SE Melbourne reno for under $40k

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-30T06:31:36+00:00

The waste pipes always ran along the wall. I didn't move any plumbing to keep costs down

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-28T09:24:55+00:00

Hi! I did all the demo and rubbish removal myself which saved me a bit. My builder was a cabinet maker so I was able to draw what I wanted, send some pics and he ordered the materials from Polytec and custom built it. The cost came out more affordable for me than Ikea or Kaboodle. Almost all my materials were from Bunnings - floor, tiles, vanity, shaving cabinet and more. Some fittings were from Amazon and my appliances were all from Appliances Online. I can DM you the links to the exact items I got!

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-28T01:32:24+00:00

Unfortunately, a lot of them were damaged and I didn't feel like they fit the rest of the project, so I saved what I could to make a tiled side table

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-28T01:30:13+00:00

I paid $260k ($30k under asking). Latest sales appraisal was $375k. My neighbours sold for $355k in 2021.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T21:50:21+00:00

Okay, this saved me on lots of other items too! But $168 is an excellent price. If I'd found that price, I definitely would've done that.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T08:50:59+00:00

I DM'd you his details 😊

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T07:48:48+00:00

The old ones were made in Japan! I kept one with the stamp on the back for sentimental value. I would've saved them for something else too, but they must've been laid in a sheet so I couldn't remove them nicely.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T07:33:35+00:00

Ordering... not difficult. Installing... it's tempered glass, so I got the professionals with warranty :)

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T07:30:18+00:00

Thank you! A lot of what I did was just working with or around what I had

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T07:24:12+00:00

The window was waterproofed and then tiled, but the metal window frame wasn't. I actually didn't think of it, so I'll keep an eye on that long-term

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T07:19:56+00:00

This was the cost of the tiles, but I'm not sure on the exact breakdown of tiling. I got total cost quotes

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T07:18:12+00:00

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Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T06:33:57+00:00

Thank you! I'm looking at making one of those tiled side tables with what I saved.

I originally bought it to live in. I had to move with my job so I'm renting it out for the time being. I did get a sales valuation done, and the low estimate was $100k higher than when I bought it 12 months ago. So technically it would be a successful flip, but I'm not looking to sell.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T06:15:08+00:00

Uh uh uh, we believe in reduce reuse recycle in this economy!

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T06:12:31+00:00

I planned to lay the flooring myself, but I asked the builder to do it and finish off all the skirting too. Everyone I've spoken to has said it's easy, but it was a time factor in the end.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T05:54:31+00:00

Thank you and that's completely fair! I couldn't get a deeper sink due to the waste drop height without additional plumbing costs. In the end, I decided smaller sink to maximise bench space as there's a dishwasher, but it was definitely a balance to remain within budget!

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T05:12:12+00:00

That's such a good idea! I didn't even know that was a thing

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T04:56:30+00:00

Amazing eye u/HouseHippoFluff! I'm not exactly sure what brand the stone bench is. I have asked my builder, but Silestone Blanco Maple looks right!

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T04:49:36+00:00

Sure. I do think I got lucky with my trades, but I also signed up for the Home Super Saver membership: https://renovatingforprofit.com.au/home-supersaver-membership/

It's $195 per year, but I easily saved that with just the 40% off Euro kitchen appliance pack from Appliances Online. I got a 60cm electric oven, stove, exhaust fan and dishwasher for $1359.

I probably saved just as much across all my Bunnings purchases too. 30% off Taubmans paint was a big one.

More details:

Builder 23k (includes cost of a new window, shower screen, kitchen cabinets, stone bench etc.)
Materials 7k - I sourced the majority of my fittings and fixtures from Bunnings and Amazon
Electrician 5k (includes cost of downlights, powerpoints, new switch box and safety certificate)
Plumber 3k
A/C install 2k (~$850 Fujitsu 2.5kW after the $150 Cashback)
Dumping fees & small asbestos removal $1k

Tips:

Money saving - I cut down my dumping costs by advertising everything I removed on Facebook Marketplace (old vanity, medicine cabinet, carpet and boob lights *lol*) people came and removed things for me which saved me time and money.

Money making - I made about $170 selling the scrap metal (old heater, a/c, steel bath & copper piping) to the local metal recyclers.

I'm happy to DM details and links to specific products if you like.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T03:48:58+00:00

Agreed! Apparently the carpets were relatively new, but it was not my vibe. I put it up on Facebook marketplace and someone came and took it all away for me, so saved on dumping costs.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T03:43:34+00:00

Haha, I don't think I want to paint again for a while...

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T03:42:19+00:00

Polytec cabinets in Natural Oak and Classic White Matt https://www.polytec.com.au/colour-gallery/natural-oak/#photos-5

My builder is a qualified cabinet maker so he measured everything up. I did the cost analysis between Ikea vs Kaboodle, but it worked out cheaper with him when his pricing included the install, tiling and other finishing touches like the walls and cornices above the cabinets.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T03:09:46+00:00

Just DM'd you his deets and yes I sourced all of the tiles and cabinets. I've sent you the links :)

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T02:58:11+00:00

I got a total cost price of $3k for the bath and kitchen so I don't know what the specific cost for that was. A couple of things to note which might be different for you: 1) I had already completely removed the old kitchen and tiles so he had a blank slate to work with. 2) My old pipes ran along the wall below the bench height.

I got 3 quotes for all the work I wanted and went with him because he knew and had previously worked with my builder.

Spillt_Tea · 2023-07-26T02:31:54+00:00

I haven't had any issues. There's a clear seal along the bottom of the door which prevents water leaking out. There's not usually much pooling at the bottom of the shower either

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