The short answer
A full 2-bedroom apartment renovation in Sydney runs $80,000 to $130,000, and from $130,000 for premium materials and layout changes. A single-bathroom unit lands at the lower end; a second bathroom, an ensuite, or high-end finishes push it up. The honest answer to the question everyone asks: $100,000 is enough to renovate a typical 2-bed to a good standard.
Years in apartments
Projects completed
5-star Google reviews
Strata approval rate
This is the 2-bedroom deep-dive. Our general apartment cost guide prices every size; this page answers the two questions a 2-bed owner actually types into Google: how much to fully renovate a 2-bedroom apartment, and whether $100,000 is enough. Real 2026 Sydney numbers, a room-by-room split, and the strata costs other guides skip.
How much does it cost to fully renovate a 2-bedroom apartment in Sydney?
A full 2-bedroom apartment renovation in Sydney runs $80,000 to $130,000, and from $130,000 for premium materials and layout changes. The number is set by three things: how many bathrooms you have, how far you gut it, and the finishes you choose. A clean, single-bathroom 2-bed sits near $80,000. Add a second bathroom or an ensuite, choose stone and custom joinery, and you move toward $130,000.
| Level | What it covers | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | New kitchen, one bathroom, flooring and paint throughout | $80,000 – $100,000 |
| Mid-range | Engineered stone, custom joinery, full bathroom rebuild | $100,000 – $130,000 |
| Premium | Two bathrooms, layout changes, high-end finishes throughout | $130,000+ |
These are our real Fine Touch Group ranges for a full 2-bedroom apartment, drawn from 1,000+ Sydney projects. They line up with the wider market: a 2026 Sydney guide puts a full-apartment package at $75,000 to $140,000+, and a recent Potts Point apartment (new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, rewire and repaint) came in at $110,000.
What you get at each budget
Standard
from, one-off project cost
A complete 2-bed renovation at a solid, honest standard.
- New kitchen with quality materials
- One bathroom rebuilt to AS 3740
- Flooring and paint throughout
- Standard fixtures and lighting
- Strata approval handled
Mid-range
from, one-off project cost
Engineered stone, custom joinery, and a full bathroom rebuild.
- Engineered stone and custom joinery
- Full bathroom rebuild to a high spec
- Built-in wardrobes to both bedrooms
- Designer fixtures and lighting
- Strata, acoustic and waterproofing handled
Premium
from, one-off project cost
Two bathrooms, layout changes, and high-end finishes throughout.
- Two bathrooms to a high spec
- Natural stone and full custom joinery
- Layout reconfigure where the building allows
- Premium appliances throughout
- High-end finishes end to end
Is $100,000 enough for a 2-bed?
Yes. $100,000 fully renovates a typical Sydney 2-bedroom apartment at a good standard. That budget covers a new kitchen with engineered stone, a bathroom rebuilt to AS 3740, flooring and paint throughout, new lighting, and custom joinery in the kitchen and bedrooms. It is the most common 2-bed budget we work to, and it delivers a finished apartment with nothing left looking dated.
Where $100,000 runs short is a second full bathroom, a layout reconfigure that touches structure or plumbing, or natural stone and high-end appliances right through. Those are the choices that move a 2-bed into the $130,000 and up bracket. The point is the trade-off is yours to make, with a clear number against each decision rather than a surprise at the end.
“We probably said we would spend about $100,000, and we spent about $120,000, but I was rigorously tracking every dollar.”
That gap between the plan and the final figure is the real lesson, and it is why a fixed-price quote and a proper contingency matter more than the headline number. The same owners noted a builder would have cost them around $400,000 to do what they did themselves over three years. Most people do not have three years, which is exactly the point of pricing the job properly up front.
The room-by-room split
Here is where the money goes in a typical 2-bed, around 70 to 90 square metres. The kitchen and bathrooms carry most of the cost because that is where the trades, the waterproofing, and the stone all land. A single-bathroom unit adds up near $80,000; a two-bathroom unit at a mid-range finish lands closer to $130,000.
| Element | Sydney 2026 |
|---|---|
| Kitchen (cabinetry is 30–40% of it) | $18,000 – $35,000 |
| Main bathroom (to AS 3740) | $15,000 – $30,000 |
| Second bathroom or ensuite | $12,000 – $25,000 |
| Flooring throughout (~75 m²) | $6,000 – $15,000 |
| Painting throughout | $4,000 – $8,000 |
| Electrical, lighting and switchboard | $3,000 – $8,000 |
| Built-in wardrobes and joinery | $3,000 – $10,000 |
The kitchen and bathroom are the two lines that move the total most. See real examples at each level on our kitchen and bathroom renovation pages.
“Just after some rough costs to do a renovation to a 60m2 apartment (2br 1bath). It needs new paint, flooring, new kitchen, new bathroom retiled to ceiling, and built-in robes to the rooms.”
That scope, kitchen plus one bathroom plus flooring, paint and robes, is the classic Sydney 2-bed brief. Done properly to strata standard, it is an $80,000 to $100,000 job, not the $40,000 a landlord-grade patch-up implies. The difference is real waterproofing, licensed trades, and a finish that lasts, rather than a cosmetic refresh that leaks into the unit below within a few years. Owners working through the same question on r/AusRenovation land in the same place once strata and waterproofing are factored in.
The strata and access add-ons most guides skip
A 2-bed apartment costs 10 to 25 percent more to renovate than the same work in a 2-bed house, and the reason is everything that sits around the build. These are real costs and real time, and they belong in your budget from the start.
| Apartment-only cost | Range |
|---|---|
| Strata by-law (drafting + LRS registration) | ~$1,100+ |
| Acoustic underlay to building star rating | $2,000 – $6,000 |
| Lift and loading-dock bookings, building bond | Varies by building |
| Waste removal and skips within strata rules | $200 – $1,550 |
Once you renovate a bathroom, the leak is yours
Restricted work hours, often 8am to 4pm on weekdays only, remove weekend catch-up and stretch the calendar, which adds holding costs on a 2-bed that a house never carries. Major-works approval realistically takes 6 to 12 weeks before a tool is lifted. Build that lead time into your plan so the wait does not feel like a delay.
This is the part we handle. In 30 years and 1,000+ Sydney apartments, our strata approval rate is 100 percent. We prepare the by-law, the engineering, and the acoustic and waterproofing certificates, manage the lift bookings and work-hour rules, and stand behind the compliance, so the risk sits with us, not you.
Build in a contingency
Sydney has a lot of pre-1990 apartment stock, and older blocks find ways to spend your money: a switchboard that needs upgrading, a partial rewire, asbestos in old sheeting, or plumbing that is not where the drawings say. Carry a 15 to 20 percent contingency on top of your build number. On a $100,000 2-bed, that is $15,000 to $20,000 set aside, not spent unless the building asks for it.
Estimate your 2-bed renovation
The estimator defaults to a 2-bed at a mid-range finish. Adjust the finish level for a working 2026 range, then call for a fixed-price quote.
Apartment renovation cost estimator
Our real Sydney pricing for a full apartment renovation. A guide, not a quote.
Apartment size
Finish level
2 bed apartment, mid-range finish
$100,000 – $130,000
Includes the full renovation. Add 15–20% contingency for older blocks. Just refreshing a single room? A kitchen starts at $18,000 and a bathroom at $15,000.
2026 Sydney Apartment Renovation Price Guide
Real per-room costs, the full strata cost checklist, and the questions to ask before you sign. Sent straight to your inbox.
Get a fixed-price quote for your 2-bed
30 years of Sydney apartment and strata renovations. We handle the by-law, the approvals, and the build. Fixed price, no surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Real 2-bed project
Jersey Road, Artarmon: full apartment renovation
A dated unit stripped back and rebuilt: new kitchen, bathroom, flooring and paint throughout, completed in 8 weeks.
Ready to start
Apartment renovations Sydney
Whole-apartment renovations by a 30-year strata specialist. Fixed price, strata handled.
The wider guide
How much does an apartment renovation cost in Sydney?
Costs for every apartment size, the full room-by-room breakdown, and the strata layer that sets the number.