a whole unit and its several segments. We have painstakingly prepared a table representation of the cost that can come in very handy while looking for home renovation in Melbourne.

Along with the tabular representation of the cost, we have also touched upon several other topics that home renovation involves, such as warning signs, DIY vs. Hiring Professionals, common mistakes to avoid, etc. This can help you choose a genuine professional renovation company to make your home renovation experience smooth, cost-effective, and hassle-free.

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