The saving
Two honest paths. Real numbers.
Comparison is to a typical $45,000–$75,000 kitchen from a kitchen company. The full-service price reflects showroom, sales commission, in-house designer, project manager and kitchen-company profit — all sitting on top of the cabinetmaker and stonemason who actually do the work. We replace the kitchen company, not the cabinetmaker.
Manager only · no DIY
Saved versus full-service
Run the project. Lift no tools. We handle design, products, trade coordination and conditional payments.
Manager + light DIY
Saved versus full-service
Take on demolition, painting and simple carpentry. We handle the technical scope.
A $60k kitchen, broken open.
A realistic indicative budget for a mid-tier kitchen. Yours will vary. The point is the shape — kitchen companies bundle cabinetry, stone, appliances and trades into one quote that hides where the markup really sits.
Kitchen company · $60,000
- Cabinetry (carcasses, doors, drawers, hardware)$21,000
- Stone benchtop (template + fabricate + install)$6,500
- Splashback$2,200
- Appliances (oven, cooktop, rangehood, dishwasher)$7,800
- Sink & tapware$1,500
- Trades (plumbing, electrical, tiler, plasterer, painter)$7,500
- Design + documentation$2,500
- Showroom + sales commission + PM + company profit$11,000
My Reno HQ direct-to-cabinetmaker · $48,000
- Cabinetmaker direct (same Polytec / Laminex spec)$17,500
- Stonemason direct (templated, fabricated, installed)$5,500
- Splashback (tile or slab) · member pricing$1,800
- Appliances · member pricing (Smeg / F&P / Westinghouse)$6,500
- Sink & tapware · member pricing (ABI / Fienza)$1,200
- Trades (direct, vetted)$7,500
- Design + documentation (Stages 1 + 2)$1,098
- Platform · Stage 3$150
- Saving−$12,000
See the full breakdown.
The free Reno Guide walks through what full-service costs, where you save, and what owner-managed renovation actually looks like. Or skip ahead and book your Stage 1 scan + concept now — includes free library access.