First home owners grants

What is a first home buyers grant?

First home buyers grants (also known as first home owners grants) are offered by almost every state and territory government. These are cash grants available to buyers who have never purchased a home before. The eligibility criteria and grant amounts vary a lot depending on where you live.

If you don't qualify for any grants but you are a first home buyer you may qualify for a stamp duty discount or exemption, which can also save you a lot of money.

Am I eligible for a First Home Owners Grant?

The eligibility criteria for first home buyers differs slightly between the states and territories. But generally you need to meet the following criteria are:

• You need to be first home buyers (never owned property before).
• You must live in the house for 12 months and it must be your principal place of residence (that is, your home).
• You cannot have claimed a first home owners grant previously.

There are other state-specific conditions as well, which will depend on the state you're buying in. Be sure to visit your state’s office of revenue website and find out if you’re eligible.

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First home owners grants and concessions in NSW

Is there a first home buyers grant in NSW?

Yes, the First Home Owner Grant (New Homes) scheme offers a $10,000 grant for the purchase or construction of new homes. The value of the property of a newly constructed property must be no more than $600,000. If buying land to build a property the combined land and dwelling valued must be no more than $750,000.

Are stamp duty concessions available?

Yes, the First Home Buyers Assistance scheme provides first home buyers with exemptions from transfer duty (stamp duty) on new and existing homes:

• New and existing homes. If the home is valued at $800,000 or less you won't pay stamp duty. You pay a reduced rate if your property is valued at anything up to $1 million.
• Vacant land. If you buy vacant land under $350,000 then you pay no stamp duty. Between $350,000 and $450,000 you can get a discount on the duty.

Learn more about NSW stamp duty and concessions

First home owners grants and concessions in VIC

Is there a first home buyers grant in Victoria?

Yes, the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant is available to eligible applicants buying or building a new home valued at up to $750,000.

Are stamp duty concessions available?

First home buyers purchasing a new or established home valued below $600,000 will be exempt from stamp duty. Buyers purchasing a new or established home valued between $600,001 and $750,000 will be eligible for a stamp duty concession, applied on a sliding scale.

First home buyers can get stamp duty concessions even if they don't qualify for a first home owners grant. It's also possible to qualify for both the grant and a stamp duty exemption or concession.

Learn more about VIC stamp duty and concessions

First home owners grants and concessions in QLD

Is there a first home buyers grant?

Yes, the Queensland First Home Owners' Grant offers $15,000 to first-time owners buying or building a new home. The grant is available for properties and land valued at less than $750,000.

If you are renovating an established home you may also qualify for the grant.

Are transfer duty (stamp duty) concessions available?

Yes, there is a first home stamp duty concession available if you buy a home valued at up to $550,000 and meet the eligibility criteria.

Learn more about QLD stamp duty and concessions

First home owner grants and concessions in the ACT

Is there a first home buyers grant?

The ACT government no longer offers a first home owner grant to buyers. It has been replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme.

Stamp duty concessions

The Home Buyer Concession Scheme provides stamp duty concessions. The amount you can save depends on your income and how many dependents you have.

Buyers in the ACT can avoid paying stamp duty if all buyers are over 18 and earning a combined income below the threshold (listed below). Buyers must live in the home continuously for 12 months and all buyers must not have owned a property in the past two years.

The income threshold also varies depending on how many dependent children you have. If your combined income is below the following limits then you can avoid paying stamp duty.

The amount of first home buyer concession you can receive is capped. For 2023-24, it's capped at $34,504.

First home owner grants and concessions WA

Is there a first home buyers grant?

Yes, a FHOG of $10,000 is available if you are buying or building a new home in WA. The home must be your principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least 6 months within the first year of settlement or date of building completion.

Eligible properties located south of the 26th parallel south latitude must be less than $750,000, while properties north of the 26th parallel south latitude are limited at $1 million.

Are stamp duty concessions available?

Yes, the First Home Owner Rate of Duty provides exemptions and concessions when purchasing homes valued at less than $530,000 and vacant land less than $400,000.

Learn more about WA stamp duty and concessions

First home owner grants and concessions SA

Is there a first home buyers grant?

Yes, the FHOG of up to $15,000 is available for the purchase and construction of new homes valued up to $650,000 for contracts entered into on or after 15 June 2023. For contracts entered into before this date, the maximum property value is $575,000.

Are stamp duty concessions available?

You may be eligible for stamp duty relief if you are buying a new home and/or land in South Australia where that home will be your main place of residence.

If you are an eligible first home buyer you can be exempt from stamp duty if your home is valued below $650,000 ($400,000 for vacant land).

You can get a stamp duty discount if the value of your home is below $700,000 ($450,000 for vacant land).

You can be eligible for stamp duty relief without being eligible for the first home owner grant.

Learn more about SA stamp duty and concessions

First home owner grants and concessions in TAS

Is there a first home buyers grant?

Yes, the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant is available for first home buyers who are buying a new home, buying a new home off the plan or building a new home.

Are property transfer duty concessions available?

First home buyers purchasing established homes can receive a 50% discount on stamp duty if their property's value is $600,000 or less.

Learn more about Tasmanian stamp duty and concessions

First home owner grants and concessions in the NT

Is there a first home buyers grant?

Yes, the $10,000 FHOG is available to eligible applicants who purchase or construct a new home. No limit applies to the value of the property you buy or build and there are no income restrictions.

Are property transfer duty concessions available?

Not specifically for first home buyers. There is a stamp duty exemption for buyers of house and land packages. To be eligible you must buy a house and land package from a building contractor and sign the contract before 30 June 2027.

The contractor must agree to sell the land to the purchaser and either:

• Build or place a detached, new home on the land
• Complete the building of a partially completed and detached new home
• Transfer ownership of a completed and detached new home

Stamp duty must have been paid by the contractor when bought from the developer.

The exemption is not means tested and there's no gap on the value of the property.

Learn more about NT stamp duty and concessions

Federal first home buyer support

At the federal level there are several policies and grants aimed at helping first home buyers. Being federal policies it doesn't matter which state or territory you live in, but there are specific eligibility criteria for each policy.

First Home Guarantee Scheme

The First Home Guarantee Scheme allows eligible first home buyers to get a home loan with just a 5% deposit and avoid the extra cost of lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). Lenders usually charge LMI to borrowers with deposits below 20% of their property's value.

HomeBuilder

The HomeBuilder grant provided support of up to $25,000 for Australian citizens building or renovating homes. There were various eligibility criteria and you didn't have to be a first home buyer to qualify for this one, however, this program closed for applications on March 31, 2021.

Family Home Guarantee

The Family Home Guarantee allows eligible single parents to buy homes with 2% deposits and avoid LMI costs while borrowing the remaining 98%. This doesn't just apply to single parents who are first home buyers. Single parents who have previously owned a home can qualify too.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

Another helpful option for some first home buyers is the First Home Super Saver Scheme. This policy allows eligible buyers to make extra contributions to their super funds and then withdraw them, pay less tax and then use the money to form part of their deposit.

All your questions about the first home owners grant answered

• What happens if I move out of my home in the first 12 months?

  If you have lived in your home for a continuous period of six months, you may keep the grant, but if you move out before this time, you need to repay the grant.

• Can I apply for the first home owner grant if I'm a temporary resident?

  Unfortunately first home owner benefits aren't available for temporary residents. They also can't be retroactively applied for once permanent residency is obtained.

• My partner and I are buying the property jointly and neither of us has owned a property before. Do we each get a grant?

  No. A single grant is payable per property transaction not per person.

• Does my income affect the grant and is the grant taxed?

  No, the grant is not means tested and you do not have to pay tax on it.

• What sort of home qualifies me for the grant?

  Depending on the state or territory an eligible home may be a new or established Australian house, home unit, flat or other type of self contained fixed dwelling that meets local planning standards. The specific rules vary by state.

• Will I be eligible for the First Home Owner if I buy an on-site home in a caravan park?

  You would qualify for the grant provided the home is fixed (i.e. not moveable), but you would not be eligible if you bought a moveable home such as an unfixed mobile home or a caravan.

• I am buying an existing home. Does that qualify me for the grant or does it have to be a new home?

  This depends on the state, with many now limiting the grant to purchasers of new or substantially renovated homes.

• I'm buying a home in Australia but I already own property outside Australia, does that mean I don't qualify for the grant?

  You can be eligible for the grant provided you have not owned property in Australia before.

• I inherited a property. Can I claim the First Home Owner Grant for that?

  No. You must be a buyer or builder of the property.

More support for first home buyers

Check out our complete first home buyer guide for more support.

If you're researching about the home buying process and need help, here's a list of helpful guides:

• How to save a deposit for a house
• HomeBuilder grant for home builders and renovators
• The complete home buying guide
• Get home loan help from a mortgage broker
• All your first home buyer questions answered
• What is lenders mortgage insurance?
• Download the Finder app to get more control over your finances

Written by

Richard Whitten

Editor

Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification. See full bio

Richard's expertise

Richard has written 553 Finder guides across topics including:

• Home loans
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Co-written by

Rebecca Pike

Senior writer

Rebecca Pike is Finder's senior writer for money. She joined Finder after almost four years writing for business publications in the mortgage and finance industry, including three years as editor of Mortgage Professional Australia. She regularly appears as a money expert on programs like Sunrise and Today, as well as across radio and newspapers. She also holds ASIC-recognised certifications in Tier 1 Generic Knowledge and Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products. See full bio

Rebecca's expertise

Rebecca has written 197 Finder guides across topics including:

• Home loans
• Cost of living
• Budgeting