2,303 reviews
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- Post-Construction
AI reviews summary
Pros
Verdict
Clients consistently highlight a smooth, transparent, and well-managed building journey, frequently praising the responsiveness of staff and the high standard of final workmanship. While a small number of reviews point to isolated communication challenges or finish defects, the overarching sentiment reflects strong satisfaction with custom design capabilities and reliable project delivery.
Building our home with G.J. Gardner Homes Warragul was a great experience from start to finish. As first-time building, we had plenty of questions along the way, but the team was always approachable, helpful, and kept us informed throughout the entire process. From the design and selections stage through to construction and handover, everything… Read more · 1
was handled professionally and with genuine care. Communication was excellent, and any issues or questions were addressed promptly, which gave us confidence during the build.
We are extremely happy with the quality of our new home and appreciate the hard work of everyone involved in bringing our vision to life. Moving into our new home has been an exciting milestone, and we're grateful to the G.J. Gardner Warragul team for making the journey such a positive one.
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend G.J. Gardner Homes Warragul to anyone looking to build their dream home.
I couldn’t be happier with our experience building our new home with Kristian and Britt. From the very beginning, they were professional, approachable and genuinely invested in making my building journey as smooth and enjoyable as possible. There were plenty of decisions and moving parts throughout the process, but Kristian and Britt were always… Read more · 1
there to answer my questions, keep me informed and guide me through each stage. Their communication, attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile really stood out to myself.
We decided to buy a house in Skennars Head as it was near our grandchildren. Having found a nice lot we looked around for a builder. We likes GJ Gardeners models and in particular single story three bedroom one. We were able to modify it to our requirements and very quickly were able to engage GJ Gardener to build it. We found the initial meetings… Read more · 1
with GJ Gardener easy to understand and flexible to our specific requirements. So we went back to the UK. The builder started and we had weekly reports on progress including photos. We came back to Skennars Head 8 weeks before the expected closing date. We had good access to the work progressing. The closing procedure was efficient, We are delighted with the finished product. The house was spotless on closure and we had a valuable handover time. We are totally satisfied with the new house and have found dealing with GJ Gardener to be efficient and easy.
Reviews with attachments
Our experience with GJ Gardner Homes, Toowoomba region has been fantastic! From the initial consultation through to the completion of our home, the team were amazing, very professional, friendly and easy to work with, nothing was too much for them. Communication was excellent throughout the build with weekly emails advising what was happening… Read more · 1
for the week ahead. The quality of the workmanship is excellent. Kev, Aaron and Jules have certainly taken pride in delivering us a home we are very proud of. We are extremely happy with our new home and can’t recommend G.J. Gardner Homes enough to anyone that is looking to build. Thank you to the whole team for delivering us a home we absolutely love.
GJ Gardner Shepparton delivered our home ahead of schedule while providing excellent value for money and outstanding quality. The design stage was seamless, and the entire process was managed professionally from start to finish. Throughout the construction phase, the Construction Manager consulted with us at every stage of the build, ensuring we… Read more · 1
were well informed and actively involved in decisions regarding any variations or amendments to the plans. We were extremely pleased with both the quality of the finished home and the level of communication throughout the project.
This is my second gj gardner home. Second experience better than first. Planning, construction, handover went smoothly. The Toowoomba team, Kev, Tracey and Jules were friendly, professional and knowledgeable in their tasks. My new home is high standard built, my modifications, wishes and requests heard and done. Luck and good decision in choosing gjgardner well founded. Cheers and best wishes to all. Show details · 1
From start to finish the whole team guided us through our new home build, all our questions were explained clearly and were no trouble to the friendly team from front desk to the tradies.A running invoice kept track of the costs and was exactly as quoted, We have been in our new home for 3 months now, had a couple of teething problems we let them… Read more · 1
know, all sorted straight away, We couldn't be happier with the professional services provided by the G.J Gardners Grafton Team, thanks everyone.
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Very helpful from the first contact. As my build was not the usual surburban block but a country one. The build had many different requirements eg Bushfire area. Dual occupancy requirements. So far the tradies used have been very good. Quality so far very good. Site supervisor and office management have kept me informed during each stage. Show details · 1
We couldn’t be happier with our experience with this building company. They are efficient, tidy and professional throughout the process so far. All of the trades are respectful, friendly and took great care in their work. We are always kept updated and, importantly, they stayed on track with the timeline. It has made the whole building process… Read more · 1
feel smooth and stress-free. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable and professional building company.
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We live in Sydney and were looking for a builder in the ACT area for our new home. After speaking with several builders, I had an initial conversation with Skyy from GJ Gardner, and from day one, her level of enthusiasm, interest, and engagement really stood out from everyone else we spoke to. We were particularly impressed by the amount of… Read more
effort Skyy and the design team, especially Trina, invested in helping us assess our options before we had even made a commitment. Skyy worked hard to understand what we were trying to achieve and was always transparent throughout the process. She never overpromised and was honest about what could and couldn't be done, which gave us a great deal of confidence.
By the time we signed the contract, we had already built a strong level of trust. Thankfully, that positive experience only continued throughout the build. Danielle was instrumental in getting plan approvals.
Karen is simply amazing. She seems to have the memory of an AI model, remembering every detail from phone conversations and emails. She guided us through our selections, carefully documented everything, and provided thoughtful advice whenever we were considering upgrades or changes. We had more than 20 variations, upgrades, and add-ons throughout the build, and every one of them was managed with incredible attention to detail. We also really appreciated that the pricing of upgrades and add-ons was reasonable, and that the team was always willing to accommodate our requests with a positive attitude. Please note that the standard selections provided by GJG were still very good and sufficient.
Alison from the office is an absolute gem. Her weekly updates became something we genuinely looked forward to, and she was always helpful in coordinating our selection appointments and keeping us informed along the way.
Jacqui from accounts was equally fantastic. We never encountered a single issue with invoicing, and everything was always accurate, clearly communicated, and professionally managed.
As for site supervision, we couldn't have asked for anyone better than Jyle. Since we live in Sydney, we were only able to visit the site four or five times during the build. Jyle was always accommodating and willing to work around our schedule. On one occasion, we had arranged a site visit without realizing it was an ACT public holiday, and he still met us onsite at 8:00 am to walk us through the progress of the house. There were also several other occasions where he went above and beyond to help organise things on our behalf, saving us unnecessary trips from Sydney. His support and willingness to help made a huge difference throughout the build process.
Overall, the entire team at GJ Gardner Mitchell led by Rob exceeded our expectations. Their professionalism, transparency, attention to detail, and genuine commitment made what could have been a stressful process an enjoyable and rewarding experience. We are incredibly grateful for all their hard work, extremely happy with the outcome and would happily recommend them to anyone considering building a home.
As a first home buyer GJ Albury specially Shoana help as alot. From design that we like he even show as some ideas and help us when we have some questions. They are very helpful and flexible. Show details · 1
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Dream Family Home We came to GJ Gardner with a vision, an empty block, and a picture of what we wanted our next family home to look like. Over many months of planning, changing house plans, deciding on the size of spaces, layouts, facades, and designs, we finally had a set of house plans that suited us perfectly. GJ’s team then helped turn that… Read more · 1
vision into a reality, exceeding our expectations when it came to building supervision, keeping everything on track, keeping us informed every step of the way, and ensuring we were involved in all decision-making throughout the build. Our site supervisor, Andrew Hansberry, deserves a special mention, as he played such an important role in bringing our home to life.It has now been just over six months since our handover, which we were lucky enough to receive just in time to move into our new home before Christmas.
Our house is finally complete, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. We are absolutely in love with our new home—it has exceeded our expectations in every way. Not only do we love how it looks, but the comfort, style, and functionality make it the perfect home for our family. Every day we’re reminded how grateful we are to have turned our vision into reality.
Looking back at where we started with just an empty block, it’s amazing to see what has been created. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome and genuinely love coming home every day.
Our advice to anyone looking to build a new home would be to spend time developing a clear vision before you begin. Having a good idea of your preferred layout, design, colours, style, and interior finishes from the start makes the decision-making process much easier and helps create a home that truly reflects your personal taste. If there are specific products or finishes you’ve always wanted, sourcing some of these yourself can also be a great option to ensure you achieve exactly the look you’re after, while still making the most of the great range of selections available through GJ Gardner.
We’d also recommend taking your time during the final handover and in the months that follow to thoroughly inspect your home. Building is a detailed process, and it’s worth checking that every item has been completed and finished to the standard you expect. Keeping a list of any small items that need attention makes it easy for your builder to address them and ensures you’re completely happy with the finished result.
Thank you again to the GJ Gardner team for creating a beautiful family home for us to live in, enjoy, entertain in, and create so many wonderful memories in! Hamish and Elizabeth Eske
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From display home consultant, to builder, site supervisor and office staff - all were professional, knowledgeable and respectful of our needs, budget and past property flooding issues. We were communicated with, listened to, and involved in the whole process. The design team incorporated our desires, and came up with a unique, spectacular and… Read more · 1
achievable design that will never get old. We were openly and expertly guided by their interior design coordinator to showcase our home with the scheme we wanted but one that blended well with our surroundings.
The site supervisor was visibly ensuring work flowed as smoothly as possible, and provided weekly updates including photos of the progress - right up to hand over day.
We are very happy and satisfied with the build quality and workmanship of our home - even converting from gas stove to induction has been a cooking and cleaning game changer!
As with all house builds there were variations and cost additions, but the total project came in within budget, and we were informed of the changes and variations every step of the way.
The GJ Gardner Northern Gold Coast team understood our wishes and our needs, as well as our constraints and time frame. What they have delivered is a place we are proud to call home - and ahead of schedule. The icing on the cake? They made sure the house was ready for us to move into so my partner could wake up in our beautiful home on her birthday - with a birthday hamper!!
It is now 6 weeks on and we are truly thrilled with our well constructed and well finished build. Thanks to the GJ Gardner Northern Gold Coast team we finally have a safe, secure and stunning place we can proudly call home!!
Find out how G.J. Gardner Homes compares to other Project Home Builders
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Follow up on previous review! We have moved in and cannot be happier! G.J.Gardner Homes have been excellant from beginning to end! First class communication all the way. Knocked down our old house of 18 years in Dec 25. Started construction after holidays in the third week of January and we got the keys on the 29th of June 2026! A duplex each side… Read more · 1
with 3 bed 2 bathrooms. We have a running gag trying to find fault but nothing to mention so far! In the photo ours is on the left with light colour roof!
Our experience with GJG Inner East has been outstanding from the very beginning, and we would like to sincerely thank Luke Tuckerman, Andrew Timms, and Andrew McAuliffe for making our building journey such a positive one. Luke was extremely professional, patient, and took the time to answer every single question we had. He was a major reason we… Read more · 1
chose GJG Inner East. His genuine and authentic approach stood out—he never overpromised or undersold anything. Instead, he was transparent throughout the entire process, showed us a variety of completed builds, and gave us the confidence to make an informed decision. His honesty and authenticity built our trust in both him and the GJG Inner East team.
Andrew, our Building Supervisor, has been equally exceptional. He made what can often be a stressful building process feel effortless. His consistent and clear communication, attention to detail, timely guidance and advice, and regular progress updates gave us complete confidence that our home was in the best possible hands. We always felt informed and reassured, knowing Andrew was managing every aspect of the build with professionalism and care. He truly removed the stress from the process, allowing us to enjoy the journey.
A special mention also goes to Andrew Timms, whose leadership and commitment to excellence were evident throughout the project. Under Andrew Timms' leadership, our home was completed in almost half of the original scheduled timeframe without compromising on quality. The workmanship has been commendable, and every commitment made to us was delivered—often ahead of schedule. His focus on efficiency, accountability, and delivering on promises made the entire experience even more impressive.
Thank you, Luke, Andrew Timms, and Andrew, for your professionalism, dedication, and commitment to delivering an exceptional customer experience. We couldn't be happier with our new home and would highly recommend GJG Inner East to anyone looking for a stress-free building experience, completed on time with outstanding quality.
From the start of the process when first engaging the team in Ararat for design quotes, the communication has been outstanding. The contract signing was done jointly with the appropriate team members to walk through all the details thoroughly, ensuring any questions or changes we may of had at that moment were taken care of. Again, the… Read more
communication and time spent walking through a building contract was sensational, as it totally eliminated any concern for unexpected surprises.
Working through house designs and colour selection with a qualified interior designer, really gives the confidence you are needing to bring your own individual dream home together.
The project managing of the build team is fantastic! We are currently mid-construction and we receive scheduled weekly updates at a minimum. We know the Ararat team are only ever a phone call away and more than willing to answer any questions we may have. The build milestones and project management dates have all been communicated clearly with us, along with any delays. This communication is key when you are entrusting something so personal as your dream home build.
The workmanship of the Ararat team is second to none, and the use of other local trades where needed is wonderful for supporting your community and local small businesses.
Our experience so far has been incredible and we would highly recommend the GJ Gardner Ararat team. We are very much looking forward to receiving the keys to our dream home.
Our experience with G.J. Gardner Homes Batemans Bay has been exceptional. From the outset, Emily guided us through the sales and design process with professionalism, energy and genuine care. Building our dream home on a unique acreage property required careful thought, flexibility and practical advice, and Emily made the process feel seamless and… Read more
enjoyable.
We are very pleased with where we landed in terms of the design solution. The team took the time to understand how we live, work and entertain, and helped translate that into a home that feels both functional and special.
The colour selection process was also expertly facilitated by Brieanna, who helped turn our conceptual ideas into a clear and cohesive vision. Her guidance made the selections process much easier and gave us confidence in the final outcome.
One of the real strengths of working with a country builder has been the personalised service. We have appreciated the opportunity to meet directly with Luke, the Managing Director, and the broader team. That level of accessibility and collaboration has made a significant difference.
Our home is now at pre-lining stage, and the construction team has been a pleasure to work with. The process to date has been collaborative, professional and genuinely exciting. We are grateful for the care and attention shown by the G.J. Gardner Batemans Bay team and look forward to seeing the home completed.
We recently built our family home with GJ Gardner Homes and couldn’t be happier with the experience. One of the things that stood out to us from the beginning was the standard range. The inclusions are already very luxurious, with a huge amount of choice available, and at no point did we feel pressured into upgrades. The team simply listened to… Read more
what we wanted and worked with us to achieve our vision.
Jono and Aaron were exceptional throughout the entire process. Their communication was always prompt and transparent, and they went above and beyond what would normally be expected in their roles. They genuinely cared about our experience and supported us every step of the way, making what can often be a stressful process feel much easier.
Ami and Michelle were also fantastic to deal with, and every member of the GJ Gardner team was professional, friendly, and willing to help whenever needed.
The only challenge we encountered was finding the right fit for a building supervisor during construction. However, even through this process, Jono continued to support us, advocate for us, and ensure our concerns were addressed, which gave us confidence and peace of mind.
Building a home is a significant journey, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support, guidance, and dedication shown by the entire team. We are now happily settled into our beautiful family home and couldn’t be more thankful.
We would highly recommend GJ Gardner Homes to anyone looking to build, particularly if they value great communication, quality inclusions, and a team that genuinely cares about their clients.
Latest follow-ups
Extremely happy with the quality of the build. It was absolutely everything I had dreamed it to be. The home was built in the time frame that was given without hidden or additional costs and the professionalism of the team was second to none. Cannot recommend GJ Gardner Lilydale enough. Show details · 1
Follow-up · In answer to your questions. Post build support was good, all issues resolved Handover very smooth and nicely done Site was cleaned up well after build. Hope that helps.
All the staff at G.J. Gardner Swan Hill were very courteous and helpful throughout the process of building my forever home. I was kept up to date on a weekly basis and they were very helpful with any changes I wanted during the build. I would certainly recommend them to everyone. Show details · 1
Follow-up · Since moving in I’ve found the quality to be top notch. The only issue I’ve had is the roller door was effected by having internet modem in garage. Since moving modem inside there has been no problems. Darren from GJ Gardner explained clearly what I needed to maintain at handover.
Review 4 – There was a significant slowing of activity on site for six weeks: three weeks delay was caused by bad weather and three weeks by trades unavailability. Unfortunately GJ Gardner continued to invoice me aggressively when I refused to pay as the build… Read more · 1
wasn’t at the stage for next payment. The site supervisor was terrific and helpful, and it seems that the build is now back on track.
Follow-up · This review is very late but G J Gardner Liverpool have delayed some repairs and not done some repairs. The brand new house has a major mould problem in a bedroom due to water ingress, another wall has been damaged by eighteen months of water ingress and toilet seats are falling off, doors are crooked and windows won’t open. I fondly refer to my new home as the house of horrors.
In-depth reviews
We are first time builders & GJ Liverpool has been AMAZING in guiding us through the process. The team are always willing to help answer our questions, explain anything we aren't sure of & we genuinely trust their opinion because they aren't pushy or trying to serve themselves by upselling things on our build. I've been surprised at how quickly… Read more · 1
things have come together. We are about to start construction & from seeing their display house in Austral to this point, its been less than 6 months. We'd been told by many friends & family it will be 8-12months just to get slab down. We've about to start in the next few weeks. Faster than I'd expected & I would attribute it to GJ & the team for their great customer service & active communication from the early days of getting the tender & right through to this point. They are QUICK - in the best way!
Mitch, Cindy & the team over at GJ Gardner Liverpool have been an absolute pleasure to work with for this whole process.
Cindy has been on top of her game for the whole pre construction process. Anything we need, she will jump on it to make things happen. No delays from her or having to chase for details/ documents. She got on top of all our appointments super early so things could run smoothly for our variation choices/ quotes. Cindy is great as her job. I wish we could have Cindy continue with us for the entire build process. its been lovely working with her.
Mitch is such a lovely person to deal with. Knowing we are first time builders, he doesn't use jargon terms & explains things very well for us to get a grasp on how our home will be built or any issues we may come across - he's upfront about it all & honest. We really appreciated that from Mitch. He helped calm down any stresses I've had so far. From early on - pre signing any contracts, Mitch & Cindy were there to support us. Mitch talked us through the build, construction details for the house we wanted, he gave us the space to explain what we wanted & our plan for our forever home. He also saw the vision my fiancé had on a post-it note for one side of our home, the design we were trying to achieve & was able to make it happen for us (he worked on it overnight to get us plans the next morning with the drawings!). From a post-it note to house plans & now it will make up part of our future home. We see his effort & we are so happy to have had him supporting us.
Find out how G.J. Gardner Homes compares to other Project Home Builders
Know better, choose better.
We had a very poor experience with the GJ Gardner Camden franchise. In 2023 we were referred to the Camden franchise. When we met with [Name Removed], he was initially personable and gave us confidence that if we could dream it, he could build it—so we chose to proceed with the GJ Gardner brand. Before signing, we checked his background and… Read more
contacted GJ Gardner HQ, and everything looked fine at the time.
We signed the contract in August 2024, after the plans were finalised. A lengthy process in itself and quite frustrating. By January 2025, things started to go wrong—especially with the roof installation.
The subcontractors provided by Stoddarts repeatedly installed the roof incorrectly. Colourbond was handled incorrectly, fittings weren’t done properly (including gutter-related details), and basic installation requirements weren’t followed. Insulation was also left exposed for long periods. Two independent roofing reports later confirmed our worst fears: missing washers, Colourbond short-sheeted, and leaks. We had two reports because they attempted the roof three times and the problems were still there after each attempt.
We contacted GJ Gardner HQ in June 2025 about the ongoing issues and serious concerns regarding projected time frames. From then, work stalled—after the builder had an argument with the kitchen installers and became 'angry' with us for contacting HQ, promptly destroying personal property (a $500 camera installed to monitor temporary fencing around our pool build). We were left with only two payments left while also paying rent, storage, and covering about 90% of our home loan. Monitoring and quality assurances didn’t match what actually happened, and the build effectively stopped progressing.
We’ve been in the home since 3 December 2025, three months outside of contract and seven months over his worst case projected build time. We’re still waiting for the defects identified in Independent Building Reports (May and November 2025) and the Defect liability period to be properly rectified.
Recommendation: Proceed only if the builder/franchise is genuinely transparent, responsive, and able to complete quality work and timely defect rectification when issues arise.
From the moment we walked into GJ Gardner Adelaide Hills, we were impressed by the professionalism, honest advice and dedication to ensuring all of our questions were answered no matter how small… and there have been many. Building house is an adventure that keeps delivering aspects we didn’t even know existed. No problem, question or concern was… Read more · 1
left unanswered by Rachael and the team in the Adelaide Hills office. When you are investing a substantial amount of money, you want it to be with someone you trust, someone with a proven pragmatic approach to getting it right!
The time spent adjusting plans to suit our needs; engaging with developers, council and trades to ensure our out of the box requirements were effectively addressed in designing a bespoke home design has given us extreme confidence in the process. This included frank and fearless advice when we needed to rethink our desires.
Rachael, we can’t thank you and the team enough for making this experience a welcome journey to date… We look forward to seeing our plans come to life!
Positive reviews
We were very happy with the process of building with GJ Gardner. Excellent communication the entire way through and our foreman, Wes was absolutely brilliant- accommodating, clear communicator, and went above and beyond to help us. Great quality in the build. They have excellent follow up procedures and checks which also gives us great confidence going forward. Definitely will recommend GJ Gardner Albury to anyone looking to build. Show details · 1
We’ve had a great experience building our new home with G.J. Gardner Homes, and the team has been fantastic throughout the process. Specifically, Kirstie has been incredibly helpful with the forecasting and coordination of our build, always keeping us informed and making sure we understand what’s happening at each stage. She consistently goes… Read more · 1
above and beyond to answer our questions, no matter how big or small, and is always approachable, responsive and happy to help.
We really appreciate all the time, effort and support she has given us so far.
I'm still in the pre-construction phase, but my experience with G.J. Gardner Homes has been great so far. The team has been easy to work with, quick to answer questions and helpful as we've gone back and forth the design of my home. I was worried about the proccess feeling overwhelming at times, but they've made it straightforward and enjoyable. Looking forward to seeing the final build! Show details · 1
Negative reviews
This is an update of the response or lack of response that I received from GJ Gardner regarding the issues with the house. I emailed both the GJ Gardner head office and the Coffs Harbour office regarding promised repairs to the incorrect tiling in the main bathroom and the damaged window reveal. Both of them failed to provide any response which… Read more
maybe goes to the character of the people and GJ Gardner, both unwilling to admit their failings and mistakes and to rectify them. The fact that the main office customer service did not bother to respond to my email appears to indicate that they care little about their reputation as well. These issues will have to be done later at the owner's expense. Following the handover and upon closer inspection it was found that the majority of the door handles were either loose or incorrectly fitted. These were repaired by the owner. It was also found that all the external power points were damaged and no longer weatherproof more than likely due to the covers being screwed on with a battery drill and stripping the screw threads. These had to be replaced by the owner due to safety concerns. If you want to have a well-built house that is finished off professionally, I would use another builder, not GJ Gardner. They appear to care little about the quality of the job or their reputation.
Extremely Disappointing and Untrustworthy Builder Our experience with G.J. Gardner Homes Parramatta has been one of the most frustrating and disappointing experiences we’ve ever had. It clearly shows how poorly managed, disorganized, and arrogant this franchise truly is. 1. Poor Management and Arrogant Attitude They suddenly fired all their… Read more
sales staff, which caused total chaos in our case handover. I had been dealing with them since April or May, but due to poor coordination and lack of communication, the whole process dragged on for months. The management — especially the director — was arrogant, dismissive, and unprofessional, showing no sense of accountability or customer care.
2. Wrong Design, Wasted Time, and Unbelievable Lack of Professionalism
All surveys, engineering reports, and designs were based on a wrong layout that did not comply with CDC (Complying Development Certificate) requirements. Even more shocking — it was me, a non-professional client, who discovered the issue first. I pointed it out to them, and it took G.J. Gardner over two weeks to finally admit that I was right. For a professional builder to rely on a client to identify such a fundamental compliance problem is simply absurd — honestly laughable and unacceptable.
This major mistake wasted over five months of my time, forcing me to delay my planned demolition in December. If I had paid a larger deposit and continued the process, it would have been a complete disaster, as I’m sure they would have just blamed me again, just like they did this time.
3. Price Increase During Design Stage — Totally Unreasonable
Even during the design stage, they increased the price by more than 10%, before any construction even began. That makes absolutely no sense and shows how unpredictable and unreliable they are. They broke previous agreements, changed their story, and blamed everything on the sales consultant they had fired — and then went even further, blaming me as the customer for their own design and compliance mistakes. It’s a perfect example of a company that refuses to take any responsibility for its own failures.
4. Price Hike After Deposit and Blame-Shifting
Before paying the $5,000 deposit, the quoted price was about $800k. After the deposit, it jumped to $920k, and that still didn’t include variations or external costs. When questioned, they claimed “management never approved” those numbers, then blamed the departed salesperson. Later, they told me the CDC compliance issue was my own decision and my own problem, even though their own design failed CDC requirements.
When I mentioned that I might contact NSW Fair Trading, they didn’t say they didn’t care — but their tone and attitude made it clear they had no real intention to resolve the issue. It felt dismissive and indifferent, as if the customer’s concern simply didn’t matter.
They even added that my $5,000 deposit didn’t even cover their costs, implying that I should be grateful they weren’t asking for more — an incredibly arrogant thing to say to a paying client.
5. Misleading Image — Not a Luxury Builder
Despite how they advertise themselves, G.J. Gardner is not a luxury builder. They are a franchise-based project home company with basic inclusions and inflated prices. Each franchise pays around 4–7% of its revenue to head office and keeps 25%+ profit margins, meaning customers easily overpay by around 30%.
For a 300m² home quoted at $1,000,000, the realistic construction cost is about $600,000, plus roughly $50,000 in variations — around $650,000 total, or about $2,170/m² to build. After adding the 7% franchise fee ($70,000) and their own profit margin ($300,000), the total markup is roughly $370,000, which is nearly 57% above the actual cost.
That means customers are paying over $3,300/m² for what is essentially a budget-level project home. It’s neither high-end in design nor fair in pricing. You’re essentially spending over a million dollars to build what is, in reality, a budget-level project home — it truly feels like they’re taking customers for granted.
Final Thoughts
From design errors and broken promises to hidden price hikes and constant blame-shifting — G.J. Gardner Homes Parramatta cannot be trusted. They waste your time, change their story, blame their staff and their customers, and refuse to take any real responsibility.
Because of them, I lost over five months and had to delay my entire project. If you value your time, money, and peace of mind, stay far away from this builder. There are many honest and professional builders out there — this one is absolutely not one of them.
This review is based on my own experience as a genuine customer of G.J. Gardner Homes Parramatta. Supporting documents such as my deposit receipt have been provided to ProductReview for verification.
My review is 5 years after the build I have previously submitted a review in regards to the build experience which happened during covid In that period I was stuck at times in WA where I worked and the dealings with GJ Gardener were dealt with by my partner ( who has no building experience ) but that aside I stand by my review on the helpfulness… Read more
of the GJ Gardener employees . My reflection now is 5 years later and I will say you get what you pay for . If you asked me do I think this house will be around in 15 years I'd have to say no , the quality is not there , I am getting cracking in one bathroom , I can see daylight through my front doors , is it sealed for heat retention ? probably not . The Bifold doors and windows are cheap ( I blame myself in part for not being on top of the items included in the build , if your not you will just get the cheapest ) I have already had to dowel and rescrew door hinges . I've had to remove the silicon around the bath tub and redo it . I have 2 different styles of architrave through the house in the main living areas its just cheap . One of the things I sourced myself was the flooring and carpet but when I asked to have the contactors come in and install these items before any architraves were installed I was given a flat no , they said safety issue , really ? The internal paint used is cheap , everything really has been done as cheap as they could do it , get in get out . The outside of the house is Hardi plank weatherboard and the joins are already starting to come apart and will require filling and then obviously re-paint . The internal wall frames have no noggins , this was something that I did manage to see and question and was told it's just the way they do it. All that was installed in the framing was 1 inch dowel placed about 3/4 of the way up the studs this was used to keep spacing . A lot of this might seem trivial to some but on reflection if you can afford it go to a proper licenced builder where you have better control of your build or be onsite 80% of the time the build is happening and stand up for what you expect . Again you get what you pay for and quality is not one of them after 5 years . I am adding to my review after having a GJ Gardner representative make a visit to assess my complaints and be able to respond to my complaints The visit lasted over an hour where all issues were pointed out , it was agreed the architraves were not what was agreed on , the rep was asked what he thought the finish on the paint was he responded with Mat finish... not what was asked for , he also took photos of the poor quality paint , the crack in the ensuite wall , the architraves coming away from the walls , the weather boards joint's where the filler at the joints had fallen out and joints not connected properly , he did say he was going to Hardys and would get back to me on what would fix the issue... Nothing On leaving the rep made a point of saying he was not at my house to look to repair anything he just wanted a chance to respond to my complaints Again quality is not something that shows up 5 years after the build
Recent reviews
We are extremely satisfied with the service provided by GJ Gardner Homes Liverpool. We have currently finished our pre-construction phase and were guided throughout by Cindy, who helped us organise all the appointments and approvals promptly. Cindy was very responsive and always took the time to answer any questions we had. She also provided… Read more · 1
regular updates on what was currently happening, which was very useful and kept us informed throughout the process. We are also very happy with the work of our sales consultant S Jahan, who clearly explained everything to us and helped us customise our home design.
This is our second build with GJ Gardner Penrith, and once again the whole team has been fantastic to work with from start to finish. They are always professional, informative, easy to communicate with, and keep us updated throughout the entire building process. We would happily recommend them to anyone looking to build. Show details · 1
I would like to thank Steve, Tom and the rest of the GJ Gardner team in Pambula for my beautiful new home, I would highly recommend going with this company as they have made the whole process a pleasure, from the beginning of choosing the plan right through to lock up, they are a very friendly approachable team, a very happy customer. Show details · 1
After owning our home for over 20 years, deciding to take on a knock-down rebuild was a big step for us. We were pleasantly surprised by how smooth and stress-free the whole process was. Everyone was professional, patient and genuinely helpful from beginning to end making what could have been an overwhelming experience feel easy and enjoyable.… Read more · 1
We're thrilled with our beautiful new home and would happily build with G.J. Gardner Homes Sydney West again.
Building with GJ Gardens in Orange was an absolute dream. The processes was seamless. Communication was excellent. Build was completed well under contract time with no issues whatsoever. Post build care and follow up has been outstanding too. Feels like GJ really prioritise ensuring you have no complications with the home and that they really… Read more · 1
value you as not only a customer but a home owner. Thank you to all the team at GJ for building our family home. Special thanks to Josh for going above and beyond.
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After requesting mediation and a meeting with head office, Nadia from GJ emailed with talk directly… Read more