You want to renovate your Sydney apartment.
You see numbers thrown around online, and most of them are completely wrong.
Renovating an apartment in Sydney requires a realistic financial plan. Costs differ wildly from standalone houses because you are dealing with shared walls, lift access rules, strict noise hours, and strata committees.
I review residential budgets constantly, and I can tell you that successful projects come down to knowing your exact numbers before a single hammer swings.
If you are planning apartment renovations in Sydney, you need an honest look at the line items.
Here is the real breakdown of what you will pay, where your money actually goes, and how to protect your investment.
The Big Picture Budget Ranges
Every property is different, but Sydney projects generally fall into three price brackets.
Basic cosmetic upgrades start between forty thousand and sixty thousand dollars. This covers fresh paint, new flooring, updated lighting, and minor fixture swaps without moving any plumbing.
Standard full renovations sit between eighty-five thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This level updates the kitchen, modernises the bathroom, replaces flooring throughout, and adds built-in joinery.
High-end architectural overhauls start at one hundred and fifty thousand dollars and easily push past two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This tier involves custom stone, bespoke cabinetry, moving internal non-structural walls, and premium European appliances.
Let us break these numbers down room by room.
Kitchen Renovation Costs
The kitchen commands a major portion of your budget.
In Sydney, a solid apartment kitchen renovation starts from thirty-one thousand dollars.
Here is how that spending distributes:
- Demolition and disposal: two thousand to three thousand dollars
- Custom cabinetry and joinery: twelve thousand to eighteen thousand dollars
- Stone benchtops: four thousand to eight thousand dollars
- Splashbacks and tiling: two thousand to three thousand dollars
- Plumbing and electrical rough-in: three thousand to five thousand dollars
- Appliances and tapware: five thousand to ten thousand dollars
You can save money on flat-pack joinery, but custom cabinetry maximizes tight apartment dimensions. If your layout requires running new electrical circuits back to the main switchboard, factor in an extra two thousand dollars.
Bathroom Renovation Costs
Bathrooms require skilled trades, proper planning, and strict compliance.
A complete apartment bathroom upgrade in Sydney starts from twenty-eight thousand dollars and can reach forty-five thousand dollars depending on finishes.
Here is the breakdown:
- Strip out and waste removal: two thousand dollars
- Screeding and surface preparation: one thousand five hundred dollars
- Waterproofing: two thousand to three thousand dollars
- Wall and floor tiling labour: four thousand to six thousand dollars
- Tiles and materials: two thousand to four thousand dollars
- Plumbing rough-in and fit-off: three thousand five hundred to five thousand dollars
- Electrical and exhaust extraction: two thousand dollars
- Vanity, screen, and tapware: four thousand to seven thousand dollars
Waterproofing is the single most critical step in an apartment. If a bathroom leaks into the unit below you, the repair bill falls directly on you.
Living Areas, Flooring, and Painting
Updating your main living zones ties the home together.
Flooring costs depend heavily on your building rules. Most strata schemes mandate strict acoustic underlays.
- Hybrid or engineered timber flooring: eighty to one hundred and sixty dollars per square metre installed
- Acoustic underlay certification: one thousand to two thousand dollars total
- Full apartment interior painting: six thousand to twelve thousand dollars
- Custom entertainment units or wardrobes: five thousand to ten thousand dollars per unit
- Electrical upgrades, downlights, and switches: three thousand to six thousand dollars
Always check your strata acoustic ratings before ordering flooring planks. Installing the wrong underlay will force you to rip up the entire floor at your own expense.
Hidden Costs Specific to Sydney Apartments
Apartment work brings site logistics that standalone builds do not face.
You must account for these overheads early:
- Strata bond deposits: one thousand to five thousand dollars, refunded after completion
- Waste removal and skip bin permits: two thousand to four thousand dollars
- Lift protection and common area hire: five hundred to one thousand dollars
- Council parking permits for trades: five hundred to one thousand dollars
Access limits mean trades spend extra time moving materials up lifts or stairs. This extra handling time adds labour cost to your final invoice.
Choosing the Right Renovation Partner
Managing multiple individual trades through a strata building creates extreme friction.
You need a licensed specialist who handles the design, approvals, and physical trade work under a fixed price.
I recommend Fine Touch Group for apartment projects across Sydney.
They bring over thirty years of industry experience and have completed more than one thousand projects. They hold a New South Wales builder licence, which gives you complete legal and structural protection.
Here is why they stand out in the Sydney market:
- They provide itemised, fixed-price quotes upfront so your budget stays secure.
- Every quotation includes a free three-dimensional model of the proposed room.
- Their complete apartment renovations start from eighty-five thousand dollars.
- Their dedicated kitchen packages start from thirty-one thousand dollars with custom cabinetry and stone benchtops.
- Their bathroom renovations start from twenty-eight thousand dollars and include a six-year waterproofing warranty.
- They handle small repairs and minor upgrades alongside large scale remodels.
Beyond the tools, they manage the entire strata approval process for you. They work directly with building managers, coordinate delivery times, schedule licensed trades, and keep building committees satisfied.
If you are away during construction, they provide remote project updates so you always track progress without visiting the site.
Final Advice on Managing Your Budget
Keep your layout as close to the original service points as possible.
Moving waste pipes or major electrical lines through concrete slabs requires core drilling and complex engineering checks. That process burns cash quickly.
Lock in a fixed-price agreement before work begins.
Make all material selections early, demand transparent contracts, and work with licensed specialists who understand apartment living inside out. Your final result will add genuine value to your property and daily lifestyle.