Eligible first-time buyers of new homes in Australia can access up to $10,000 in financial support.
In some states eligible first-time buyers can access multiple government grants and concessions.
Most states offer stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers, saving thousands on upfront costs.
Buying your first home is a big milestone, but the upfront costs can make it feel out of reach. The good news is that help is available. Across Australia, government grants, concessions, and support schemes are designed to lower the deposit barrier and make home ownership more achievable.
From stamp duty exemptions that can save you thousands to government-backed guarantees that let you buy with as little as 5% deposit, these initiatives can fast-track your way into the market.
The catch? Each scheme has its own rules, eligibility criteria, and deadlines, which vary between states and territories. So, it pays to know what's on offer before you start house-hunting.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the key grants and concessions available, explain how they work, and show you how to combine them with smart loan strategies.
What government support programs are available to first home buyers?
If you’re planning on buying your first home, you may be eligible for the following government home buying programs:
Stamp duty grants and concessions
It’s important to keep in mind that the eligibility criteria for each of these programs will vary between states and territories.
For a more in-depth guide on the government grants and concessions available in your state, see our state guides below:
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)
The First Home Owner Grant, also known as the First Home Buyer Grant, is a one-off government payment funded by each of the states and territories.
It was introduced on 1 July 2000 to offset the effect of GST on home ownership and encourage first home buyers to buy or build their first home.
Who is eligible for the First Home Owner Grant?
As with many of the government support programs available to first home buyers, the eligibility criteria will vary between states and territories.
However, the common criteria for this grant include:
You must be a first home buyer and not have previously owned any property
You must be 18 years or older
At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
You must be an owner occupier and intend to live in your home for a specified period
Your home must be valued within a certain range
The property must be used as a principal place of residence (PPR) and can be a house, apartment, unit or townhouse.
The property can be newly built, purchased off the plan or a substantially renovated home. Established homes are not included in this grant.
How much can you claim under the First Home Owner Grant?
The state or territory in which your property is located will determine how much you can claim under the FHOG.
New South Wales: up to $10,000
Victoria: up to $10,000
Queensland: up to $30,000 for contracts signed between 20 November 2023 to 30 June 2025 (Source: qld.gov.au)
Tasmania: up to $30,000 for contracts signed before 30 June 2024 and up to $10,000 for contracts signed from 1 July 2024 onwards. (Source: tas.gov.au)
Western Australia: up to $10,000
South Australia: up to $15,000
Northern Territory: up to $50,000 for new homes and up to $10,000 for established homes for contracts between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025 (Source: nt.gov.au)
Australian Capital Territory: from July 2019, the FHOG is no longer available in the ACT and has been replaced by the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) which offers stamp duty relief for eligible buyers. (Source: act.gov.au)
You might be interested in: What is home loan pre-approval?
First Home Super Saver (FHSS) Scheme
The FHSS Scheme was introduced by the Australian Government in July 2017 to alleviate pressure on housing affordability.
This scheme allows first home buyers to make voluntary contributions into their super fund to save for their first home. They will then be able to release these contributions when they’re ready to buy a property.
First home buyers can withdraw (taking into account the yearly and total limits):
100% of their non-concessional (post-tax) amounts
85% of their concessional (pre-tax) amounts.
It’s important to note that you can only request one release from the FHSS scheme and must do this within 14 days of signing your property contract.
It will typically take between 15 and 25 business days to receive the funds.
You must be 18 years of age or older to release funds but you can begin contributing funds before you are 18 years of age.
To be eligible, applicants need to:
Intend to be the owner-occupier of the property
Intend to occupy the property for at least 6 months within the first 12 months of owning the property
Be a first home buyer in Australia.
You might be interested in: The upfront costs of buying a home
Home Guarantee Scheme
As of 24 August 2025, the Australian Government announced the expansion of the Home Guarantee Scheme.
From 1 October 2025, the government will implement the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme, with increased property price caps and unlimited places, to help all Australian first-home buyers enter the property market with as little as a 5% deposit with no Lenders Mortgage Insurance.
What’s changing from 1 October 2025?
All Australian first-home buyers who have saved a 5% deposit become eligible.
First-home buyers with higher incomes can also be eligible for the Scheme.
Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee will be replaced by the First Home Guarantee.
What are the new property price caps under the expanded scheme?
You can use the Australian Government’s postcode search tool or refer to the table below to find out the price thresholds:
State/Territory | Old property price caps | New property price caps |
|---|---|---|
NSW (Capital city and regional centre*) | $900,000 | $1,500,000 |
NSW (Other) | $750,000 | $800,000 |
VIC (Capital city and regional centre*) | $800,000 | $950,000 |
VIC (Other) | $650,000 | $650,000 |
QLD (Capital city and regional centre*) | $700,000 | $1,000,000 |
QLD (Other) | $550,000 | $700,000 |
WA (Capital city) | $600,000 | $850,000 |
WA (Other) | $450,000 | $600,000 |
SA (Capital city) | $600,000 | $900,000 |
SA (Other) | $450,000 | $500,000 |
TAS (Capital city) | $600,000 | $700,000 |
TAS (Other) | $450,000 | $550,000 |
ACT | $750,000 | $1,000,000 |
NT | $600,000 | $600,000 |
Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island | $550,000 | $550,000 |
Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands | $400,000 | $400,000 |
*Regional centres are (1) Illawarra, Newcastle, and Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, (2) Geelong in Victoria, and (3) Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast in Queensland.
The Home Guarantee Scheme is made up of three guarantees:
First Home Guarantee
Family Home Guarantee
Regional Home Guarantee.
Keep reading to find out more information about these three guarantees and the eligibility criteria for each.
1. First Home Guarantee
The First Home Guarantee is a federal government initiative.
From 1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026, 35,000 places are available. (Source: nab.com.au)
It was created to help first home buyers purchase their first property sooner by waiving Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
Did you know: Home buyers are typically charged LMI when their deposit is less than 20% of the value of their home.
This scheme allows eligible first home buyers to purchase a home with a deposit of as little as 5%, with the government guaranteeing the remaining 15%.
You might also be interested in: A roundup of the cost of living across states and key cities
Who is eligible for the First Home Guarantee?
To be eligible for this guarantee, applicants will need to:
Apply as an individual or 2 joint applicants
Be 18 years of age or older
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of entering the loan
Earn up to $125,000 for individuals and $200,000 for couples
Intend to be owner occupiers of the property
Purchase an eligible property. This includes an existing house, townhouse or apartment, a house and land package, land and a separate contract to build a home or an off-the-plan apartment or townhouse
Be first home buyers or previous homeowners who haven't owned a property in Australia in the past 10 years.
Eligibility criteria in different states or territories may slightly vary. Property price caps for this guarantee are below:
State | Capital City and Regional Centre | Rest of State |
|---|---|---|
NSW | $900,000 | $750,000 |
VIC | $800,000 | $650,000 |
QLD | $700,000 | $550,000 |
WA | $600,000 | $450,000 |
SA | $600,000 | $450,000 |
TAS | $600,000 | $450,000 |
ACT | $750,000 | |
NT Regional | $600,000 | |
Jervis Bay Territory & Norfolk Island | $550,000 | |
Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands | $400,000 |
First Home Guarantee and Family Home Guarantee Property Price Cap Table
2. Family Home Guarantee
The Family Home Guarantee, also known as the single parent home loan scheme, was introduced in the 2021 Federal Budget. From 1 July 2023 - 30 June 2024, 5,000 places are available.
This guarantee helps eligible single legal guardians and single parents get a home loan with a deposit of as little as 2%, without having to pay LMI. The government guarantees up to 18% of the home’s purchase price to make up the rest of the deposit.
Although non-first home buyers are eligible to participate in this scheme, first home buyers can also benefit as long as they meet the criteria.
To be eligible, you must:
Be a single parent or single legal guardian of at least 1 dependent
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
Have an annual taxable income of up to $125,000.
Eligible properties and property price caps for the Family Home Guarantee are the same as those for the First Home Guarantee.
3. Regional Home Guarantee
The Regional Home Guarantee is the final Home Guarantee Scheme. From 1 July 2023 - 30 June 2024, 10,000 places are available.
It allows eligible participants to build a new home or buy a newly constructed home in a regional area with a deposit of as little as 5%. The government then guarantees up to 15% of the remaining deposit.
While the Regional Home Guarantee is open to those who haven’t owned a home in the last 5 years, first home buyers are also eligible. 10,000 places will be open to eligible Australian citizens and permanent residents.
To be eligible for this guarantee, applicants must:
Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
Not have owned a property in the past 10 years
Be owner occupiers of the property (not purchase the property as an investment).
See property price caps below:
State | Regional Centre | All other regional areas |
|---|---|---|
NSW | $900,000 | $750,000 |
VIC | $800,000 | $650,000 |
QLD | $700,000 | $550,000 |
WA | $450,000 | |
SA | $450,000 | |
TAS | $450,000 | |
ACT | Not applicable | |
NT Regional | $600,000 | |
Jervis Bay Territory & Norfolk Island | $550,000 | |
Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands | $400,000 |
Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee Property Price Cap Table
Help to Buy Scheme (shared equity)
Buying your first home just got a little more doable, thanks to a new federal initiative called Help to Buy.
This scheme is designed to help eligible buyers get into the market with as little as a 2% deposit, with the government stepping in to co-purchase a portion of the property alongside you.
Depending on what you’re buying, the government could contribute:
Up to 40% for new homes
Up to 30% for existing homes
That means a much smaller loan, potentially lower repayments, and no need for Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
But there are a few things to keep in mind:
It’s only open to eligible buyers, with annual income of $100,000* or less for individuals or $160,000* or less for couples or single parents
You’ll need to live in the home, not rent it out
Property price caps apply, and they vary by state
Places are limited, and demand is expected to be high
Note: *As of 24 March 2025, there has been no set date for implementing the new income caps. For more information, please visit this page.
Source: treasury.gov.au
Stamp duty concessions and exemptions
Stamp duty, also known as transfer duty, is a state and territory government tax charged when the legal ownership of an asset, such as a car or property, is transferred from one person to another.
Each time you purchase a property, you will need to pay an upfront stamp duty free.
Stamp duty fees are calculated on a sliding scale. So, the amount you’ll be charged will depend on the type of property you buy, where it’s located and the value of the property.
As a general rule of thumb, stamp duty will typically cost 3-4% of the price of the property.
Each state and territory has its own eligibility requirements for stamp duty concessions and exemptions.
Can you be eligible for multiple first home buyer grants and concessions at once?
Yes, you can apply and qualify for multiple first home buyer schemes at the same time, given you meet each of their individual criteria.
Due to various factors like property price caps, you may not be eligible for all of these schemes.
All our Aussie Brokers are experts in the field of home loans, including first home buyer grants and concessions. Book an appointment today to feel confident when buying your first home.
