She was quoted R180k for a kitchen and did it for R47k
A TikToker quoted R180,000 for a new kitchen managed the job herself and spent R47,580. Here is her cost breakdown and what viewers are saying.
TikTok creator @lifewithpiwe was quoted R180,000 for a new kitchen. She ended up spending R47,580 by managing the job herself, and her before-and-after video with a full cost breakdown has passed 326,000 views since she posted it on 31 October 2026.
In the clip she takes the old kitchen back to bare walls and shows what each part of the rebuild cost. According to the breakdown, as reported by Briefly, these were some of the bigger items:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Demolition and rubble removal | R800 |
| Boards, hinges, screws and building materials | R14,500 |
| Quartz countertops (after a R19,000 quote) | R6,700 |
| Butler sink | R5,700 |
| Kitchen doors cut and prepped | R2,800 |
| Paint for the doors (instead of an R8,000 painting fee) | R2,800 |
| Kitchen tap | R1,500 |
She says kitchens of a similar standard usually start at around R65,000. The video has more than 52,000 likes and 1,700 shares, and she listed her carpenter, plumber, electrician, tiler and countertop supplier in the caption for anyone who wants to use the same team. Prices are what she paid and will differ by area and supplier.
What the comments are saying
@riccardo_riri:
"On my word!!! You definitely can’t buy taste, this is amazing 😭" (3,167 likes)
@lethabolungelo:
"Please come renovate my house" (709 likes)
@hadassah_sndi:
"Oh my word been here since day 1 and so happy for you! Everything loooks amazing. Thank you for taking us along for the journey ❤️❤️❤️" (445 likes)
@dinky35:
"The blue is the showstopper, it pops up really well. Where did you get the hanging lights? Sorry if I missed it." (434 likes)
@mo_azeez:
"Looks so good and worth the wait!" (81 likes)
@ridley_m:
"this looks so beautiful sisi!!!!❤️you ate" (56 likes)
@shaidhogee:
"This is beautiful Piwe as a kitchen designer I am impressed 🥰" (14 likes)
@googlethu_0:
"You are such a star for sharing ❤️. I’m so glad you didn’t accept the quotes, did more research and find a cost effective solution❤️❤️" (8 likes)
Video and image: @lifewithpiwe on TikTok.