I get the appeal of a free quote. Three builders, three numbers, pick the cheapest. Job done. The trouble is, a quote on a custom new home that hasn't been properly priced isn't worth the paper it's printed on. And the quote you accept on that basis is exactly where the budget blow-out begins
Here's what's actually involved in pricing a custom build properly. A quantity surveyor — or a builder doing the job carefully — has to go through every line: every metre of frame, every door, every window, every fitting, every kilo of steel. They have to ring suppliers and trades to confirm current pricing rather than guessing off a square-metre rate. They have to look at your block, the slope, the access, the soil, and put real numbers against the site work. That's days, sometimes weeks, of work. No serious gold coast builder is doing that for free, and if they say they are, you should ask yourself how they're really pricing the job.
The cheaper alternative is what's called a square-metre rate quote with a long list of "provisional sums" and "prime cost" allowances baked in. On paper it looks tidy. In reality, every one of those allowances is a place where the price can climb later, and you're the one wearing it. By the time the home's built, the cheap quote and the proper quote often land at the same number — except the proper one didn't surprise you on the way through.
What I'd suggest instead is paying for a preliminary agreement. It's a modest upfront fee that gets you a real bill of quantities, accurate inclusions, and a price you can actually trust. If you don't proceed, you've at least got a clear-eyed document you can use to compare other home builder offers like-for-like. Apples with apples, not apples with mystery fruit.
If you'd like to know what a properly priced quote looks like before you commit, that conversation starts here.
