A real Liverpool kitchen renovation, start to finish. Here is what the kitchen looked like before, what the client wanted, the full scope of work, the materials we used, the week-by-week timeline, and what it cost.
TL;DR: This Liverpool kitchen went from a cramped, dated galley layout to a full open-plan kitchen with new cabinetry, stone benchtop, and integrated appliances. Total timeline: 3.5 weeks. Based in Liverpool — this is the kind of job we do every week.
I'm a licensed contractor based in Liverpool, and this is one of the more common jobs we get out this way: a tired galley kitchen in a 1980s brick home that had never been touched. The kitchen was a narrow galley, two runs of cabinets facing each other with barely enough room to open the oven door without backing into the opposite bench. The cabinets were original — chipped melamine doors, dropped hinges, a couple of drawers that no longer ran true. The benchtop was a worn laminate with a rolled edge that had lifted near the sink, so water had been getting under it for years. A half-height wall separated the kitchen from the living room, which made the whole space feel closed in and dark. The lighting was a single fluorescent batten. The owners had a freestanding oven that was on its last legs, a sink with a dripping mixer, and a layout that fought them every time they cooked. It worked, just barely — but it was well past its time.
The brief was practical, not flashy. The owners are a family of four, and the kitchen is the room they actually live in. They wanted three things. First, open it up. They wanted the half-height dividing wall gone so the kitchen flowed into the living area and the parents could see the kids while cooking. Second, more storage and bench space — the galley had almost no usable bench, and they were sick of appliances crowding what little they had. Third, a layout that worked, with the fridge, sink and cooktop sitting in a sensible triangle instead of all crammed along one wall. They also had a budget they wanted to stick to, and they were honest about it. They didn't want the most expensive everything — they wanted the right things done properly and finishes that would still look good in ten years. No imported showpieces, just a solid, well-built family <a href="/kitchens">kitchen renovation</a> that earned its keep every day. That's a brief we can work with.
First thing we checked was that dividing wall. We confirmed it wasn't load-bearing, which meant we could remove it cleanly without a structural beam — that kept the cost down and the timeline short. Taking it out turned the cramped galley into an open L-shaped kitchen with an island, which is where the real change came from. We recommended the L-shape with an island rather than keeping two facing runs. The island gave them the extra bench and storage they wanted, created a natural spot for the kids to sit, and put the sink and cooktop on sensible runs with the fridge nearby. It's the layout that makes the most of an opened-up space without moving plumbing all over the house. On finishes, we steered them toward a stone benchtop over laminate for the island and main run — it handles a busy family kitchen far better and lifts the whole room. For the cabinetry we recommended Polytec doors in a matt finish, which wear well and don't show fingerprints. We also recommended integrated appliances we supply at trade cost, which saved them a fair bit against retail.
This was a full strip-out and rebuild, run by one team across every trade. Here's what the job actually involved. Demolition: we removed the old cabinets, benchtop, sink and freestanding oven, took out the half-height dividing wall, and cleared all the rubbish off site. Then we patched and prepared the walls and ceiling where the wall had been. Plumbing: our plumber relocated the sink waste and water to suit the new island, installed the new mixer, and connected the dishwasher. Electrical: our electrician ran new circuits for the integrated oven and cooktop, added power and data along the new bench runs, installed LED downlights across the opened-up ceiling, and fitted under-cabinet strip lighting. Cabinetry: we built and installed the new L-shaped cabinetry and the island, all with soft-close hardware. Tiling: we tiled the splashback and made good the floor where the wall had been removed. Then painting, final fit-off of appliances and tapware, and a full clean. One team, one schedule — no chasing five separate trades.
Everything here was chosen to last in a hard-working family kitchen, not to win a magazine spread. Cabinetry carcasses were built from moisture-resistant board with Polytec doors in a matt woodmatt finish — warm, low-glare, and they don't telegraph every fingerprint. All drawers and doors run on Blum soft-close hinges and runners, which are the hardware we trust to still be closing softly years down the track. The benchtop on the island and main run is Caesarstone in a soft white with a subtle movement through it — a 20mm engineered stone that takes the daily punishment of a family kitchen. For clients who ask, we also fit low-silica engineered stone equivalents in line with the current NSW workplace rules. The splashback is a matt subway tile in a warm white, run full height behind the cooktop. Around the integrated fridge and pantry we used Laminex panels colour-matched to the doors for a clean run. Tapware is a quality pull-out mixer in matt black to tie in with the handles. Honest materials, fitted properly.
Start to finish on site was three and a half weeks. Because we'd sorted selections and ordered the cabinetry and stone before we started, there was no waiting around mid-job. Week 1 — Demolition and rough-in. We stripped the old kitchen, removed the dividing wall, and carted the rubbish away. Then the plumber and electrician came through to rough in the new services for the island, the appliances and the lighting while the walls were open. Week 2 — Cabinetry. We patched and painted the prepared walls and ceiling, then installed the new L-shaped cabinetry and the island. By the end of the week the room finally read as a kitchen again. Week 3 — Stone and splashback. The stone was templated off the installed cabinets, fabricated, and fitted, followed by the sink and tapware. Our tiler ran the splashback once the stone was in. The final few days — Fit-off and finish. Integrated oven, cooktop and dishwasher were installed and connected, lighting commissioned, doors and drawers adjusted, and the whole space cleaned and handed over.
The difference is hard to overstate. The room that used to be a dark, pinched galley is now an open L-shaped kitchen that flows straight into the living area. With the dividing wall gone, light carries through the whole space and the parents can stand at the island and see the kids on the lounge. The island did exactly what it was meant to. It gave the family the bench space they never had, added a wall of drawers for storage, and became the spot where the kids do homework while dinner gets made. The integrated appliances keep the runs clean and uncluttered, and the matt stone has shrugged off everything a busy household has thrown at it so far. Most importantly, it works. The fridge, sink and cooktop now sit in a sensible triangle, so cooking isn't a fight anymore. The owners told us the kitchen went from the room they avoided to the room they spend their evenings in. That's the whole point of a renovation like this — not just a tidier look, but a space that fits how a family actually lives.
I'll be straight about the number, because most guides won't be. A full kitchen renovation like this one in Liverpool lands between $25,000 and $40,000. This project sat in the middle of that range. What you're paying for is the full scope: demolition and rubbish removal, removing the dividing wall, all the plumbing and electrical work, new cabinetry with quality soft-close hardware, a stone benchtop, the splashback, painting, and the appliance install. The integrated appliances came in at trade cost, which saved the owners several hundred dollars against retail prices. Where a kitchen lands in that range comes down to a few things: the size of the room, whether you keep or move plumbing, stone versus laminate benchtops, and the finish level on the doors and hardware. A smaller galley refresh that keeps the layout can come in under $25,000; a larger kitchen with premium stone and fully custom joinery can run past $40,000. For the full breakdown of what drives the price, our <a href="/blog/kitchen-renovation-cost-sydney">kitchen renovation cost guide</a> walks through every line. Every quote we give is fixed-price for a defined scope, so the number you sign is the number you pay.
If your kitchen is anything like this one was — cramped, dated, fighting you every time you cook — the first step is just a chat. We're a family-run business that's been renovating kitchens around Liverpool and the rest of Sydney for twelve years, and this is the kind of job we do every week. You can see the full range on our <a href="/kitchen-renovations-liverpool">Liverpool kitchen renovations</a> page. Call us on <a href="tel:0250000402">02 5000 0402</a>, or send through a few photos of your existing kitchen and we'll come back with a fixed-price quote and a clear scope of work. No pressure, no obligation — just an honest number and a realistic timeline. We're Liverpool-based and working right across Sydney.
A full kitchen renovation in Liverpool typically costs between $25,000 and $40,000, depending on the size of the kitchen, whether you move plumbing, and the finishes you choose. A smaller galley refresh that keeps the existing layout can come in under $25,000, while a larger kitchen with premium stone and fully custom joinery can run past $40,000. The big cost drivers are the benchtop material, the cabinetry finish, how many appliances you replace, and whether any walls come out. We give fixed-price quotes for a defined scope, so the number you sign is the number you pay, and we supply appliances at trade cost which usually saves a few hundred dollars against retail.
A full kitchen renovation in Liverpool takes about three to four weeks on site once we start. The project in this article ran three and a half weeks from demolition to handover. Before we start on site, allow roughly three to four weeks for design sign-off and ordering cabinetry, stone and appliances, since those have lead times. The way we keep the on-site timeline tight is by locking selections in and ordering everything before the first day of demolition, so there's no waiting around mid-job. Running every trade as one team also removes the gaps where a job stalls waiting for the next contractor to show up.
Yes. We're based in Liverpool, so Southwest Sydney is our home patch and where we do a lot of our work. We regularly renovate kitchens in Liverpool, Casula, Moorebank, Prestons, Hoxton Park, Green Valley, Wetherill Park, Cabramatta and the surrounding suburbs, and we work right across the rest of Sydney too. Being local out this way means short travel times, quick site visits, and trades who know the building stock in these areas. If you're not sure whether we cover your suburb, give us a call on 02 5000 0402 and we'll let you know straight away and arrange a time to come and look at the job.
In most cases, yes. If you're only renovating part of a kitchen or extending existing joinery, we can usually match the door style, colour and finish closely using ranges like Polytec and Laminex, which cover a wide selection of colours and textures. The honest caveat is that very old or discontinued finishes can be hard to match exactly, and existing cabinetry will have aged and faded compared with a brand-new panel. We'll always tell you upfront whether a clean match is realistic for your kitchen or whether you're better off redoing the run, so you can make the call before any work or ordering starts.
Send us a few photos of your existing kitchen, a rough idea of the layout, and a short description of what you want to change. From that we can give you a realistic budget range, and for a detailed fixed-price quote we'll arrange a site visit to measure up and understand the space properly. Every quote comes with an itemised scope and a material schedule, so you know exactly what you're committing to before anything starts. You can call us on 02 5000 0402 or send your details through the contact form. We're Liverpool-based, the site visit is free, and there's no obligation to proceed.
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 team covers every trade, with a typical 3-week turnaround, trade-cost appliances and 12 years of experience. Licensed contractor — licence 383725C, ABN 62 912 909 739.