Kitchen Renovations in Sunshine
Pacific Edge Homes is a Melbourne-based renovation company. We design and manage complete kitchen renovations for Sunshine homes, from early bungalows to post-war houses, 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
- Sunshine and suburbs across Melbourne.
- Local factor
- Several Sunshine streets sit inside heritage overlays, so kitchen changes that show outside the house can need a planning permit.
- Next step
- Call (03) 7065 0017 or request a quote.
Sunshine Homes and Their Kitchens
Sunshine grew around H.V. McKay's Sunshine Harvester Works, established at Braybrook Junction in 1907. Brimbank Council's heritage records describe housing in the older streets from the 1900s to the 1950s, including Arts and Crafts houses, California bungalows and 1930s and 1940s bungalows.
In a house of that age, the kitchen is often small and closed off, with wiring and plumbing that have been altered over the years. 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.
Refreshing a dated kitchen
New cabinetry, benchtops, splashbacks and finishes within the existing layout.
Reworking the layout
Opening a closed kitchen to the dining or family room where the structure allows.
Adding storage
Deep drawers, a tall pantry and cabinets planned around what you actually store.
Heritage Precincts in Sunshine: Inside Versus Outside
Brimbank Council publishes heritage design guidelines for several Sunshine precincts, including the McKay Housing Estate, the Railway Station Estate, the Commonwealth Munitions Housing Estate, the Concrete Housing Estate and the Grand Junction Estate and Matthew's Hill precinct.
Work inside the kitchen
Under Victoria's Heritage Overlay, internal alterations need a planning permit only where the council's schedule applies internal controls to that property. New cabinets, benchtops and appliances are internal work.
Why it matters: Most kitchen refits in a heritage-overlay house can be planned without a planning permit for the internal work itself.
Changes you can see from outside
A planning permit is needed to externally alter a building in a Heritage Overlay. For a kitchen, that can include a rangehood duct through an outside wall, a new or larger window, or other external work.
What to check: Search your address on VicPlan or ask Brimbank Council whether an overlay applies, and read the council's design guidelines before you settle on any external change.
Sources: Brimbank City Council, HO151 Statement of Significance, Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay.
Older Materials and Solid Walls
Asbestos in older homes
Asbestos Victoria advises that a home built before 1990 is likely to contain asbestos. That covers most pre-war and post-war Sunshine houses.
Why it matters: Removing an old kitchen disturbs wall linings, splashbacks, eaves and floor coverings.
What to check: Have suspect materials identified before demolition is booked.
Concrete and masonry walls
The Victorian Heritage Database records a small estate of concrete-walled houses on Leith Avenue and Hampshire Road, built in about 1924.
Why it matters: In a solid-walled home, new power points and plumbing runs need more planning than in a timber-framed house.
What to check: Settle where the sink, cooktop and appliances will go early, so service runs can be planned around the walls.
Sources: Asbestos Victoria, Victorian Heritage Database.
Our Kitchen Renovation Approach
Talk it through
Call us or send a quote request with a few details about the kitchen.
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 floors are being replaced as well, timber flooring or tiling can be part of the same project. We also renovate bathrooms and laundries. See all renovation work in Sunshine.
See how we approach kitchen renovations across Melbourne.
Frequently Asked Questions
My house is in a heritage overlay. Do I need a permit for a new kitchen?
Usually not for internal work alone. Under the Heritage Overlay, internal changes need a planning permit only where the council's schedule applies internal controls to your property. External changes, such as a new window or a duct through an outside wall, usually do. Check with Brimbank Council for your address.
How do I find out if my property is in a heritage overlay?
Search your address on VicPlan or contact Brimbank Council. The council's heritage page also links to design guidelines for each Sunshine precinct.
My house was built before the war. Is asbestos likely?
Asbestos Victoria says homes built before 1990 are likely to contain asbestos. Have suspect materials identified before any demolition.
Can I open my kitchen to the living area?
Often, yes, but removing a wall can affect the structure and may need a building permit. We look at this at the measure and brief stage.
How do I start?
Call (03) 7065 0017 or use the quote form. Tell us roughly when the house was built and what you want to change.
Discuss your Sunshine 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.