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First home buyer grants in Australia

By Jack Dona ·
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A young couple happily sit on the floor of their new apartment, surrounded by moving boxes full of their belongings

To help with the cost of buying your first home, you may be eligible for the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG).

What is the First Home Owner Grant?

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a one-off lump sum payment to help first home buyers break into the market. 

As this scheme is run by the state and territory governments, the eligibility criteria and the amount you can get depends on where you live and, in some cases, the value of your new home.

If you’re interested in applying for the FHOG, you can do so directly via the Revenue Office in your state or territory or through your lender when you apply for a home loan.

First Home Owner Grant NSW

Graphic outlining the NSW First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for NSW is $10,000. 

The NSW FHOG is only available for newly built, off-the-plan, or substantially renovated homes under $600,000 (this increases to $750,000 if you’re purchasing vacant land to build your home). 

As part of the NSW Grant, you may also receive: 

  • A transfer duty exemption (formerly known as stamp duty) on homes valued up to $650,000 or a concessional rate for those between $650,000 and $800,000.  
  • A transfer duty exemption when purchasing vacant land valued up to $350,000 or a concessional rate for land between $350,000 and $450,000. 

For more information, including eligibility requirements, read more about the First Home Owner Grant NSW. 

What other home buyer grants are available in NSW? 

In NSW, the schemes and grants for first home buyers include: 

  • First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme
  • Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper.

First Home Owner Grant Queensland

Graphic outlining the Queensland First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for Queensland is $30,000 for contracts signed/foundations laid between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2025 ($15,000 if before 20 November 2023).

The Queensland FHOG is available for those who are buying or building a new home valued up to $750,000. 

Alongside the Grant, Queenslanders may also be eligible for: 

  • A transfer duty exemption for homes valued up to $550,000 
  • A transfer duty exemption for vacant land valued up to $400,000.

If you’re considering the Qld FHOG, make sure you understand the eligibility criteria, including which supporting documents you’ll need, on the Queensland Revenue Office website. For more info, check out the First Home Owner Grant Queensland guide. 

What other home buyer grants are available in Queensland?

  • Regional home building boost grant
  • HomeBuilder grant.

First Home Owner Grant Victoria

Graphic outlining the Victorian First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for Victoria is $10,000. 

The Victoria FHOG is available for first home buyers building or purchasing a new home valued up to $750,000. 

As well as the $10,000 grant, Victorian first home buyers may be eligible for: 

  • A transfer duty exemption for new homes valued up to $600,000
  • A concessional transfer duty rate for new homes valued between $600,001 and $750,000. 

For more information, including eligibility requirements, get into the details of the Victoria First Home Owner Grant in our guide. 

What other home buyer grants are available in Victoria?

  • Victorian Homebuyer Fund.

First Home Owner Grant WA

Graphic outlining the Western Australian First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.
Where your new home is in WA plays a part in the maximum home value you can secure the FHOG with.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for WA is $10,000. 

The WA FHOG is available for eligible first home buyers purchasing or building a new home valued up to $750,000 or $1,000,000, depending on where it’s located (see below).  

Home value caps:

  • South of the 26th parallel of latitude (including all Perth metropolitan areas): $750,000 maximum
  • North of the 26th parallel of latitude: $1,000,000 maximum. 

Aside from the $10,000 grant, Western Australian first home buyers may also be eligible for: 

  • A transfer duty exemption for combined home and land value up to $430,000
  • A concessional transfer duty rate for a combined home and land value between $430,000 and $550,000
  • A $2,000 homebuyer assistance grant when purchasing an established property valued up to $400,000 (to use on expenses like pest and building inspection fees, conveyancer fees, and upfront home loan fees).

For more information, including details about eligibility, read the Western Australia First Home Owner Grant guide.

What other home buyer grants are available in WA? 

If you’re a first home buyer, but you’re not buying a new home or vacant land that is eligible for the FHOG, you may still be eligible for the WA government’s First Home Owner Rate. 

The First Home Owner Rate is a transfer duty exemption or concession that, like the FHOG, depends on the value of the home or land you’re buying. 

For more information about the First Home Owners Rate, check out the details on the Western Australian government’s website. 

First Home Owner Grant SA

Graphic outlining the South Australian First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for SA is $15,000. 

The South Australian FHOG is for first home buyers who are buying or building a new home valued up to $650,000. 

As well as the $15,000 grant, South Australian first home buyers may be eligible for: 

  • A transfer duty exemption for new homes valued up to $650,000, or vacant land valued up to $400,000
  • A concessional transfer duty rate for new homes valued between $650,000 and $700,000, or vacant land up to $450,000. 

For more details, including who is eligible for the grant, read the South Australia First Home Owner Grant guide. 

What other home buyer grants are available in SA? 

HomeStart 

  • 2% home loan deposit for first home buyers building a new home.

First Home Owner Grant ACT

Graphic outlining the Australian Capital Territory First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

In the ACT, the First Home Owner Grant has been replaced by the Homebuyer Concession Scheme. 

Under the scheme, transfer duty will be waived or reduced when purchasing new or existing homes and vacant residential land. To apply:

  • You must be at least 18 years old.
  • The total gross income of all buyers, including their partners, must not exceed certain income thresholds.
  • All buyers, including their partners, must not have owned any other property in the last two years.
  • At least one buyer must move in within 12 months of purchasing or completing construction on the property and live there continuously for at least one year.

The income thresholds take into account the number of dependent children you and your partner have, and increase by $3,330 for each child you care for together. 

More details are available on the ACT Revenue Office website.

What other home buyer grants are available in the ACT? 

Unfortunately, there are no other grants available at this time. But we’ll keep this page updated if any come about. 

First Home Owner Grant NT

Graphic outlining the Northern Territory First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for the NT is $10,000.

The NT FHOG is open for first home buyers purchasing or building a new home. Unlike most of the other states and territories, there is no home value cap that affects your eligibility. 

For NT residents purchasing a home and land package, you may also be eligible for the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE), which could waive your stamp duty fee. 

For more information, read our guide on the Northern Territory First Home Owner Grant. 

What other home buyer grants are available in the NT?

  • HomeBuild Access scheme.

First Home Owner Grant Tasmania

Graphic outlining the Tasmanian First Home Owner Grant with illustration of state border.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for Tasmania is $30,000.

The FHOG in Tasmania is available for first home buyers who purchase or build a new home. There is no home value cap that affects your eligibility. 

Our guide about the Tasmania First Home Owner Grant has more information, including eligibility requirements. 

What other home buyer grants are available in Tasmania?

  • First home owner stamp duty concession.

More government home buyer schemes to consider

Aside from the First Home Owner Grant, there are several other government grants and schemes aimed at helping Australians secure their first home. 

You may even be able to use some of these in conjunction with others, helping shave more time off your homeownership journey. 

These include: 

Think you’re ready to buy your first home? It’s a huge financial decision to make, so check if you’re really ready with these five money tests to pass before getting your first mortgage. Or, have a browse through our first time buyer guides to help you on your journey. 

If you’ve got everything covered, your next step is to compare home loans to make sure you’re getting a competitive interest rate and the features you want (think offset accounts and redraw facilities). Check out some of the featured home loans below.

Home loan comparisons on Mozo - last updated 18 April 2024

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Can you purchase an existing property with the FHOG?

While you can use the FHOG to purchase an existing home, it must have been substantially renovated by the seller (not a previous owner) to be eligible. What’s more, the home must not have served as a residence for the seller, builder or a tenant prior to, during or after renovations.

To be considered substantially renovated, the seller must have removed or replaced most of the structural or non-structural components of the building. Renovations limited to a single room or cosmetic work (such as a new coat of paint) won’t suffice.

Can the FHOG be used as a deposit?

Yes. The purpose of the grant is to help bring down the costs associated with buying and owning a home. Just keep in mind that receipt of the grant will depend on when you apply and whether you are building or buying. So if you intend to use the grant to meet your deposit requirements, there’s a chance the timing might not work out in your favour.

Which supporting documents will I need?

When applying for the FHOG, you will need to provide proof of identity. This might include:

  • Australian birth certificate
  • Australian passport
  • Australian citizenship certificate
  • Foreign passport and current Australian Visa (if born overseas)
  • Australian driver’s licence or proof of age card
  • Medicare card, car registration, or debit/credit card
  • Utility bill, bank statement, or insurance policy (for evidence of residential address).

Supporting documents for contract to purchase a new or off-the-plan home

If you’re buying a new home, including off-the-plan, manufactured and kit homes, you might be asked to provide the following documents:

  • A copy of the contract for sale of land, signed and dated by the vendor and applicants.
  • A statement from the seller (or their legal representative) confirming the home has not been previously occupied since completion of construction.
  • A registration confirmation statement or current title search showing the applicants are the registered owners.
  • A final inspection certificate issued by the local council or private building certifier.

Supporting documents for substantially renovated homes

If you are purchasing a home that has been substantially renovated, you might have to attach the following documents to your application:

  • A copy of the contract signed and dated by the vendor and applicants.
  • A statement from the seller (or their legal representative) confirming the home has not been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence since it was renovated.
  • A registration confirmation statement or current title search showing the applicants are the registered owners.
  • A final inspection certificate issued by the local council or private building certifier.
  • A statement from the seller confirming that the sale is a taxable supply under the GST Act and was in the course of the seller’s enterprise.

Supporting documents for a contract to build a home

If you are arranging for the construction of a new home, you might have to provide the following documents:

  • A copy of the contract to build, signed and dated by the builder and applicants.
  • A registration confirmation statement or current title search showing the applicants are the registered owners.
  • A final statement/invoice from the builder.
  • A copy of the occupation certificate or a final inspection certificate, issued by your local council or private building certifier.
  • A copy of a current valuation by a qualified valuer, or a copy of a current stamped contract or transfer for the purchase of the land.

Supporting documents for an owner-builder 

If you are building the home yourself, you might have to provide the following documents:

  • A copy of council approval for laying the foundations or receipt for the foundations.
  • A registration confirmation statement or current title search showing the applicants are the registered owners.
  • A copy of the occupation certificate or a final inspection certificate.
  • A detailed list of building costs.
  • Copies of receipts equal to the grant amount
  • Evidence of the value of the land on the date construction commences.
  • An independent third-party valuation or market appraisal of total value of the property (house and land) once construction is complete.
  • A final inspection certificate issued by the local council or private building certifier.
Which state has the highest first home buyers grant?

Queensland and Tasmania currently have the highest First Home Buyer Grants, at $30,000. 

Jack Dona
Jack Dona
RG146
Money writer

Jack is RG146 Generic Knowledge certified, with a Bachelor of Communications in Creative Writing from UTS, and uses his creative flair to cut through the financial jargon and make home loans, insurance and banking interesting. His reader-first approach to creating content and his passion for financial literacy means he always looks for innovative ways to explain personal finance. Jack's research and explanations have been featured in government publications, and his work is regularly featured alongside major publications in Google's Top Stories for Insurance.

* WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. The comparison rate displayed is for a secured loan with monthly principal and interest repayments for $150,000 over 25 years.

** Initial monthly repayment figures are estimates only, based on the advertised rate. You can change the loan amount and term in the input boxes at the top of this table. Rates, fees and charges and therefore the total cost of the loan may vary depending on your loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Actual repayments will depend on your individual circumstances and interest rate changes.

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