First home owners grants

First home owners grant in NSW

The First Home Owner Grant (New Homes) scheme offers a $10,000 grant for eligible first-home buyers purchasing or building a new home.

The value of a newly constructed home must be no more than $600,000. If you're buying vacant land and building a home, the combined value of the land and home must be no more than $750,000.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible, you generally need to be:

• 18 or older
• Buying or building your first home
• An Australian citizen or permanent resident (if buying with a partner, at least one applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident)

You must also move into the home within 12 months and live there continuously for at least 12 months.

First-home buyers may also be eligible for a full transfer duty (stamp duty) exemption on new or existing homes valued up to $800,000, with a reduced rate available on homes valued above $800,000 and below $1 million. Different thresholds apply to vacant land.

First home owners grant in VIC

A $10,000 First Home Owner Grant is available to eligible first-home buyers buying or building a new home in Victoria valued at up to $750,000. The property must be new and have never previously been sold or occupied as a home.

Who is eligible?

To qualify, you generally need to:

• Be 18 or older
• Be a first-home buyer
• Have not previously received a First Home Owner Grant anywhere in Australia
• Have not owned or lived in a residential property in circumstances that make you ineligible

You and your spouse or partner are generally ineligible if either of you owned a home or other residential property in Australia before 1 July 2000, or if either of you lived in a property you owned or part-owned for at least six continuous months from 1 July 2000 onwards. There are some exceptions, including for people who previously owned property but never lived in it.

At least one applicant must live in the home as their principal place of residence for at least 12 months, starting within 12 months of settlement or completion of construction.

First-home buyers may also qualify for a Victorian land transfer duty exemption on homes valued up to $600,000, or a reduced rate on homes valued from $600,001 to $750,000. This applies to new and established homes, as well as eligible vacant land.

First home owners grant in QLD

The Queensland First Home Owner Grant offers $30,000 to eligible first-home buyers buying or building a new home valued at less than $750,000. The $30,000 amount applies to contracts signed, or owner-builder foundations laid, on or after 20 November 2023.

Who is eligible?

To qualify for the grant, you generally need to be:

• 18 or older
• Buying or building your first home
• An Australian citizen or permanent resident (if applying with someone who is, you may still be eligible)
• Buying or building a new home, including a house, unit or townhouse

You and your spouse must not have previously received a First Home Owner Grant, and you generally must not have owned residential property in Australia that you lived in on or after 1 July 2000.

You must move into the home within 12 months of the completed transaction and live there continuously for at least 6 months.

A substantially renovated home may also qualify in limited circumstances, where the renovations meet Queensland's requirements.

There are also stamp duty concessions for Queensland first home buyers.

First home owner grant in WA

A $10,000 First Home Owner Grant 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 six months, starting within 12 months of settlement or the date the building is completed.

For eligible transactions from 7 May 2026, the home must be valued at no more than $800,000 if it is located south of the 26th parallel of south latitude, or no more than $1 million if it is located north of the 26th parallel.

Who is eligible?

You must be:

• 18 or older
• Buying or building your first home
• An Australian citizen or permanent resident (at least one applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident)

You and your spouse or de facto partner must also meet WA's previous property ownership requirements. Generally, you can't have previously received a First Home Owner Grant or first-home owner duty rate, or have owned and lived in residential property in Australia in circumstances that make you ineligible.

There are stamp duty concessions for first home buyers in WA.

First home owner grant in SA

A First Home Owner Grant of up to $15,000 is available to eligible first-home buyers in South Australia buying or building a new home. There is no property value cap for contracts entered into from 6 June 2024.

The grant does not apply to the purchase of vacant land, although you may qualify if you subsequently enter into a contract to build a new home.

Who is eligible?

You must be:

• 18 or older
• Buying or building your first home
• An Australian citizen or permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen permanently residing in Australia who holds a Special Category visa

At least one applicant must meet the citizenship or residency requirement, and your spouse or domestic partner's circumstances can also affect your eligibility.

For contracts entered into on or after 13 February 2025, you and your spouse or domestic partner must not own or have previously owned residential property in Australia.

All applicants must live in the home as their principal place of residence for at least 6 continuous months, starting within 12 months of settlement or completion of construction.

There are also stamp duty concessions available.

First home owner grant in TAS

A $20,000 First Home Owner Grant is available to eligible first-home buyers who buy or build a new home in Tasmania. The $20,000 amount applies to eligible transactions commencing between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027.

Who is eligible?

You must be:

• 18 or older
• Buying or building your first home
• An Australian citizen or permanent resident (if buying with a partner, at least one applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident)

You must occupy the home as your principal place of residence for at least 6 continuous months, starting within 12 months of completing the eligible transaction. You and your spouse or partner generally won't be eligible if either of you has previously owned and lived in a residential property in Australia for more than 6 months, or owned a residential property before 1 July 2000.

The previous 100% stamp duty exemption for first-home buyers purchasing established homes valued at $750,000 or less ended on 30 June 2026 and is no longer available for transactions settling after that date.

First home owner grants in the NT

The Northern Territory currently offers two major home-owner grants:

• $50,000 for eligible first-home buyers buying or building a new home.
• $30,000 for people who have previously owned a home to buy or build a new home.

The $50,000 HomeGrown Territory Grant is available to eligible first-home buyers, with no cap on the purchase or build price. Contracts must be signed between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2027.

The $30,000 FreshStart New Home Grant is available to people who are not first-home buyers and who buy or build a new home in the NT. It is also available to owner-builders and for off-the-plan purchases.

A $10,000 grant for first-home buyers purchasing an established home was available for contracts signed between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025, but this scheme has now closed to new contracts.

There is also a stamp duty exemption for buyers of house and land packages.

First home owner grant in the ACT

The ACT government no longer offers a first home owner grant to buyers. FHOG payments ceased in July 2019.

But there are stamp duty concessions available through the Home Buyer Concession Scheme.

Finder survey: What do Australians think is the biggest hurdle to getting a home loan?

Federal first home buyer support

At the federal level there are several policies aimed at helping first home buyers. None of these policies give you a cash grant, but they can make it easier to buy your first home in other ways.

Being federal policies, it doesn't matter which state or territory you live in to apply. But, there are specific eligibility criteria for each policy.

You can use federal schemes in conjunction with a state or territory 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. Scheme places are now unlimited, there are no income caps and property price caps have been increased, so check the Australian Government's First Home Buyers website for the current price cap in your area. The Home Guarantee Scheme that runs these guarantees is now called the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
• Family Home Guarantee: The Family Home Guarantee allows eligible single parents or legal guardians 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 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.

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

  It depends on your state or territory. Each scheme sets a minimum period you must live in the home continuously, and it differs between states (see your state's section above). If you move out before that period ends, you may 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 Grant 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

Senior Money Editor

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Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio

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Rebecca Pike is Finder’s money editor, with over 7 years of experience in mortgages and personal finance. A frequent TV and radio commentator, she frequently appears on Sunrise and 7News, Today and 9News, as well as Sky News, Channel 10 and across radio and print. Rebecca previously served as Editor of Mortgage Professional Australia. She has a Master’s degree in Journalism as well as ASIC-recognised certifications in Tier 1 Generic Knowledge and Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products, which comply with ASIC guidelines. See full bio

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