A quality full home renovation or extension in Sydney typically costs $600,000 to $950,000+. Most of the full renovation and extension projects we deliver across the inner west, inner city, lower north shore and eastern suburbs land between $700,000 and $900,000.
If you’ve seen figures online suggesting you can extend for $150,000, those numbers usually cover a single room with basic finishes. They rarely include structural upgrades, approvals, quality finishes or the work needed to make the old and new parts of your home feel like one complete house.
In this guide, we break down the real home renovation cost in Sydney: what each budget level realistically gets you, what drives the cost, and how to plan a renovation you only have to do once.
What $600k, $750k and $950k+ typically gets you
Every home is different, but these ranges reflect what we see across Sydney’s established suburbs.
| Budget | What it typically covers |
|---|---|
| $600,000 to $750,000 | A complete and detailed home renovation, or a substantial ground floor renovation with a rear extension. New open-plan kitchen, living and dining, opened up with structural wall removals and steel beams. Usually includes a new bathroom and laundry. |
| $750,000 to $950,000 | A full home transformation. Ground floor extension plus a full internal renovation, or a well-designed first floor addition with new bedrooms and an ensuite. Raised ceilings, larger openings to the garden, premium joinery throughout with our bespoke pieces handmade to site. This is where most of our projects land. |
| $950,000+ | A complete reimagining of the home. A ground and first floor addition together, complex structural work, heritage considerations, architectural glazing, custom joinery and bespoke pieces crafted for the space. |
The biggest jump in cost usually comes from going up. A first floor addition needs new structure through the existing house to carry the load, plus stairs, which adds cost before a single finish goes in.
What drives home renovation cost in Sydney
Five factors move a renovation budget more than anything else.
- Structure. Removing load-bearing walls, adding steel beams, underpinning or reinforcing for a first floor. Structural work is invisible once finished, but it’s what makes your home safe and lets the design work. Structural wall removals to open up a living space are one of our specialities. As a standalone job, they typically range from $15,000 to $100,000.
- Finishes and joinery. Stone benchtops, integrated appliances, custom cabinetry, timber floors and quality tapware can swing a budget by $100,000 or more.
- The existing house. Older inner west and eastern suburbs homes often hide surprises: outdated wiring, uneven floors, termite damage or past DIY work. A thorough site inspection before pricing reduces these risks.
- Site access. Narrow terrace lanes, shared walls and limited parking add time and labour, especially in suburbs like Newtown, Surry Hills and Darlinghurst.
- Heritage and approvals. Homes in heritage conservation areas need more careful design and a longer approval path, which affects both cost and timing.
The costs people forget to budget for
The build price is the biggest number, but it isn’t the only one. Plan for these from day one:
- Architect or designer fees for concept, documentation and approval drawings.
- Structural engineering for beams, ground work and footings, and any first floor work.
- Council or certifier approvals, either a Development Application (DA) or a Complying Development Certificate (CDC), plus any reports they require, such as dilapidation, geotechnical and survey reports.
- Home Building Compensation (HBC) insurance. In NSW, your builder must take this out for any residential work over $20,000. Always check your builder has it before work starts.
- Finishes. This is where budgets most often blow out if they aren’t allowed for early. Choosing natural stone over a porcelain or silica-free engineered surface for your benchtops, or moving from mid-range to high-end tiles, tapware, joinery and flooring, can add tens of thousands of dollars across a full renovation. Set your finishes allowance early, so every selection you make has a clear budget behind it.
- Contingency. We recommend setting aside 10 per cent for decisions you make along the way, such as upgrading a finish once you see it in person.
- Living costs during the build. If your family needs to move out, factor in rent for the build period.
How to renovate once and avoid overcapitalising
The most expensive renovation is the one you have to do twice. Most of the families we work with are first-time renovators, and the ones who get the best result tend to do three things well.
- Know your ceiling. Look at what renovated homes on your street are selling for. Spending well within that range protects your investment, even if this is your forever home.
- Spend where it counts. Structure, waterproofing and layout are hard to change later. Tapware and paint are easy. Prioritise the parts you can’t redo without pulling the house apart.
- Design for the next 10 years, not the next 10 months. If your children are young now, think about how they’ll use the house as teenagers. Storage, separate living zones and a second bathroom often matter more than an extra feature wall.
As a family business raising our own child, we design and build with a real understanding of what a family needs from its home.
For a closer look at why a quality renovation is worth the investment, read What It Really Costs to Renovate a Family Home in Sydney.
Why a fixed price matters
A fixed price contract gives you certainty. You know what you’re paying before work begins, and the risk of cost blowouts sits with the builder, not your family.
At Lumiere Home Renovations, every project is quoted at a fixed price with no hidden costs. We inspect the site thoroughly, work through the structural detail with our engineer, and price every line item before you sign. The only changes come from decisions you choose to make along the way, and those are agreed in writing first.
Every structural job we deliver is backed by our Lifetime Structural Guarantee, so you can be confident the parts of your home you’ll never see are built to last.
Frequently asked questions
Can you price a home renovation or extension per square metre?
Not accurately. A per square metre rate works for a new house on a clear block, but a renovation joins new work to an existing home, and that’s where most of the cost sits. Structural changes, the condition of the original house, how the old and new spaces connect, and your choice of finishes all matter far more than floor area. Two extensions the same size can differ in price by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The only reliable way to know your cost is a site inspection and a detailed, itemised fixed price quote.
Is it cheaper to renovate or knock down and rebuild?
It depends on the condition of your home and what you want to keep. Many inner west and north shore homes have character worth preserving, and a well-planned renovation can deliver a better result for less.
How long does a full renovation or extension take?
Most full renovations and extensions take 6 to 12 months on site, depending on scope, plus time for design and approvals beforehand.
Can we live in the house during the renovation?
Sometimes, for staged or single-level works. For larger projects, most families move out for safety and to keep the build moving efficiently.
What’s included in a Lumiere fixed price quote?
Everything needed to complete the documented scope, itemised clearly, with no hidden costs.
Planning your renovation?
Lumiere Home Renovations is a boutique, family-run builder specialising in full home renovations, extensions and additions across Sydney’s inner west, inner city, lower north shore, north shore and eastern suburbs. We work across Haberfield, Marrickville, Lewisham, Five Dock, West Pymble and the wider Ku-ring-gai Council area. Our structural expertise and European craftsmanship mean your home is built properly from the ground up and finished to perfection, down to the small details that make it feel complete.
If you’re planning a renovation or extension of $600,000 or more, book a no-obligation consultation. We’ll talk through your plans, your budget and the structural options, so you can make your decision with confidence.
