---
title: No lowball allowances
description: Discover why DJ Homes stands out in Canberra with transparent pricing on engineering and energy efficiency reports, ensuring you understand all costs before signing a building contract.
image: https://djhomes.com.au/hubfs/59%20Stella%20Young%20Wy%2c%20Denman%20Prospect%20ACT-090-1.jpg
---
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# No lowball allowances
- [Home](https://djhomes.com.au/)
- Blogs
October 19 2026
One of the hardest parts of comparing builders isn't comparing the homes.
It's comparing the allowances.
Most people don't realise how much influence allowances can have on the advertised price of a new home. On paper, two quotes may look similar—or one may even appear significantly cheaper. But if one builder has used unrealistic allowances for key items, those savings can quickly disappear once construction is underway.
At DJ Homes, we believe our clients deserve a clearer picture from the beginning.
As a Canberra builder specialising in custom-designed homes and knock-down rebuilds, we don't rely on nominal allowances to make our pricing appear more attractive.
Instead, we invest more time before contract signing to calculate realistic costs for the items that commonly lead to variations.
This includes areas such as joinery, floor coverings, tapware, tiles, façade selections and site costs.
Rather than inserting a figure that may need to change later, we work with our clients to understand the home they actually want to build and price accordingly.
This approach takes more time.
It requires more conversations, more planning and more detailed pricing.
But we believe that investment upfront creates a far better building experience.
It means our clients make decisions with confidence, knowing their contract is based on realistic costs—not assumptions.
It also means they're able to compare builders on a genuine like-for-like basis.
A lower contract price doesn't always represent better value if it relies on allowances that are unlikely to deliver the finished home you have in mind.
That's why our process is built around certainty.
We raise potential costs early.
We explain where your money is being invested.
And we make sure the contract reflects the home you're actually planning to build.
Because we'd rather have an honest conversation before you sign than an uncomfortable one after construction has begun.
That's another part of the DJ Difference.
Building with certainty starts long before construction begins.
- Custom homes
- Design
#### Grant Jones
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#### Popular Post
#### [No lowball allowances](https://djhomes.com.au/blogs-and-news/no-lowball-allowances)
October 19, 2026
#### [Joinery designed and priced, not guessed](https://djhomes.com.au/blogs-and-news/joinery-designed-and-priced-not-guessed)
August 17, 2026
#### [Know the Real Cost Before You Sign](https://djhomes.com.au/blogs-and-news/know-the-real-cost-before-you-sign)
August 03, 2026
#### [Site Costs Properly Assessed Upfront](https://djhomes.com.au/blogs-and-news/site-costs-properly-assessed-upfront)
July 05, 2026
#### [We Deliver the Best Value](https://djhomes.com.au/blogs-and-news/we-deliver-the-best-value)
May 27, 2026
#### Tag Cloud
Custom homes
Design
cost
#### DJ Homes
#### Contact us
124 Gilmore Rd, Queanbeyan NSW 2620
**Opening hours**
Monday - Friday, 8am - 4pm
Saturday by appointments only
[sales@djhomes.com.au](mailto:sales@djhomes.com.au)
[02 6297 1017](tel:0262971017)
### Newsletter
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