What Renovations Cost on the Northern Beaches (2026 Guide)
Ask most designers what a renovation costs and you'll get "it depends". That's true — but it's not helpful when you're trying to work out whether your project is a $40,000 job or a $200,000 one. So here are the real ranges we see on Northern Beaches projects in 2026, what sits behind each number, and where the money quietly disappears. These are design-stage guidance figures for planning, not a quote — every home and site is different — but they'll tell you very quickly whether your budget and your brief are in the same postcode.
Deon Du Plessis
7/19/20264 min read
Renovation Costs at a Glance
Kitchen renovation cost?
How much does a kitchen renovation cost in Sydney?
Kitchens run from about $25,000 to $80,000, and the spread comes down to three things: whether you move the plumbing and electrical, the cabinetry and benchtop you choose, and whether you're opening the kitchen into the living area.
- $25,000 – $35,000: same footprint, new cabinetry, laminate or entry stone benchtop, mid-range appliances.
- $35,000 – $55,000: reconfigured layout, engineered stone, better joinery and appliances, new lighting.
- $55,000 – $80,000+: relocated services, an island with waterfall stone, custom joinery, integrated appliances, structural opening into living.
The single biggest cost jump is moving the sink and appliances, because it drags plumbing, waterproofing and electrical along with it. If the existing service locations work, keeping them can save $10,000 or more with no compromise on how the kitchen feels.
Bathroom renovation cost
How much does a bathroom renovation cost in Sydney?
Bathrooms typically run $20,000 to $45,000. They're small rooms with a lot going on — waterproofing, tiling, plumbing, ventilation and electrical all in a few square metres — which is why the per-square-metre cost is the highest in the house.
- $20,000 – $28,000: same layout, new fixtures, tiles and waterproofing.
- $28,000 – $38,000: reworked layout, better tiling and tapware, custom vanity, improved ventilation.
- $38,000 – $45,000+: relocated plumbing, feature stone or terrazzo, frameless glass, underfloor heating, niche detailing.
An ensuite addition — building a new bathroom where there wasn't one — usually sits between $25,000 and $50,000, depending on how far it is from existing plumbing.
Whole-home / internal renovation cost
How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
A full internal renovation on the Northern Beaches generally lands between $60,000 and $150,000. That typically covers reworked layouts, a new kitchen and bathroom, flooring, painting, lighting and joinery — everything inside the existing walls.
Reconfiguring the internal layout on its own (moving or removing walls, changing how rooms connect) runs $20,000 to $60,000. Opening a closed kitchen into a living area — often the single highest-impact change in the house — is usually $15,000 to $40,000, depending on whether the wall is load-bearing and needs a beam.
Extension cost (and why we often talk clients out of one)
What does an extension cost — and is it worth it?
Ground-floor extensions on the Northern Beaches generally start around $300,000, and second-storey additions around $350,000, before approvals.
Sloping sites, difficult access and coastal or bushfire requirements push those numbers higher.
That's the comparison worth sitting with: a $300,000 extension versus a $100,000 internal renovation that delivers much of the same lifestyle change.
Plenty of families genuinely need the extra space — but plenty more assume they do, when the floor area they already own is simply arranged badly. We work that question through before anyone commits.
Approval costs (the one people forget)
How much do council approvals cost in NSW?
A Development Application (DA) or Complying Development Certificate (CDC) commonly costs $10,000 to $20,000+ once council fees, consultant reports, survey, engineering and certification are added — and a DA can add three to six months to your timeline before work starts.
Here's the part that matters: a large share of renovations don't need one. Many internal renovations fall under NSW Exempt Development, which requires no application at all, and many small additions can proceed under Complying Development instead of a full DA.
Designing to those rules from day one is the cheapest saving available on a renovation — it's money that goes into your home rather than into paperwork.
Read the full breakdown: How to Renovate Without Council Approval in NSW.
Design fees
How much does a building designer cost?
Design and documentation fees for a small renovation typically fall in the range of $1500 - $3500, depending on the size of the project and how much documentation your builder needs.
It's worth understanding what that fee actually buys. Good design decisions made early — before anyone orders materials or swings a hammer — routinely save more than the fee itself: choosing the approval-free pathway, keeping services where they are, and avoiding the mid-build changes that turn into variations.
On a typical project, a single design fee can save around 20% of total spend, which is why we start every project with a free 1-hour consult rather than a quote.
What makes costs vary
What pushes renovation costs up (and down)
Costs climb when you: move plumbing and electrical, touch load-bearing structure, work on steep or difficult-access sites, trigger a DA, choose custom joinery and stone, or discover asbestos, rot or non-compliant old work once walls open up.
Costs drop when you: keep wet areas where they are, work within the existing roofline and footprint, design to Exempt or Complying Development rules, make decisions before construction rather than during it, and spend the money where it shows — kitchen, bathrooms, light and flow — rather than spreading it thin.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Q: `How much does a small renovation cost?`
Most of our small renovation projects land between $60,000 and $150,000 for whole-home internal work, with single rooms much less — a kitchen from $25,000, a bathroom from $20,000, a laundry from $8,000.
Q: `Is it cheaper to renovate or extend?`
Almost always cheaper to renovate. An internal renovation typically costs a third to half of what an extension does, avoids most approval costs, and finishes months sooner. The exception is when a family genuinely needs more floor area — no amount of clever planning creates a fourth bedroom out of thin air.
Q: `How much does it cost to remove a wall?`
Removing a non-structural internal wall is relatively inexpensive. If it's load-bearing, a beam and engineering are needed, and the job usually sits within the $15,000–$40,000 open-plan range. Identifying which type you have is the first thing we check.
Q: `Do renovation costs include GST?`
Builder quotes for residential work in Australia generally include GST. Always confirm on any quote, along with exactly what's included — appliances, tiling allowances and lighting are common exclusions that surprise people later.
Q: `What renovations add the most value?`
Kitchens first, then bathrooms, then layout and light. See our guide to the 8 best small renovation ideas under $150k for what each delivers.
Want real numbers for your home?
Every home is different, and the honest answer to "what will mine cost?" starts with looking at your actual layout. Book a free 1-hour consult and we'll talk through what's possible, what it's likely to cost, and whether you need an approval at all.
Costs on this page are design-stage guidance for Northern Beaches projects as at 2026 and are not a quote. Construction pricing varies with site conditions, access, finishes and builder availability.
Contact
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