Organise + design your reno with these resources
The Renovation Budget Tracker is a renovation budget template and cost calculator, pre-loaded with over 200 items, from design fees and trades to tiles, tapware and furniture. Plan your budget before you start, then track your real costs as quotes come in and you start paying. It totals everything for your whole renovation and for each room, so you always know where your budget stands.
What’s inside the tracker
You're never starting from a blank page. The items are grouped into 10 categories, each one a part of your renovation:
Planning and Site: design, approvals, demolition, skip bins and equipment hire
Builder, Trades and Materials
Cabinetry and Benchtops
Tiles and Flooring
Tapware, Sinks and Fittings
Electrical and Appliances
Windows, Doors and Blinds
Outdoor
Furniture
Other Costs
Every item has a place for your estimate while you plan, and your actual cost once you have a quote in writing or have paid. If the actual cost is higher than your estimate, it shows in red, so you see it the day the quote lands, not when the money's gone.
If a builder is quoting the whole job, their total goes in as one line, and you only add what isn't in their quote, like your appliances or furniture. Items you don't need stay empty.
Short notes beside some items point out the costs that are easy to forget.
A summary page adds it all up for you, by section, by room and in total, with your estimate and your actual cost side by side. Each item can be given a room, like the kitchen or ensuite, so you see what each room is costing you. Your contingency, the money you set aside for surprises, is added to your total at the percentage you choose. All amounts are entered including GST.
Who it's for
The tracker works for homeowners renovating or building, whether you're working with a builder or managing the trades yourself.
It's built for you if:
You don't know what your project will actually cost.
You've started planning, and costs feel like they're getting out of control.
You're juggling quotes and need one place to track everything.
I built this tracker for my own renovations and developments, and I've used it to keep every one of them on budget for around 20 years.
For typical figures, here’s what a renovation costs in Australia, and what to set aside in your renovation budget.
It works best in Excel on a computer. It also opens in Google Sheets and Apple Numbers, but some features may not work the same way.
Common questions
Is this a renovation cost calculator?
Yes, in the sense that it adds up your costs for you. You enter your estimates and quotes, and it calculates your totals by section, by room and for the whole job, including your contingency. It doesn't guess your costs for you, so for typical figures, start with what a renovation costs in Australia.
Does it work for a bathroom or kitchen renovation on its own?
Yes. Items you don't need stay empty, and each item can be given a room, so you can use it for one room or a whole home.
What if my builder is quoting the whole job?
Put their total in as one line, then add only what isn't in their quote, like your appliances or furniture.
What program do I need?
It works best in Excel on a computer. It also opens in Google Sheets and Apple Numbers, but some features may not work the same way.
Do the amounts include GST?
Yes. All amounts are entered including GST.
Our TOP home design + renovation resources, room plans, colour schemes + templates, bundled to create the ultimate project pack to get you reno-ready.
Includes all the resources you’ll need to start planning your home project RIGHT NOW, to achieve your own interior designed home.
This home renovation bundle includes tools and resources to budget, plan colours + products, plan key rooms in your home, and tips to avoid big reno mistakes. Includes:
Budget Project Tracker, valued at $147 • Easily keep track of how much your project is costing.
Finishes Schedule, valued at $97 • Keep track of all your project details, such as finishes, colours and materials.
Bathroom Design + Measurements Cheat Sheet, valued at $79 • Lists all the bathroom layouts with dimensions you need to nail your bathroom design.
Kitchen Design + Layout Planner, valued at $97 • Lists all the kitchen layouts with dimensions you need to nail your kitchen design.
11 Bathroom Designs — Plans + Colours, valued at $789 • Plans and colour schemes for 11 designer bathrooms.
7 Designer Kitchen — Plans + Colours, valued at $553 • Plans and colour schemes for 7 designer kitchens.
Backlit Mirror Step-By-Step Guide, valued at $47 • How to create your own backlit mirrors, explained step-by-step.
Niche Step-By-Step Guide, valued at $47 • How to create a niche in your bathroom including dimensions.
With a total value of over $1856, this renovating and home design resource is SOLID GOLD! You’ll master your room layout, colour scheme and finishes, plus deliver your project on budget, achieving your own perfectly functional, designer home like a PRO.
Want to know what really gives a home that WOW factor? Height! And we’re not talking double-story homes, we’re talking high ceilings height…
Woorak House by CM Studio • High Ceilings in Kitchen
Llaneast St Project • High ceiling height homes
Investing in High or Double Height Ceilings not only creates a beautiful feature but can actually make a room feel and look substantially bigger. If you’re renovating or building and your home is modest in scale, adding height in selected rooms is the perfect way to ensure you maximise your building footprint and create the visual illusion of a larger home.
What is the standard Ceiling Height in Australia?
So what standard Ceiling Height is adequate? If building a new home, ceiling heights of less than 2.7 metres or just under 9 feet are false economies and best avoided. Low ceiling heights can put a ceiling on the value of your home long term if you come to sell #punintended. This is a factor where a compromise at the building stage, is a compromise for the long term, as unlike a kitchen benchtop or mixer tap which are relatively easy to change or upgrade, changing the height of a ceiling down the track is no easy feat.
Standard ceiling height in Australia: Most standard ceilings in Australia are 2440mm, 2590mm or 2740mm high, with 2590mm and 2740mm being most common in new builds.
Rachel Hudson Architecture • High Ceiling Lighting Ideas
Woorak House by CM Studio • High Ceiling Homes Australia
Further to the 2.7-metre minimum ceiling height, why not go even bigger in a part of your home, like the living or kitchen/dining areas? Extra high ceilings will transform and open up a room like no other design feature can. Ceiling height not only equals space, but it also creates an open, airy feel and increases light in the room as there is more surface area off which light can bounce.
High ceilings also provide the opportunity for feature highlight windows which can provide beautiful sky and tree vistas, and increase your connection with the outdoors. Designing a home with highlight windows positioned to capture the low-sitting Winter Sun, can transform a dark, cool room into a sun-filled sanctuary that becomes the most popular space in the house.
Skylight House by Rachel Hudson Architecture • High Ceilings Living Room
So whilst you’re in the design stage of your new home or renovation, don’t overlook the stand-out feature that can absolutely transform your home, solve the problem of inadequate Winter Sun, and add value when it comes to sale time. Ceiling Heights can tick all these boxes, and literally, elevate your space! Looking for more home inspo?
