🌳 Before summer
Deck care before summer
Washing, testing, sealing and fixing a timber deck before the first hot spell, plus the point where a board repair becomes a licensed job.
Read the guideHome › Downloadable DIY Guides
Guides for Australian Homes: Real Costs, Licensing and Buying Advice
What a renovation actually costs, which trades must be licensed, and what is worth buying. Start with the cost guides below, they are the ones people read before they spend money.
Updated 21 October 2026 | Good Trades AU
What it really costs
🎄 Before Christmas
Renovating before Christmas
Which bathroom, kitchen and deck jobs can genuinely finish by mid-December, what each one costs, and the NSW paperwork that cannot be rushed.
Read the guide☀️ Before summer
Six jobs worth doing before summer
Deck oiling, exterior trim, shower sealing, gutters, air con and safety switches, with the real cost of each and which ones the law says you cannot do yourself.
Read the guide🛁 Bathroom
Bathroom renovation cost in Australia
Real 2026 ranges from a 6,000 dollar refresh to a 75,000 dollar premium rebuild, a line by line breakdown, and the five things that blow the budget.
Read the cost guide🍳 Kitchen
Kitchen renovation cost in Australia
What a refresh, a full kitchen and a premium build cost per linear metre, and which line items decide the total.
Read the cost guide🪵 Decking
Deck cost per square metre
Pine, hardwood and composite prices per square metre, what height and access do to the quote, and the approval question to settle first.
Read the cost guide🏠 Extension
Home extension cost in Australia
Price per square metre for a rear addition, a second storey and a full upper floor, plus the approval and consultant costs most quotes leave out.
Read the cost guide🎨 Painting
House painting cost in Australia
Per room, full interior, exterior, render and deck rates, plus the preparation work that makes up a third of the bill and how to compare painter quotes.
Read the cost guide📋 Licensing
20 trades that need a licence in NSW
Which work legally requires a licence, what triggers it, and how to check a tradie in about two minutes.
Read the licensing guidePaid courses and plans we recommend
These are separate digital products sold by their own publishers. We earn a commission if you buy, and we only list ones we would point a friend to. They are not needed for any of the free guides above.
🛠️ Woodworking
TedsWoodworking: 16,000 Woodworking Plans
Over 16,000 step-by-step woodworking plans, from beginner projects to furniture, with cutting lists and illustrated instructions. One-time purchase, instant access, lifetime updates.
View guide
🏡 Workshop
Ultimate Small Shop: Workshop Setup Plans
A practical guide to setting up a proper home workshop in a garage or small shed, including layout, workbench and storage plans.
View guide
🌱 Grow Your Own
Self Sufficient Backyard: Grow Your Own Food
Step-by-step system for growing real amounts of food in your own backyard, and cutting the weekly grocery bill.
View guide
🔆 Home Energy
DIY Home Energy: Home Solar & Power Guide
A plain-English guide to cutting power bills at home with DIY solar and small-scale power setups suited to Australian homes.
View guide
🏠 Tiny Living
Tiny House Made Easy: Build Smaller, Live Bigger
Everything you need to plan and build a small home or granny flat style build, from budgeting to construction.
View guide
🥫 Off-Grid
Survival Sanctuary: Off-Grid Self-Reliance Plans
Practical off-grid and self-reliance projects: water, food, shelter and backup power for people who like to be prepared.
View guideWhy digital guides
- Instant access. No freight, no wait, nothing to install.
- Cheaper than buying or building blind, and you keep the plans forever.
- Written for real homes, not showrooms. Most suit a garage, shed or backyard setup.
- Sold and delivered by the publisher through ClickBank, with their own refund policy shown on the offer page.
How we pick
- We only list established guides with a long track record in their niche.
- We tell you what each one actually covers, and what it does not.
- If a guide stops delivering, it comes off this page.
Disclosure: Good Trades AU is reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links, including ClickBank affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes the price you pay. We are not the publisher or the seller: delivery, support and refunds are handled by the publisher. We only recommend guides we genuinely believe are worth your money.
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