Costs, timelines, council consent, design, the build and more — the real answers to the questions Auckland homeowners ask us most. Search it, or jump to a topic below.
Book a free Renovation Roadmap consult. We visit your home, discuss your goals and budget, and map an honest scope and budget range. There's no cost and no obligation — you only continue if it feels right.
Yes. The in-home Renovation Roadmap consult is completely free and no-obligation. You only pay once you choose to enter our paid design phase.
Ideally 4–6 weeks ahead for larger renovations. Smaller projects and design-only work can often start sooner. We deliberately take on a limited number of projects, so earlier is better.
Right across Auckland — Point Chevalier, Mt Albert, Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Herne Bay, Remuera, Mt Eden, Newmarket, Epsom, the eastern bays and the North Shore. If you're further out, just ask.
Both. We offer a design-only service with trade-ready documentation if you have your own builder, or a full design-and-build service where we handle everything under one roof.
Yes. We can design your whole home now and build in stages to suit your budget and timeline, so each phase fits into one cohesive plan.
Free Roadmap consult, then a paid design and selections phase, then a fixed-price proposal, then the build managed by your dedicated project manager, then handover. One accountable team the whole way.
On site: kitchens 3–6 weeks, bathrooms 2–4 weeks, laundries 1–2 weeks, full homes 3–6 months. Design and any consent add time before the build begins.
One dedicated project manager is your single point of contact from the first sketch to final handover, so you always know what's happening and who to call.
Yes. Design clients receive 3D walkthroughs and realistic renders so you can see your kitchen, bathroom or whole home before the build starts.
A full walkthrough where every detail is checked and signed off, plus care instructions and any product warranties — then the keys to a home you'll love.
Deliberately only a handful at a time, so every project gets our full attention and our best team.
After your design and selections are locked in, we give you a fixed-price quote with a clear scope, materials and timeline — so you know the number before any building begins.
Once your design is signed off, your build price doesn't move. We wear cost differences, not you — the only changes are ones you choose to make along the way.
Yes. Our paid design phase starts from $450 + GST and includes layouts, material selections and visuals. It's often credited back if you proceed to build with us.
Typically a deposit to secure your spot, then progress payments tied to build stages. The full payment schedule is set out clearly in your proposal before you commit.
Yes. We help you prioritise spend for impact, daily use and resale, and steer you toward smart finishes so you avoid budget blowouts.
For full-home and villa work, yes. We recommend a 10–20% contingency for the unknowns older Auckland homes can hide, like old wiring, plumbing or framing.
Concept, layout, 3D visuals and material and finish selections — everything needed to produce a clear, fixed-price build proposal.
Absolutely. Many clients want a refreshed look while keeping pieces they love, and we integrate them into a cohesive new scheme.
Yes — we guide tiles, benchtops, tapware, cabinetry, flooring, lighting and paint, with access to trade-only suppliers.
Yes. We can build from your existing plans, or collaborate with your designer and stay involved through the build for site visits and styling.
Because there are no gaps between design and build. One team owns the outcome, the price is fixed after design, and there's no finger-pointing when something needs solving.
Like-for-like updates often don't need consent. You'll generally need it for structural changes, moving plumbing or drainage, or additions. We'll tell you up front what your project needs.
Yes. We manage documentation and Auckland Council building consent with our design partners, through to sign-off, so you don't have to.
Villas and character zones can require resource consent. We design sympathetically to the home and manage the planning side for you.
Yes — we're LBP-licensed, BCITO-qualified and Master Painters accredited, and all work is completed to the New Zealand Building Code.
Yes. Work is completed to the NZ Building Code, and where building consent applies, your project receives a Code Compliance Certificate.
For single-room projects, often yes. For full-home renovations most families move out for the main build — it's faster, safer and far less stressful.
Tight scheduling, tidy sites, clear weekly communication, and dust and zone protection where you're still living in the home.
Your dedicated project manager keeps you across progress, decisions and the timeline the whole way through, so there are no surprises.
We price it as a variation and confirm with you before proceeding, so the budget stays transparent and under your control.
Yes — a full clean and rubbish removal before your final walkthrough and handover.
A simple refresh starts around $25,000, a full custom kitchen is typically $35,000–$55,000, and high-end or luxury kitchens run from $90,000 upwards. See our kitchen renovations page for detail.
Around 3–6 weeks on site, plus design and joinery manufacture — roughly 8–12 weeks end to end.
A refresh updates cabinetry fronts, benchtops and finishes in the existing layout. A full renovation reworks the layout, cabinetry, appliances, lighting and services.
Yes — sculleries and butler's pantries are among our most-requested Auckland kitchen additions, keeping the main kitchen clean and clutter-free.
Yes — design, custom cabinetry, stone, plumbing, electrical and installation are all handled in-house by one team.
A refresh starts from around $15,000, a full bathroom renovation is typically $25,000–$35,000, and luxury bathrooms with premium finishes run from $45,000 upwards. More on our bathroom renovations page.
About 2–4 weeks on site, including time for waterproofing and tiling to cure properly. With design it's roughly 6–10 weeks end to end.
We waterproof to New Zealand standards before any tiling, with proper falls to the drain, sealed junctions and quality membranes — the hidden work that makes a bathroom last.
Large-format tiles, a wall-hung vanity, frameless glass and layered lighting all make compact villa and bungalow bathrooms feel more spacious.
Yes. Keeping plumbing in place is most cost-effective, but we regularly reconfigure layouts. Moving fixtures adds cost for new drainage, and we'll show you the trade-offs.
A refresh starts from around $7,000, a custom laundry is typically $12,000–$25,000, and a full strip-out or new laundry runs from $30,000 upwards. See our laundry renovations page.
Around 1–2 weeks on site, and roughly 4–8 weeks end to end including design and joinery.
Yes — European-style laundries with stacked appliances, pull-outs and floor-to-ceiling storage are one of the things we do best.
Yes — combined laundry-mudrooms and laundry-sculleries are popular, and we design the zones to work together with hard-wearing storage and bench space.
A modular reach-in wardrobe starts from around $2,500, a full custom wardrobe or joinery piece is typically $5,000–$15,000, and whole-room joinery starts from $15,000. More on our custom joinery page.
Custom joinery is built for your exact space — scribed to the walls, sized to the ceiling and finished to match — with better materials and hardware that last far longer than flatpack.
Walk-in wardrobes, reach-in robes, kitchen and scullery cabinetry, vanities, home offices, media walls, bookshelves, wall panelling and mudroom storage.
Moisture-resistant melamine and polyurethane for hard-working spaces, and timber veneer or solid timber for statement joinery — all chosen to suit the room and Auckland's humid climate.
About $2,000–$4,500 per square metre. A cosmetic whole-home renovation is $80,000–$160,000, a full villa renovation $200,000–$360,000, and premium homes $500,000+. See full home renovations.
Around $3,500–$8,000 per square metre. A single-room extension starts from about $90,000, an open-plan living extension $135,000–$280,000, and a second storey from $220,000. See home extensions.
Full homes take 3–6 months on site and extensions 3–5 months. With design and consent, both are usually a 9–12 month journey end to end.
Yes — second storeys and additions are a good option when you can't extend out. They're engineered and consented, and tied cleanly into the existing home.
Yes. We match rooflines, cladding, window proportions and finishes so the addition reads as part of the original home, not bolted on.
Yes — character villa and bungalow renovations across Auckland's central suburbs are a specialty of ours.
We protect and restore key details like ceiling roses, skirtings and sash windows, while updating the layout, services and joinery for modern living.
Yes — rewiring, replumbing, insulation and double glazing are core to villa work, turning a cold, draughty home into one that's genuinely comfortable.
Poor natural light, small bathrooms, limited storage and tired old services. We plan around all of them while working within the existing footprint.
Yes. Workmanship is guaranteed, products carry their manufacturer warranties, and consented work receives a Code Compliance Certificate.
We fix it. If a detail isn't right at handover, we make it right — that's the deal.
Once your design is signed off, your build price doesn't move — barring changes you request. We wear the difference, not you.
Yes — we provide care instructions at handover and are only a call away for any aftercare or questions down the track.
Couldn't find your answer? Tell us about your home and what you're planning, and we'll come back to you. The first consult is free and no-obligation.
Families across Auckland trust Key Interiors to deliver renovations done right — one team, one fixed price, one beautiful result.
Book your free Renovation Roadmap →