Kitchen Renovations in St Albans
Pacific Edge Homes is a Melbourne-based renovation company. We design and manage complete kitchen renovations for St Albans homes, including kitchens in the post-war half-houses that many families later built onto, with one team handling the design, the trades and the handover.
- Who
- Pacific Edge Homes, a Melbourne renovation company with 10 years in business.
- What
- Complete kitchen renovations: layout, cabinetry, benchtops, splashbacks, appliance advice, trades and installation.
- Where
- St Albans and suburbs across Melbourne.
- Local factor
- Brimbank Council records that many St Albans half-houses now sit at the back of a later house and are used as the kitchen, laundry or bathroom.
- Next step
- Call (03) 7065 0017 or request a quote.
St Albans Homes and Their Kitchens
Much of St Albans was built after the Second World War, when European migration reshaped the suburb. Brimbank Council records that between about 1947 and 1968, many newly arrived families bought or built a half-house: two or three rooms, put up first, with the rest of the home to follow.
Many of those homes grew in stages over the following decades. So a St Albans kitchen renovation often starts with a simple question: which part of the house is the kitchen actually in? We plan the new layout and finishes with you, coordinate the plumbing and electrical trades, and install the kitchen. Your scope is confirmed in a written quote.
Renovating in place
New cabinetry, benchtops and splashbacks within the existing kitchen.
Moving the kitchen
Relocating the kitchen from a rear section into the main house, where the layout allows.
Opening up
Joining the kitchen to a living or dining area for a more connected family space.
Is Your Kitchen in the Original Half-House?
Brimbank Council notes that in most cases the half-house is now attached to the back of a newer house and used as a kitchen, laundry or bathroom. Many were built by their owners before services and roads were available, using locally available materials.
Where the old meets the new
A rear half-house and the house built in front of it were often put up years apart, to different standards.
What to check: Floor levels, the join between the two sections, and the condition of walls, floor framing and roof over the kitchen, before the design is fixed.
Services added later
Where a half-house went up before services reached the street, water, drainage, gas and power were connected afterwards and may have been extended more than once.
What to check: Ask for the plumbing, gas and electrical runs to be looked at during the measure and brief, especially before adding an induction cooktop, a second oven or a dishwasher.
Sources: Brimbank City Council, St Albans half-houses, Brimbank Heritage Strategy.
Keep, Rebuild or Relocate the Kitchen
Older materials
Asbestos Victoria advises that a home built before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos. That covers both the post-war half-houses and many of the houses later built in front of them.
What to check: Have suspect linings, splashbacks and floor coverings identified before demolition is booked.
Choosing where the kitchen goes
If the existing kitchen sits in an older rear section, compare renovating it in place with moving the kitchen into the main house. Moving it may mean new plumbing and drainage runs; staying may mean more work on the room itself.
What to plan: Talk through both options at the measure and brief, before you commit to a layout.
Source: Asbestos Victoria.
Our Kitchen Renovation Approach
Talk it through
Call us or send a quote request with a few details about the kitchen and the house.
Measure and brief
We look at the space and talk through what you want to change.
Design and quote
We plan the layout and finishes with you and give you a written quote.
Build
We coordinate the trades and keep you updated as work progresses.
Handover
We walk through the finished kitchen with you.
Why Choose Pacific Edge Homes
One team handles the design, the trades and the project management, so you always know who to call. More about us
- 30 yearsof industry experience in our team
- 10 yearsin business as Pacific Edge Homes
- 10,000+projects completed
Related Renovation Services
If the laundry or bathroom also sits in the rear section, it can make sense to plan them together: see laundry renovations and bathroom renovations. Timber flooring can be part of the same project. See all renovation work in St Albans.
See how we approach kitchen renovations across Melbourne.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my kitchen is in an old half-house?
Signs include a step or change in floor level between the kitchen and the rest of the house, a different ceiling height or roofline at the back, or a visible join in the walls. We can look at this when we measure the kitchen.
Should I renovate the kitchen where it is or move it?
It depends on the condition of the rear section and how the house is laid out. Moving the kitchen usually means new plumbing and drainage runs, so it is worth comparing both options before deciding.
My house was built after the war. Is asbestos likely?
Asbestos Victoria says homes built before 1990 are likely to contain asbestos. Have suspect materials identified before any demolition.
Do I need a building permit for a kitchen renovation?
It depends on the work. In Victoria, building work needs a permit unless an exemption applies. The Building and Plumbing Commission explains when one is required, and we can talk it through when we look at your kitchen.
How do I start?
Call (03) 7065 0017 or use the quote form. Tell us roughly when the house was built and whether it was extended later.
Discuss your St Albans kitchen renovation
Tell us about your home and your kitchen, and we will get back to you to talk it through.
Prefer to talk? Call (03) 7065 0017 or email info@pacificedgehomes.com.au.