Building a new home in Brisbane and South East Queensland is exciting — but ask anyone who’s been through it, and they’ll tell you the same thing: the builder’s contract is never actually the final cost.
It’s not that builders are hiding fees. It’s that new build contracts are usually built around the house, not everything it takes to turn a block of land into a home you can actually live in. Here are ten common costs that catch first-time (and second-time) owners out most often.
Driveway & Paths
Standard contracts rarely include a finished driveway or paths. Many new owners are surprised to move into a beautifully finished house surrounded by mud. Get quotes early.
01
Fencing & Gates
Often omitted from build contracts are rear and side fencing, and gates. Budget for this as its own project, separate from the build itself – and remember in some instances you can share the cost of the side fence.
02
Retaining Walls
With a slopping block most builders only include works immediately around the house building pad. This can leave you with an unusable garden which needs retaining – sometimes costing thousands of dollars.
03
Landscaping, Turf & Gardens
Depending your site, a sloping blocks, rock, poor drainage, or access issues can all push landscaping cost well over budget.
04
Letterbox & Clothesline
These feel minor individually, but they add up. Letterbox, clothesline, and house numbers are all things that often sit outside the base contract.
05
Window Furnishings
Blinds, curtains, and tinting are almost never included. For a standard four-bedroom home, this can easily run to several thousand dollars — more if you want block-out blinds in bedrooms or motorised options.
06
Flyscreens/Security Screens
Similarly excluded by default in most contracts. If you want screens on doors and windows, highly recommended for the Queensland climate, add them to your budget early.
07
Council Fees
Along with general holding costs most councils start charging rates once you purchase the land before construction begins. Plus, there will be additional charges once you order the bins and take “occupancy”.
08
Holding Costs
From the day you settle on the land you will start paying your mortgage on your land, plus on each builder stage payment. If you’re also paying rent or a mortgage on your current home, these “holding costs” during the build period are a real and ongoing expense.
09
Variations
Almost every build has at least one variation. A change to the plan, an unexpected site condition, or a decision you make partway through. Building a contingency into your budget is one of the most valuable things you can do.
10
The Bottom Line
None of these costs are unusual — they’re standard parts of building a home. The problem is that they’re rarely all in one place when you’re comparing quotes, which is why so many builds run over budget in the same predictable ways.
If you want a simple way to check you haven’t missed anything before you sign a contract, we’ve put together a free New Build Checklist — the same framework our team uses when managing builds for clients across Brisbane and South East Queensland.
Axar Group provides building advisory and project management services across Brisbane and South East Queensland. Get in touch if you’d like an independent second set of eyes on your build.
