08 · KITCHEN WORK AFTER A BATHROOM
I’m Ivan Bodnar, an independent home renovation specialist working as a sole trader in Melbourne. Bathroom renovations are my main focus; kitchen and laundry renovations use the same skills. This page covers what carries over when kitchen work follows bathroom work, and what’s worth checking if both rooms are on your list. For the kitchen service itself, see Kitchen Renovations.
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Kitchen cabinets and benchtops covered in plastic and paper, with a step ladder in the foreground. Illustrative stock photo.
FIELD 01 · THE KITCHEN, AFTER THE BATHROOM
A kitchen has a lot in common with a bathroom: tiled walls, a hard-wearing floor, and plasterboard and paint around them. If you’ve already had bathroom work done, the same approach applies here. I check the surfaces before any finish goes on.
For what I look at in a kitchen, see Kitchen Renovations. For how an inspection leads to a quotation, see the Assessment and Quotation Process.
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WHAT CARRIES OVER
Bathroom renovations are my main focus; kitchen and laundry renovations use the same skills. Tiling, flooring, surface preparation, plasterboard, plastering and painting all apply in both rooms. Walls have to be sound before tiles go on, floors have to be flat before new flooring goes down, and paint only looks as good as the surface it covers.
What doesn’t carry over is the condition of the room. A kitchen is assessed on its own, and what it needs depends on what’s behind the old splashback and under the old floor. Good preparation matters just as much as the visible finish in every room. Read Why Preparation Matters.
FIELD 03 · IVAN DOES IT HIMSELF
Splashback tiling and the wall preparation behind it
Floor tiling and flooring on a flat, sound base
Surface preparation on walls and ceilings
Plasterboard installation and plastering
Painting
Licensed plumbing, electrical and other regulated work is carried out by appropriately licensed specialists where required. Working with Licensed Specialists →
WHEN BOTH ROOMS ARE ON THE LIST
Each room is assessed on its own condition. A sound bathroom doesn’t mean the kitchen walls are sound too.
The price for each room depends on its assessed scope, materials and existing conditions.
Regulated components in either room may need a licensed specialist.
Mention both rooms in your message, with your suburb and a short description of each.
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HOW A KITCHEN JOB IS ARRANGED
Step 1 · Your message. Tell me your suburb and what you want done in the kitchen. If the bathroom is on the list too, mention it. A few photos of each room help.
Step 2 · Inspection. I look at each room myself and check the surfaces before anything is priced.
Step 3 · Scope. I explain what I think is needed and why, which parts need a licensed specialist, and anything that could limit the job.
Step 4 · Quotation. The price depends on the assessed scope, the materials, the existing conditions and anything else specific to the job. Nothing is booked online. Read the full Assessment and Quotation Process.
FIELD 05 · KITCHEN AFTER A BATHROOM
Is the preparation in a kitchen the same as in a bathroom?
The skills are the same: surface preparation, plasterboard, plastering, tiling, flooring and painting. How much preparation a kitchen needs depends on its condition once the old finishes come off.
My bathroom is done. Does that tell you what the kitchen needs?
Not on its own. The kitchen is assessed separately, and its quotation depends on its assessed scope, materials, existing conditions and other requirements specific to the job.
Why spend time on the wall behind the splashback?
Good preparation matters just as much as the visible finish. New tiles are only as reliable as the wall they’re fixed to, in a kitchen as much as in a bathroom.
Who handles the kitchen plumbing and electrical work?
Licensed plumbing, electrical and other regulated work is carried out by appropriately licensed specialists where required. See Working with Licensed Specialists.
What should I put in my message if both rooms need work?
Your suburb and a short description of the work in each room. See What to Include When You Send a Message.
Related: Kitchen Renovations (main service page) · Bathroom Renovations · Questions Homeowners Ask
