What a waste!!! I thought that everyone knew that the Australian way was to undertake renovations. You start of with a price $X that you are quoted and before you know it it becomes $X x 2 because all the materials have suddenly doubled in price and the tradie's wife has another on the way add a few rainy days and bingo you are getting rid of money as fast as the money hole but with more panache
Add to that that the time it takes to do renovations (much like bike restorations) is never going to be what's quoted-always add three months.