The Industry’s Great Deception vs. The GJ Gardner Warragul Reality

Stop being a victim of the building industry’s favorite lie: The “Starting Price.” In 2026, the Australian building industry has turned marketing into a weapon. They lure you in with “low base prices” that aren’t just unrealistic—they are deliberate traps. They bait you with a number they know they can’t build for, preying on your hopes while hiding the true cost in a mountain of exclusions and “provisional sums” that blow your budget apart before the slab is even poured. The Industry “Trap”: A House You Can’t Live In Most builders use deceptive, non-transparent campaigns to hide the fact that their “low” prices exclude the very things that make a house a home. They leave out the flooring, the driveway, the site costs, and the energy compliance fees. They quote you for a shell, not a home, then hold your deposit hostage while they “upsell” you on the essentials. In a market where build times have blown out by 40% and bank valuations are tighter than ever, falling for a “base price” isn’t just a mistake—it’s financial suicide.