Complete Kitchen Renovations in Bentleigh

ScopeStrip-out to handover, one schedule

On this page

01 What a complete renovation includes02 Where layout change becomes structural03 The decision order, carcass to handle04 Twelve stages, consultation to handover05 Questions asked before committing06 Scopes that sit alongside this one

Reference photographShaker fronts, dark stone island, open planA library image used to show the specification being described, not a project record.

01 What it includes

A complete renovation is the only scope where the layout is genuinely open. Once the old kitchen is out, the sink, the power, the gas and often the wall line can all move — which is why the specification, not the style, sets the budget.

Two kitchens drawn to look identical can differ by an entire trade if one of them shifts the plumbing three metres. So the schedule is written first: carcass, door, benchtop, splashback, edge profile, handle. The photograph follows the schedule, not the other way around.

Where layout change becomes structural

Replacing doors and a benchtop over the existing footprint is a makeover. A complete renovation starts the moment something moves — and moving things is what pulls in the other trades.

In older brick homes around Bentleigh, Ormond and McKinnon, the wall between kitchen and dining is sometimes load-bearing; opening it needs an engineer’s detail before any cabinetry is drawn. Keeping the wall and re-planning within it is often the better answer, and that call is made at the design stage rather than on site.

ServicesSink, waste, gas and circuits set out to the plan before cabinetry is orderedStructureAny wall removal is documented and detailed before demolition, not afterSubstrateFloor levels and wall squareness checked at measure, since stone is unforgivingSequenceRough-in, cabinetry, template, benchtop, splashback, fit-off — in that order

The order is set at design stage and held through the build by installation and trade coordination.

The decision order, carcass to handle

CarcassMoisture-resistant board, 16 or 18 mm, edged on show facesDoorMatte laminate, painted MDF, timber veneer or shaker profileBenchtopEngineered stone, natural stone, porcelain, timber or laminateSplashbackSlab to underside of overheads, tile to grout line, or glassEdge profileSquare 20 mm, mitred to 40 mm, or a waterfall returnHandlePull, finger-pull rail, or a routed J-profile with no hardware

Each line can be read in more detail on custom cabinetry, benchtops and splashbacks, or compared in the guide to choosing a benchtop.

CabinetryShaker fronts, glass-front overheads, dark benchtop — the same six lines, decided in order

Twelve stages, consultation to handover

The same twelve stages run on every complete renovation. Selections close before demolition, because the cabinetry is manufactured to the drawing and the benchtop is templated to what is actually installed.

Read the full process →

Planning01 Consultation
02 Measure
03 Design
04 Quote
05 Material selection
06 Demolition

Build07 Cabinetry
08 Plumbing & electrical
09 Benchtops & splashback
10 Installation
11 Finishing
12 Handover

Questions asked before committing

Can the kitchen move to another part of the room?

Usually, yes — the limit is where waste can fall to and how far power and gas can be re-run. That question is answered at measure, before a layout is drawn.

Does everything have to be chosen before work starts?

Selections close at stage five. Cabinetry is manufactured to the approved drawing, so a door or benchtop change after that point re-opens the schedule rather than adjusting it.

How long is the house without a kitchen?

From demolition until the benchtop is templated, fabricated and fitted — the template can only be taken once cabinetry is standing. Planning a temporary bench and a bar fridge is worth the effort; the timeline guide sets out what drives each stage.

Can existing appliances be reused?

Often. Bring model numbers to the consultation so cut-outs, clearances and hood ducting are drawn to the real dimensions instead of standard ones. More questions are answered on the renovation FAQ.