You think you’ve budgeted for everything, so you lock in your loan. Then reality sets in.
Sometimes, it happens before construction even starts. Your builder gets on-site and suddenly there’s an issue. Maybe your block needs extra excavation. Maybe the site is sloped and needs retaining walls. Either way, your budget is under pressure before the first brick is even laid.
Other times, it happens at the very end of the build — when the house is up, but you realise you don’t have enough left for a driveway, fencing, or landscaping. Sure, you have a place to live, but it still feels like a construction zone.
Either way, you’re left scrambling to cover costs you didn’t plan for.
This happens to about 90% of homeowners. But it doesn’t have to.
4 Key Steps to Keep Your Home Build on Budget
Step #1: Know what’s included (and what’s not). Most people assume builders do everything, delivering finished homes like you see on their websites. Truth is, lots of builders — especially the big, volume builders — don’t even do driveways. Homeowners who don’t ask about this stuff upfront often get a nasty shock when their builder hits them with an excavation bill or hands over the keys to a patch of sand with a house in the middle. The more information you gather upfront, the fewer surprises along the way.
Step #2: Get a builder involved before buying land. Some blocks seem like a great deal until you realise they need site work that blows out your budget. Some builders won’t even build on difficult sites, which means you could buy land, get your heart set on a design, and then struggle to find someone who’ll actually build it. If you check with a builder first, you’ll know upfront if the block’s worth it — or if it’s a money pit.
Step #3: Get a bigger loan than you think you need. A lot of people only borrow enough for the house itself and assume they can get extra later. That’s a mistake. Banks don’t want to know about “extras” like concreting or fencing once your loan is finalised. If you go back asking for another 10 or 15 grand, they might knock you back. Borrowing a little more upfront gives you a buffer, ensuring you aren’t scrambling for cash at any point during or after the main build.
Step #4: Consider a turnkey package. A turnkey package is a build contract that covers everything you need to move in from day one — not just the walls and roof, but all the final touches that turn a house into a home. That means driveways, fencing, and landscaping, sure, but also the other “little” details people often overlook, like flyscreens, side paths, and letterboxes. Because the last thing you want after the handover is more bills, more contractors, and more headaches. You just want to start enjoying your home.
The Bottom Line: Most Budget Blowouts Aren’t Random
They happen because homeowners don’t involve their builders early, don’t know what’s missing from their contracts, and don’t leave any cash aside.
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