Apartment Renovations Sydney
Apartment renovations are a different job to renovating a house. The space is tighter, every centimetre of storage counts, and there is a strata building and an owners corporation to work around. We are a family-run, licensed NSW contractor — licence 383725C — with 12 years of experience, based in Liverpool and working right across Sydney, including strata buildings city-wide. We renovate kitchens, bathrooms and storage in apartments and units, and we handle the strata approval paperwork, the noise restrictions and the building access rules so the job runs without a fight with the owners corporation. We organise and manage every trade — cabinetmaker, plumber, electrician, tiler and painter — which matters even more in a building where you cannot have five contractors turning up on different days. You get one fixed-price quote, one point of contact, and a clear start and finish date before we begin.
What we can take care of
- Custom kitchens built to the exact dimensions of the apartment — no wasted corners, full use of the available wall and ceiling height
- Bathroom renovations including waterproofing certified to NSW standards, tiling, vanities and fixtures
- Built-in wardrobes, concealed laundries and storage that claw back space in a tight floorplan
- Strata approval support — preparing the scope, trade licences and insurance details the owners corporation needs to sign off
- Trades scheduled to suit building access hours, lift bookings and approved working times
- Appliances and installed as part of the job, so you are not coordinating separate deliveries into a unit
Strata approval, handled properly
Most apartment renovations need approval from the owners corporation before work starts, and bathrooms involving waterproofing almost always do. We help prepare what the strata committee asks for — a clear scope of works, our contractor licence and insurance, and the trades involved — so you are not chasing paperwork mid-project. Getting this right upfront is what stops a renovation being halted by a by-law breach.
Space efficiency is the whole game
In an apartment the storage has to work harder than anywhere else. We plan kitchens and wardrobes to use full ceiling height, turn awkward corners into usable storage, and conceal the laundry where the floorplan allows. Custom joinery earns its place here because a tight, irregular apartment is exactly where flat-pack modules leave gaps and waste space.
Noise rules and building access
Strata buildings restrict when noisy work can happen — typically weekday business hours, never Sundays or public holidays — and many require lift bookings and protection of common areas. We schedule the demolition and the loud trades within the approved windows and keep the common areas clean, so the renovation does not put you offside with the neighbours or the building manager.
How the process works
Every apartment job runs the same way. We measure on site, sort the strata approval scope, then lock the design, finishes and hardware in writing before anything is ordered. Joinery is manufactured while we book the trades around the building's access hours and lift times. Installation and finishing follow in sequence — usually about three weeks on site once approval is in — with a start and finish date confirmed before we begin.
What suits an apartment renovation
- Custom cabinetry on moisture-resistant substrate for kitchens and concealed laundries
- Porcelain and engineered stone benchtops — durable, and easier to move into a unit than full slabs where access is tight
- Integrated and slimline appliances that suit smaller apartment kitchens without wasting bench space
- Frameless shower screens and large-format tiles that make a compact bathroom feel more open
- Soft-close hardware throughout — quiet, hard-wearing and worth it in a space used at close quarters
- Concealed laundry joinery with pocket or bi-fold doors so the machines disappear when not in use
Frequently asked questions
Do I need strata approval to renovate my apartment in Sydney?
Usually yes for anything beyond cosmetic work. Cosmetic changes like painting or replacing a tap generally do not need approval, but renovations involving waterproofing, plumbing, flooring or structural work almost always require the owners corporation to sign off first, often by a by-law. Bathrooms are the clearest case because of waterproofing. We help prepare the scope, our licence and insurance, and the trade details the strata committee needs, so the approval goes through cleanly before work starts.
Can you renovate a kitchen and bathroom in an apartment at the same time?
Yes, and doing them together often makes sense in an apartment. It means one approval process, one mobilisation into the building, one point of contact across all the trades and one disruption to live through rather than two. We sequence the work so the noisy and wet stages happen within the building's approved hours. Running both rooms as a single scope also keeps the finishes consistent and usually works out more efficient than booking two separate renovations months apart.
What trades are needed for an apartment renovation?
A typical apartment kitchen or bathroom needs a demolisher, a plumber, an electrician, a waterproofer, a tiler, a cabinetmaker and a painter, plus a stonemason for the benchtop. In a strata building, coordinating that many trades around access hours and lift bookings is where jobs go wrong. Because we organise and manage every trade, scheduled in the right order, you are not managing seven separate contractors or copping the gaps when one blames another. One point of contact owns the whole job.
How do I get a quote for an apartment renovation?
Send us photos of the existing kitchen or bathroom, a floor plan if you have one, and a note on what you want to change and your building's renovation rules if you know them. We can give you a realistic budget range quickly, then arrange a site visit for a detailed fixed quote. We are family-run, Liverpool-based and work Sydney-wide, including strata buildings across the city. Call 02 5000 0402 or use the contact form — no obligation to proceed.
How long does an apartment renovation take in Sydney?
Once strata approval is through, a single apartment kitchen or bathroom is usually around three weeks on site. Doing both together adds time but is still far quicker than two separate jobs. The bigger variable is approval — the owners corporation can take a few weeks to sign off, so we get that paperwork moving early. Before any trades start we lock the design, finishes and materials in writing, then manufacture the joinery while access and lift bookings are arranged. You get a confirmed start and finish date up front, scheduled inside the building's approved working hours.
How we work and related guides
- How we work
- Apartment Kitchen Renovation in Sydney: Strata Rules, What Can Move, and Four Real Apartment Kitchens
- Kitchen Benchtop Resurfacing Cost in Sydney: When It Makes Sense and When Replacing Is Cheaper Long Term
- Kitchen Resurfacing Cost in Sydney: What an Apartment Kitchen Actually Costs to Refinish
- Murphy Bed Ideas for Sydney Apartments and Small Homes
- Apartment Renovation Ideas for Sydney Units and Apartments
Apartment Renovations Sydney across Sydney — Parramatta, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Chatswood, Castle Hill, Bondi, Mosman, Penrith and all Sydney suburbs.
InsideOut Joinery & Renos is a family-run custom joinery and renovation business based in Liverpool, Sydney NSW 2170, serving homeowners Sydney-wide. Call 02 5000 0402 or email info@insideoutjoinery.au. One point of contact — we organise and manage every trade on your job, with quick turnaround and 12 years of experience. Licensed contractor — licence 383725C, ABN 62 912 909 739.