NEWS · Housing Market
The Housing Market Is Cooling — What That Means If You Are Renovating
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Renovation Costs in 2026: What the Work Actually Costs Now
Kitchens, bathrooms, rewires and extensions, with the ranges quoted this quarter.
By Sofia Lindqvist, Design Director · Published August 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Photograph: Barn Images / StockSnap
Published cost guides age badly. These ranges come from quotes readers and contributors shared this quarter, separated into labour and materials so you can see which half moved.
Labour is the variable
Material costs have flattened across timber, tile and plasterboard. Day rates have not, and they vary more by region than any material does.
Budget the invisible 20 percent
Electrics brought up to current standards, moved waste runs and making good after removal are the line items missing from most first quotes.
Sequence for cash flow
Fabric and services first, finishes last. Finishing early and then opening walls again is the most common way a renovation budget doubles.
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