Renovating: which rooms first?

Please note that the price information in this article was based on data from 2016 and may now be outdated.

For the best return on your renovation spend, you need to be selective in your renovation choices. The most common value-adding projects include highly trafficked rooms like the kitchen and bathroom. Here are what you can expect to pay and some tips about what features to include.

Kitchen Renovation Costs

Average size: 10 square metres
Average renovation cost: $14,000-$18,000

What to include in your new kitchen:

• Install a canopy rangehood and dishwasher
• Use stone for surfaces
• Keep the design open plan

What NOT to include:

• Expensive fixtures and fittings
• Omitting bench and storage space
• Weird colour combinations

Bathroom Renovation Costs

Average size: 7 square metres
Average renovation cost: $10,000-$13,000

What to include in your new bathroom:

• Frameless shower doors
• Floor-to-roof tiles
• Double vanities prevent arguments and keep the bathroom neater

What NOT to include:

• Make extensive changes to the plumbing
• Replace a combined bathtub/tub with a shower only
• Overuse mosaic tiling

Other renovation projects to consider (and their costs)

Cost of flooring (laying tiles, polishing)

Average size: 160 square metres (standard 3-bedroom apartment or home)
Average sqm cost: $26-$102 per square metre (depending on material)
Average total cost: $4,000 -$16,000

Building or adding a new room

Average size: 13 square metres
Average renovation cost: $19,000-$25,000

Deck or patio

Average size: 10 square metres
Average sqm cost: $185-$910 per square metre (depending on material)
Average total cost: $2,000- $9,000