11/08/2026
The fixed-price trap catching first home buyers ๐ฉ
Buying new vs established.
The contract clause that costs buyers the most money, and almost nobody reads it properly.
โFixed priceโ doesnโt always mean fixed price.
Hereโs what happens: a builder quotes you a low headline price to win the sale. You sign. Then, weeks or months into the build, you start getting invoices for:
๐ธ Site costs โ rock, fill, retaining walls, drainage work. If your soil test or contour survey wasnโt done properly before quoting, these can add $10,000โ$40,000+ that wasnโt in the original number.
๐ธ Variations โ โupgradesโ that were quietly excluded from the base price (driveway, fencing, flyscreens, letterbox โ items you assumed were included).
๐ธ Provisional sums โ allowances for things like electrical or landscaping that are estimates, not fixed costs, and often blow out.๏ฟผ
By the time youโre mid-build, youโre locked in. You canโt easily switch builders without losing your deposit and starting over, so you end up paying whatever they ask.
What to ask before you sign:
โHas a site and soil test been done, or is this price based on an assumption?โ
โWhatโs included in the base price โ driveway, fencing, landscaping, flyscreens?โ
โAre there any provisional sums in this contract, and what are they for?โ
โCan I see this in writing as a true fixed-price, site-cost-inclusive contract?โ
A properly quoted fixed-price contract โ done after a site test-protects you from almost all of this. It costs the builder more time upfront, which is exactly why some skip it.
๐ฉ Comment โSOUTH RIPLEYโ or DM me and Iโll walk you through which builders in the area quote this way properly, and what a real fixed-price contract should include.
Shine Bright Property Group
