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We had a genuinely positive experience building with GJ Gardner, and I'm happy to recommend them. The quality and customer service have been top notch. The standout for us is the quality of the build. We've had zero major issues since moving in — everything feels solid, right down to the small details. Doors close tightly, there are no unexpected… Read more
creaks or leaks, and everything lines up properly. Even the little things, like the towel roll holder, are placed exactly where you'd want them. The few minor issues that did come up were rectified without fuss. Throughout the process they kept us engaged with weekly check-ins, so there were no surprises at handover. They also drew on real experience to offer stylistic advice, which helped the house end up both high in quality and genuinely gorgeous to look at. They were able to work within our heritage overlay — in fact, they were the only builder who could connect us with an architect to draw up plans that satisfied it. When selected items were discontinued, they sourced very close alternatives. Their aftercare has been excellent: prompt, with a clear process for follow-up items, and anything urgent like plumbing is handled immediately. They were transparent about costs and inclusions throughout, and consistently advocated for our preferences. Worth noting: they are more expensive than volume builders like Metricon or Simonds. But in our case the cost was justified — the quality is genuinely proportionate to the price. Highly recommended.
Reviews with attachments
- +1
We recently moved into our new home, built by GJ Gardner Melbourne East. Throughout the process, every member of the team were amazing to deal with and took real pride in their work. Steve is clearly a very knowledgeable and experienced builder who has high standards for himself and his team. Bec made sure we were well informed about all the… Read more
financial steps along the way and made the process of coordinating payments very smooth. Gen, our contract admin, went above and beyond on many an occasion, chasing down suppliers to find just the right type of product based on our desires and requirements. Adam managed the construction process diligently, keeping us in the loop when unexpected things popped up along the way and helping us navigate the options. GJ Gardner were flexible and accommodating the entire way through our journey, being respectful of our budget and delivering months ahead of schedule. We are absolutely thrilled with our beautiful house and so grateful to the amazing team for bringing our vision to life. Would recommend GJ Gardner Melbourne East to anyone in the area looking for a custom builder.
Really happy with the open communication at every stage of the build. Everyone involved in the process was friendly annd professional. Terrific workmanship and wonderful attention to detail. Extremely satisfied customer here. Show details
- +4
We are extremely happy to share the fact that our first house build with GJ Gardner Bendigo has gone really well not knowing what the process was going to be. The whole team from reception, sales, styling, colour choices and the build itself was a pleasant experience. Yes there were a few hiccups, as with any project, but its how they were… Read more
positively dealt with. Having reflected we would recommend GJ Gardner Bendigo to any prospective person wishing to build their house.
This is our second project with GJ Gardner Homes Ararat, and we couldn't be happier. 5 years after our initial build, we decided to build a granny flat / bungalow in our backyard. We looked at various - let's say basic - options that were cheaper on paper (pre-fabs etc.) but in reality, the headaches of getting it to site, and then getting… Read more
services connected was something we really didn't want to think about. Also, many of these imported pre-fabs may not be up to our Aussie standards - hard to say, but they did look a bit rough around the edges. So, after reconsidering the budget, I got in contact with the team at GJ Gardner Ararat and the end-to-end process from the initial meeting and quotes in Jan 2025, resulted in a finished home ready to move in by Christmas 2025. Outstanding in this current building climate! The team accommodated our living situation - as in we were living on site in our main house, and they put up fencing to contain our dogs during the build. Everything was smooth sailing, and what we have come to expect from Ash, Sally, Corey, Graeme and the rest of the team. Highly recommended, and thank you all so much for another great build!
David and the team at GJ Gardner Yarra Ranges were extraordinary throughout our entire home construction in YEA. From our initial connection at their display home with Amber to our amazing final handover of our completed home with the entire team, the whole experience was very professional & genuinely friendly. David was very hands on and walked… Read more
us through every step of the process maintaining transparency & honesty for the full 11 months. We ended up with a beautiful home of outstanding quality and ahead of schedule. Kelly, business mgr, was a pleasure to engage with as she was on top of everything. Emily & Kate, were always upbeat and positive whilst providing prompt & accurate administration. Mick, site supervisor was extremely experienced as nothing got past him as he maintained very high construction standards. David, Director/Owner was always available, very knowledgeable and took amazing pride in delivering superior quality and customer service. Our dream home has exceeded our expectations purely due to David and his tremendous team at GJ Gardner Lilydale. We are so glad we partnered with this team of professional, polite and fun builders. Thank you all so much.
We have just had the handover with them. They are not only very good in customer service, but also their craftsmanship is good. During the build, the office sent us weekly updates, the site supervisor was very responsive and attentive as well. Also they maintained the site very neat and tidy, it made my neighbours very happy. I am very happy with the build with them Show details
- +2
We recently built our double-storey home on a sloping block with GJ Gardner Inner North West (Essendon), and we couldn’t be happier with the experience. We chose them because of their expertise and reputation for quality, and they certainly lived up to both. The build was completed well ahead of schedule, with no delays, which was a huge relief… Read more
for us as first-time builders. We were kept in the loop with weekly email updates, making the entire process much less stressful.
A standout throughout the journey was Sacha, the office manager. From start to finish, she was incredibly knowledgeable, always on hand to resolve any concerns, and offered excellent advice that helped guide our decisions. James, the building supervisor, was also fantastic. He ensured the build went according to plan and specifications, and was flexible when it came to adjustments or changes we wanted along the way.
Mark and Karyn, the franchise owners, clearly have a great team in place. Their coordination and leadership ensured everything ran smoothly, and they were always available to answer questions or provide guidance when needed.
We are thrilled with the final result and couldn’t recommend GJ Gardner Inner North West (Essendon) highly enough. Their professionalism, quality, and customer service made the entire building experience a positive one.
We built our house in Brighton East with GJ Gardner Melbourne South East, and the whole experience has been fantastic from start to finish. We worked with them to create a custom floor plan by modifying one of their standard designs, and the process was smooth. The team was professional, responsive, and flexible. Communication was clear… Read more
throughout the build, and the quality of workmanship is great. There were a few minor issues and defects, but they are being addressed promptly, and Aaron has been responsive and professional in handling them.
We’re very happy with our new home and would highly recommend building with GJ Gardner Melbourne South East to anyone looking for a reliable builder.
Such a fantastic team at Mornington. Very communicative, professional and creative. Stayed in our budget, very skilled workmanship. Our build is way better than expected and we are very happy customers! Show details · 1
GJ Gardner Melbourne East have exceeded our expectations of our finished new home. They went above and beyond to add little finishing touches. Adam continued the herringbone tile from the Kitchen splashback to a small gap above the butler's pantry window, we did not expect this, a lovely surprise. The stain on the front door was also carried… Read more · 1
through to the same wood stain on the door frame out from the laundry. We built a modified home from one of their plans, this was a major drawing card because we wanted an original home that suited our odd shaped block. Sharon was very patient at the sales/ design stage we had to postpone starting due to interest rates going up. At no stage did we feel pressured to sign as soon as possible. Their claim that everything is clearly described and priced at the time of signing is true. We were the ones who added variations and added costs from our own choice (not many changes just minor ones). We were blown away with the standard of quality of all the finishes and attention to detail. We would build with them again, I think that is the best sign of trust in people when you would go back and do it again (not that we will, they built our forever home.) All the team were lovely and being a small group it felt like we were a part of the team and got to know most staff really well.
Building a home felt daunting at first, but GJ Gardner quickly made the entire process smooth and enjoyable. From the moment we met Marcus at the Leopold display home, we knew we were in good hands, and he worked patiently with us until our custom plan was perfect. Carly and Renee made contracting and colour selection effortless, guiding us… Read more · 1
through decisions we were nervous about. Chris’s outstanding communication and project management kept the build running smoothly and even delivered our home ahead of schedule. We couldn’t be happier with the result and are genuinely grateful to everyone at GJ Gardner Geelong who helped bring our vision to life.
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Our experience was great and the process was smooth from start to finish. Nothing seemed to be a problem. Communication dropped off a bit near the end. We love it Show details · 1
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We just want to say a huge thank you to all of you for making our dream home a reality. From the very start in January through to handover (October), you kept everything running smoothly and communicated with us every step of the way, which we really appreciated. Paul, thanks for getting the ball rolling and guiding us through the process. Ross,… Read more · 1
you were fantastic helping us choose all the finishes and making sure the design felt like us. Fil and Aaron, we really valued how you both kept things on track on site and handled everything so professionally.
We couldn’t be happier with the final result and we’re so excited for all the wonderful memories to come. We would definitely recommend this amazing team to anyone looking to build their dream home! Thanks again for everything! Jess and Rory
I contracted with G J Gardner Homes Wodonga to build a new house for me in October 2024. The house was based on their Bridgewater design with a number of modifications and additional inclusions. We needed to have a special facade designed and many other modifications and special items including retaining walls, air conditioning, solar panels etc.… Read more · 1
The project was completed at the end of June, 2025 and I have occupied the property since the first week in July, 2025. It is fair too say the whole experience dealing with the team at G J Gardner Wodonga exceeded my expectations, from the initial quoting process by Glenn, detailing of fittings by Kylie, the general administration of the project by Katie and construction supervision by Tom Grearly. A big thank you to the team of G J Gardner Wodonga, I love my new house
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We’ve built four homes with G.J. Gardner Geelong and have had an exceptional experience on every home. The process, from start to finish, was smooth and stress-free, with excellent communication and support throughout. The entire team was professional and easy to work with, but a special shoutout goes to Renee McKeon, who made the selection… Read more · 1
process seamless. Choosing fixtures, fittings, and finishes can be overwhelming, but Renee’s guidance and organisation made it simple and enjoyable. She was also fantastic in handling all contract administration with great efficiency.
Another key part of our experience was Peter Baxter, our Construction Supervisor for all four builds. Peter was a standout, as he is highly experienced, knowledgeable, and always approachable. Every project was delivered on time and on budget, which is a true credit to his project management skills.
Highly recommend G.J. Gardner Geelong to anyone looking for a reliable, professional builder. We would not hesitate to build with them again.
Latest follow-ups
GJ Gardner’s service was excellent! The whole team was very friendly and really catered to our needs. Special thanks to Aaron and Paul for their support and guidance. I highly recommend GJ Gardner as your builder. Show details
Follow-up · We don’t had an any unexpected challenges during building, their support was outstanding. They have handled very well in design changes.
The house plan was modified from one of their standards and has delighted me in how it meets my requirements. They have very good procedures for all components of the build and managed them excellently. This is the 6th new build I have contracted… Read more · 1
and this is by far the best built of them all. The final cost was as contracted initially plus extras that I was satisfied with the pricing during the build.
Follow-up · Extras: (and Plan changes - Because they are what I liked or wanted of previous builds). Their Select range options + Ceiling height 2.7M Door height 2.43M, of solid construction (Plus builder upgrade of internal doors to 850W for new reg's at B exp) (Builder upgrade also included level entry from garage and porch due to new reg's) Unexpected… Read more
Positive reviews
This is our second project with G.J. Gardner Homes North Essendon and it has been an amazing experience. It was smooth sailing from planning to construction to handover. A very special mention to Sacha and James who oversaw the whole project. We knew we could relax when the build was in your capable hands. Thank you very much G.J. Gardner North Essendon. Show details
We want to express our appreciation for showing us the Mandalay display home in Rowville recently. We are in the very early stages of choosing a design for our new home build and wanted to get a feel for house size and construction quality of the Mandalay design features. The consultant walked us through the house giving us details on… Read more
materials, design and workmanship. He had a very friendly relaxed approach which we greatly appreciated. He spent the time to answer all our questions. Thanks again we really enjoyed the experience and it has confirmed we are on track with our house choice for our future build journey.
This is the second home we have build with GJ Gardner. They are very much a family run business, if you need to talk to the owners of the business, Ash or Sally , regarding any issue you can. The beauty of the process is that if you would like to pursue the very best Kitchen outfit, it can be sourced, Hardwood for Feature areas, again can be… Read more
sorted. A GJ Gardner house plan is what you want to make it, start with a design you like and modify.
We are very Happy
Mike & Jo Sobey
Negative reviews
Avoid Building with GJ Gardner if You Value Quality and Accountability I chose GJ Gardner because of their appealing home designs—but looks were deceiving. While the construction phase had some positive moments and helpful staff, the problems started once the build was complete. The aftercare has been nothing short of a nightmare. Parts of the… Read more
home were left unpainted, doors were installed incorrectly and don’t open properly, and finishes were clearly rushed. Independent inspectors confirmed multiple defects, including holes in the cladding and substandard workmanship. None of these issues have been properly fixed, and we’re now headed to mediation and possible legal enforcement.
If you're considering building with GJ Gardner, be extremely cautious. Inspect everything. Document every step.
Check reviews from all sources before making a decision.
Don’t assume issues will be resolved once they have your final payment—they won’t be.
Find out how G.J. Gardner Homes VIC compares to other Project Home Builders
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Be very careful! – We had a great building experience! But we have now been facing a 2 year battle to have defaults repaired. Since the manger of our build was fired we have been offered nothing but rude communication and then it stopped completely. We had multiple people come around and look at the issues and say they were going to book into fix them but then we… Read more
never heard from them again as the fix was too expensive and the owners of the business knew what they were doing! Not only did Gill and Gary from GJ Gardner bass coast stop replying after being so incredibly rude, they folded the business and retired never to reply again. . I have made multiple attempts to contact the head office and no one will return our calls! Absolutely pathetic and I would be VERY careful before signing any contracts with GJ Gardner because as soon as they give you the keys, you are on your own!
ABSOLUTE DISGRACE – ABSOLUTE DISGRACE! BUYER BEWARE! Finish Quality: Atrocious Communication: Appalling Value for money: Terrible 12 Months in our "dream" home and the movement, cracking and sinkage is unacceptable. Once Owner has your money, he doesn't care. We have had to finish numerous issues ourselves, even though we forked out $400K for the build. Shonky builder. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED Show details
Recent reviews
Exceeded Every Expectation — Highly Recommend! I'll be honest — I went into this process with some apprehension. Building a new home and dealing with a large construction company doesn't exactly scream "easy." But GJ Gardner Bacchus Marsh completely changed my view. From the very start, the team made the process surprisingly straightforward.… Read more
Contract signing was handled with genuine care — they even came to us to get our signatures, which was a small gesture that said a lot about how they treat their clients. Throughout the build, site manager Jarrod was outstanding. He kept us well informed at every stage, and we never had to chase anyone for updates. That kind of proactive communication is rare and genuinely takes the stress out of what can otherwise be a nerve-wracking experience. On the admin side, Eloise was an absolute pleasure to deal with — responsive, helpful, and always on top of things. The whole office team had the same easy, professional manner. What also stood out was their flexibility during construction. When I needed my own trades to access the site, they accommodated this without any fuss — something not every builder would do. Post-handover, the support continued. Any time something needed attention, they responded promptly and professionally. That after-care is often where builders drop the ball, but not here. If GJ Gardner Bacchus Marsh operates in an area where I ever build again, I would not hesitate to go back to them. Truly a builder you can trust.
I am so happy with the team from GJ Gardner Melbourne Inner East. The frame stage has been finished, I am very happy with the quality of the work, the great communication and the service that I got from GJ Gardner Melbourne inner East. Especially, the site supervisor and the admin team, they all tried to make the building of my house as smooth as… Read more
possible. Truly happy with my experience so far, and am so grateful to the team that is helping me build my dream house.
What an amazing, friendly yet professional team to work with. Nothing was to hard smooth process from start to finish. Very impressed with the house. I’m a very happy customer! Show details
Great experience building with the team at G.J. Gardner Homes – Melbourne Inner North West. Professional, transparent and easy to deal with from start to finish. Communication was excellent and the quality of the build exceeded our expectations. Highly recommend them to anyone looking to build in the area. Show details
Outstanding Sales Experience - Aarti has been amazing to deal with. From the first phone call to discuss build options, to the planning stage, Aarti has gone over and above to draft a plan that will optimize what is a complicated block design with a restrictive design overlay. I have also met with the entire team, pre-build, and feel assured that… Read more
my build will be brilliant. GJ Gardner allowed me the time to hash out all of the design and build elements until I was completely comfortable to move to the next stage. GJ Gardner have been incredibly transparent and easy to work with. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a custom build.
My experience with the Ararat team has been very positive. They were approachable, supportive, and kept everything on track. The build was completed on schedule and matched Graeme’s plans perfectly. I’m extremely pleased with the final result, both internally and externally. This review is based on my personal experience. Show details
We are thrilled with our new home built by GJ Gardner Inner North West (Essendon) and cannot recommend the team, Mark, Karyn, Sacha, Ellie, James, Lachie, Cameron and everyone else we met, highly enough! We always found them to be very professional, honest, reliable, supportive and efficient. As first home builders we were unsure about many things… Read more
but we always felt we could ask any questions and were provided prompt advice and solutions. We love the quality of our home and appreciate the excellent customer service we received from start to finish which ensured our whole experience to be a fantastic one way above our expectations!
GJ Gardner Ararat made building my dream home easier and less stressful than I thought it could be. From the start, they were very good in facilitating the many design changes I requested, also giving well thought out suggestions based on their long-standing building experience in this area. During the build, I was always well informed of the… Read more · 1
progress and any issues were quickly communicated to me with a solution already well thought out. I'm very happy with the final product and also the service I am still receiving while the finishing touches are made and minor issues fixed. The costs were as expected. Overall, I would recommend GJ Gardner to anyone - they have delivered my dream home to a high standard on budget and on time and I've fund the whole experience to be without stress.
Thank you GJ Gardner for building our beautiful home. GJs customer service throughout the build was incredible and the aftercare has been outstanding, with any request for support being addressed quickly. During the build when issues or concerns were raised the team was very responsive in implementing solutions to rectify. The finished product… Read more · 1
was better than we could have imagined.
Special shout out to Mark, Lachie and Cam who have gone above and beyond to make building our home fuss free.
Highly recommend for anyone looking to build a quality home!
We couldn’t be happier with our experience building with G.J. Gardner Homes – Melbourne Inner North West. Our project was a fairly unique one: two fully independent homes on a single block for a multi-generational family, with very high expectations around energy efficiency, insulation, build quality, and maintaining as much yard space as… Read more · 1
possible. From the outset, the team embraced the challenge. They accommodated a customised design, worked through some quite stringent and picky requirements (including insulation in tricky, normally inaccessible junctions), and were happy to design beyond current regulations to meet upcoming home efficiency standards. The end result was an 8-star energy rating.
They also fully supported our request for a 100% electric home with solar included, resulting in very low ongoing energy usage and homes that genuinely perform as well as they look.
The build quality, fit, and finish met—and genuinely exceeded—our expectations, and the build was completed faster than initially projected, which was a welcome surprise. Any minor rectifications along the way were handled promptly, smoothly, and without fuss.
Now, nearly 18 months on, both houses have long since stopped feeling like “new builds” and simply feel like homes. We regularly receive positive comments from people in the community and have even shown the houses to others building with GJ Gardner in different regions (including Geelong).
Most importantly, every single person we dealt with was exceptional, professional, approachable, and patient, even with our more particular requests (Big shout out to Sasha for her patience). A genuinely positive experience from start to finish, and one we’d happily recommend.
Thanks again, Mark, Lach, Sasha and everyone else who made it happen.
Thank you GJ Gardner Homes Melbourne Inner North West for being with us through the journey of dealing with difficult council and rules and getting us into our new home in our ideal location. I think the overall measure of our experience with these great people would be our answer to the question, would you do it again? The answer would be a… Read more · 1
resounding ‘yes’ to using GJ Gardner Inner North West again. A wonderful bunch of keen, fresh and enthusiastic people wanting everything we also wanted. They were across it all and were with us when things got difficult or something came up. Was that it when the house was finished? No, they were still there, they didn’t suddenly disappear and turned up and got involved and were as equally enthusiastic in making things right. If you’re thinking of building, get in touch with this team, meet them and let them show their professionalism, see how they listen to your wishes and watch them do their thing!
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