A whole-house renovation is a different exercise to renovating one room. The scope touches every trade, the budget has more places to hide, and the biggest practical question homeowners forget to ask early is where they will actually live while it happens. This guide sets out how [home renovations](/home-renovations) run from first conversation to handover on the Gold Coast and in Logan.
A whole-house renovation on the Gold Coast typically costs $120,000 to $450,000 depending on scope, and runs for 10 to 30 weeks on site once approvals are through. Most homeowners either live in the house through a staged renovation or move out for the more disruptive middle stages, particularly if the kitchen and only bathroom are both being rebuilt.
What counts as a whole-house renovation
This is more than a kitchen and a lick of paint. A whole-house renovation usually covers the kitchen, bathrooms, living areas, flooring throughout, and often some structural change such as a wall removal to open up living spaces. It may also include new windows, re-wiring, re-plumbing and exterior work. The scope is what drives the budget more than the size of the house.
| Scope | Typical cost | What's involved |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic whole-house refresh | $50,000 to $100,000 | New flooring, paint, updated bathroom fixtures, kitchen face-lift, no layout change |
| Mid-range full renovation | $120,000 to $220,000 | New kitchen and bathrooms, some layout change, new flooring and finishes throughout |
| Major renovation with structural change | $220,000 to $450,000 | Wall removal, room reconfiguration, new kitchen and bathrooms, electrical and plumbing upgrades, exterior work |
Planning before a hammer is picked up
The planning stage decides most of what happens later, and it is worth doing properly. Start with a clear brief of what needs to change and why, not just a Pinterest board. Our guide to planning a home renovation on the Gold Coast covers this stage in more depth.
- Brief and site inspection, where the scope and any structural questions are identified.
- Design and selections, locking in layout, finishes and fixtures before pricing.
- Fixed-price quote, with every allowance itemised so there are no surprises later.
- Council approval where the scope requires it, which typically adds 4 to 8 weeks.
- Staged construction, sequenced trade by trade.
- Final fix-off, inspections and handover.
Approvals
Not every renovation needs council approval. Internal cosmetic work usually doesn't. Structural changes, most extensions, and anything altering the building's footprint or stormwater generally do. Our council approval guide explains what triggers an application on the Gold Coast and how long to allow for it. Build this lead time into your plan from day one rather than treating it as a delay.
Budgeting for the whole job, not just the visible parts
- Set a scope-based budget first, then get a written fixed-price quote from a QBCC-licensed business rather than a verbal estimate.
- Add a contingency of 10 to 15 percent. Older Gold Coast and Logan homes commonly hide wiring, plumbing or timber issues behind existing linings.
- Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves early so there is room to flex if a variation comes up.
- Ask for every allowance in writing, especially for tiles, tapware, cabinetry and appliances, so a generous inclusion doesn't quietly become a bare minimum.
Our renovation budget guide goes into more detail on the costs that catch people out, from asbestos testing in older homes to unexpected structural findings.
Staging the work so the house stays liveable
A good builder sequences a whole-house renovation to keep at least part of the home functional for as long as possible. Wet areas and the kitchen usually come last in the demolition order if they can be, because losing both at once is the hardest stretch of any renovation. Trades are then staged: demolition, structural work, rough-in plumbing and electrical, framing and linings, then the finishing trades of tiling, cabinetry, flooring and painting.
How long it actually takes
For timeframes specific to different scopes, our guide on how long a home renovation takes in Queensland breaks down each stage. As a rule of thumb, a mid-range whole-house renovation runs 10 to 16 weeks on site, and a major renovation with structural work runs 16 to 30 weeks, on top of design and approval time before construction starts.
Where you live during the renovation
This is the question most homeowners leave too late. Three realistic options exist:
- Stay in the house through a staged renovation, closing off work zones room by room. This works for cosmetic and mid-range jobs where at least one bathroom and a basic kitchen setup remain usable.
- Move out for the disruptive middle stages only, typically 4 to 8 weeks when the kitchen and bathrooms are both out of action, then move back for the finishing stages.
- Move out for the full project, which suits major renovations with structural work, asbestos removal, or a young family that cannot manage without hot water and a working kitchen.
If you are staying in the house, ask your builder to confirm which weeks the water, power or both will be off for extended periods. Most trades can work around a family in the house, but a few days without services need planning around, not discovering.
What a proper whole-house renovation quote should include
Check for these before you sign
- QBCC licence number and current insurances
- A written, itemised fixed-price quote, not a verbal estimate
- Named allowances for tiles, tapware, cabinetry, benchtops and appliances
- A stated construction sequence and realistic timeframe
- Who is responsible for council approval and lodging documents
- A defined process for handling variations if something unexpected turns up
If you're comparing more than one builder, it's worth reading through what typically separates a solid quote from a vague one before you commit.
Thinking about a whole-house renovation on the Gold Coast or in Logan? We'll walk the site, talk through staging and living arrangements, and give you a fixed-price quote with every line written down. Current lead time is around 4 weeks.
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