Kitchen Renovations Geelong
Geelong Cabinet Experts plans and carries out kitchen renovations across Geelong, turning tired, worn-out kitchens into spaces that work again, backed by more than 20 years in the trade. We handle the full renovation journey: stripping out the old kitchen, coordinating the plumber and electrician, building and installing new cabinetry, and putting everything back together so your kitchen is ready to use, not just ready to look at in a photo. Whether you need a cosmetic refresh or a full gut renovation, our own crew manages the job from demolition day through to final clean-up.
We renovate kitchens right across Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula, the Surf Coast, Armstrong Creek, Lara, Highton, Newtown, Ocean Grove, Torquay and Grovedale, including a lot of older housing stock in Newtown and Geelong West where non-standard dimensions and hidden surprises (asbestos, old plumbing) are common. Geelong's population passed 282,809 in June 2023 and keeps growing by around 6,200 people a year, and building approvals in the region hit roughly $2 billion for the 2025–26 financial year to date — a lot of that is renovation work, not just new builds. We're members of ICM Geelong, the independent cabinet makers' network covering the Geelong, Surf Coast, Bellarine and G21 region, and we use our own installers rather than subcontractors on every renovation.
Why choose Geelong Cabinet Experts for your kitchen renovation
- ·One crew, start to finish — our own installers manage demolition, trade coordination and the final fit-out. There's no handoff to a subcontractor partway through, so nobody can blame "the other guy" if something runs late.
- ·Itemised quotes, not lump sums — you get a written breakdown of cabinetry, benchtop, hardware and labour before work starts, so you know exactly what you're paying for and where you can trim cost.
- ·Honest contingency advice — we tell you upfront to budget 15–20% extra for older-home surprises like asbestos sheeting or non-standard plumbing, instead of letting you find out mid-job like most quotes don't mention.
- ·20+ years renovating Geelong kitchens, residential and commercial, with hands-on experience in the heritage housing stock of Newtown and Geelong West as well as newer builds in Armstrong Creek and Lara.
- ·ICM Geelong member — part of the region's independent cabinet maker network, with coastal-grade materials as standard for humidity and salt air.
- Ready to talk through your renovation? Get in touch for a free, no-obligation on-site quote.
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Kitchen renovation scenarios we handle
Not every kitchen needs the same amount of work. The scope you choose is the single biggest thing that drives cost and timeline, so it pays to be clear on what you actually need before you get quotes.
Full gut renovation
This is a strip-out-to-the-studs job: old cabinetry, benchtop, splashback and sometimes flooring all come out, and the layout can change completely — moving the sink, relocating power points, opening up a wall. It's the right call when your existing layout doesn't work, when cabinets are structurally shot, or when you're combining the reno with a broader home renovation. Expect the widest cost range and the longest timeline, because it touches plumbing, electrical and sometimes structural work all at once.
Cosmetic refresh and reface
If your cabinet boxes are sound but the doors, benchtop or hardware look dated, a reface swaps out doors, drawer fronts and benchtop while keeping the existing carcasses in place. It's the fastest and cheapest way to modernise a kitchen and it's what drives our cosmetic refresh pricing from $7,450. Choose this when the layout already suits how you use the kitchen and the main complaint is how it looks, not how it works.
Small and galley kitchen renovations
Narrow, single-wall or galley kitchens common in older Geelong homes need careful planning to avoid losing storage. We often use a shallower 450–550mm base cabinet depth in tight galley layouts instead of the standard 600mm, and lean on floor-to-ceiling cabinetry to claim storage without widening the footprint. Smaller scope generally means a smaller budget and a shorter build, but tight access can add time if trades can only work one at a time.
Our kitchen renovation process
- On-site measure and consult — we assess your existing kitchen, check for likely surprises (asbestos, old wiring, non-standard wall widths) and talk through what you actually want the space to do.
- Design and CAD approval — we draw up the new layout and get your sign-off before anything is ordered or cut, so there are no surprises on install day.
- Removal and demolition — our crew strips out the old kitchen, including safe handling and disposal if asbestos is confirmed, and protects the rest of your home from dust and mess while we go.
- Trade coordination — we book and manage the plumber and electrician ourselves, scheduling their work around ours so you're not chasing three different tradespeople to find out why nobody's shown up.
- CNC manufacture and own-crew install — cabinetry is cut and built in our workshop, then installed by our own team, not a subcontractor, with benchtop and splashback fitted to finish the space.
- Access and disruption management, then final inspection — we agree upfront how you'll manage without a kitchen (a temporary bench, moved fridge, timing around school holidays) and finish with a walkthrough before we call the job done.
Renovating older and heritage homes
Newtown, Geelong West and other established suburbs have a lot of homes built well before current building codes. These jobs need an asbestos check before demolition starts, often turn up non-standard wall dimensions that off-the-shelf cabinets won't fit, and can involve old plumbing that needs upgrading, not just relocating. This is exactly why we recommend the 15–20% contingency buffer — it's not a sales tactic, it's what older housing stock actually throws up once walls come off.
How to choose your scope: if your layout works and you just want it to look and feel new, a refresh or reface keeps cost and disruption down. If the layout itself is the problem — poor workflow, not enough bench space, appliances in the wrong spot — you're looking at a full renovation, and it's worth budgeting for it properly rather than getting halfway through and running out of money. Custom joinery built to your exact space typically costs two to three times more than flat-pack, but flat-pack rarely fits older homes without gaps or filler panels, so the cheaper option on paper can end up looking worse once it's installed.
Built for Geelong's climate and Geelong's housing stock
Coastal air across the Bellarine Peninsula, Ocean Grove and Torquay carries salt that eats into standard particleboard and steel hardware over time. On renovations near the coast, we specify moisture-resistant particleboard or marine-grade ply over standard board, two-pack polyurethane finishes instead of vinyl wrap, and Blum or Hettich hardware rated for humidity rather than standard steel runners and hinges. Inland or not, this is our baseline spec on every renovation, because a kitchen that's been renovated once shouldn't need doing again in five years.
Geelong's older suburbs also mean we deal with non-standard cabinet dimensions more often than a generic renovation company might. Standard base cabinets sit around 600mm deep, but plenty of Newtown and Geelong West kitchens were built to different proportions, so off-the-shelf flat-pack often needs filler panels or simply doesn't fit. Building cabinetry to the exact space, rather than adapting a standard size, is a big part of why our renovations hold up in these homes.
Finishes and specification options
Doors and finishes
Two-pack polyurethane gives the most durable, fully custom-colour finish and is what we recommend for busy family kitchens. High-pressure laminate (HPL) costs less and still holds up well — switching from painted two-pack to laminate can cut cost by 15–25% with only a small trade-off in feel and durability.
Benchtops
Engineered stone is the most popular benchtop choice for renovations we quote, valued for being non-porous and low-maintenance. Compact laminate is a lower-cost alternative that still performs well in a busy kitchen.
Hardware and internal fittings
Blum and Hettich soft-close hinges and runners are our standard, with humidity-rated versions used near the coast. Internal fittings — pull-out pantries, corner carousels, drawer organisers — are one of the biggest cost drivers on a renovation quote, so it's worth deciding early which of these actually earn their place in your layout.
What a kitchen renovation costs in Geelong
Renovation cost comes down to scope, not just kitchen size. As a general guide for 2026: a cosmetic refresh or reface starts from $7,450; a budget flat-pack renovation typically runs 11,150–23,250; a mid-range renovation with better materials and some custom joinery sits around 23,250–41,850; and a premium, fully custom renovation starts from $74,400. Custom joinery generally costs two to three times more than flat-pack, but it fits properly and lasts longer, especially in older homes. A full kitchen using polyurethane doors and engineered stone benchtops typically lands between $15,000 and $35,000.
Most renovations take around three weeks on-site once demolition starts, though complex jobs — full layout changes, structural work, or anything that turns up asbestos — can run up to six weeks. We build a 15–20% contingency into every quote for older homes, because non-standard plumbing and hidden asbestos are common enough in Geelong's established suburbs that pretending they won't happen does you no favours. The biggest cost drivers beyond scope are door and benchtop material, hardware spec, and how many internal fittings you add — decide on those early and your quote won't move much once work starts.
Where We Build Custom Kitchens
We build custom kitchens across Geelong and the surrounding growth corridors and coastal towns, including:
• Geelong
• Bellarine Peninsula
• Surf Coast
• Armstrong Creek
• Lara
• Highton
• Newtown
• Ocean Grove
• Torquay
• Grovedale
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on scope. A cosmetic refresh starts from $7,450, a budget flat-pack renovation usually runs 11,150–23,250, mid-range renovations sit around 23,250–41,850, and a premium custom renovation starts from $74,400. We'll give you an itemised quote after an on-site look, so you know exactly what's driving the number.
Most renovations take around three weeks once demolition starts. More complex jobs — full layout changes, structural work, or anything that uncovers asbestos or old plumbing — can stretch to six weeks. We'll give you a realistic timeline before work starts, not just a best-case one.
Flat-pack is cheaper upfront but built to standard sizes, which doesn't always suit older Geelong homes with non-standard walls. Custom joinery typically costs two to three times more than flat-pack but fits your exact space, so gaps and filler panels aren't a problem. If your kitchen has standard dimensions and you're on a tighter budget, flat-pack can work well.
A proper quote should itemise cabinetry, benchtop, hardware, demolition and disposal, and trade costs (plumber, electrician) separately, not bundle everything into one number. It should also state who's doing the install — our own crew, not a subcontractor — and set out a contingency allowance for older-home surprises.
Homes in Newtown, Geelong West and other established suburbs often have asbestos sheeting behind old cabinetry or non-standard plumbing that needs upgrading rather than just moving. We build a 15–20% contingency into quotes for these jobs, because assuming everything behind the wall is straightforward usually isn't realistic.
We agree an access and disruption plan with you before demolition starts — this might mean setting up a temporary bench and fridge space, staging the work to keep part of the kitchen usable longer, or timing the noisiest work around your household's schedule. Our own crew coordinates the plumber and electrician directly, so you're not left waiting between trades.