First Home Buyer Grants & Schemes 2026: Every State Guide
Complete guide to every first home buyer grant, stamp duty exemption, and government scheme available in Australia in 2026. Covers FHOG, Home Guarantee Scheme, Help to Buy, and state-specific programs.
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) by state in 2026
The First Home Owner Grant is a one-off payment available in every state and territory, but the amount and conditions vary significantly. New South Wales offers $10,000 for new homes valued up to $750,000. Victoria provides $10,000 for new homes up to $750,000, increasing to $20,000 in regional Victoria. Queensland offers $30,000 — the most generous — for new homes up to $750,000. Western Australia provides $10,000 for new homes (no price cap for established homes in some programs). South Australia offers $15,000 for new homes up to $650,000. Tasmania provides $30,000 for new builds (matching Queensland's generosity). The ACT offers no FHOG but has other concessions. The Northern Territory provides $10,000 for new or established homes. In all states, the FHOG applies only to your first home purchase, you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and you must live in the property for at least 6–12 months after settlement.
Stamp duty exemptions and concessions for first home buyers
Stamp duty exemptions save first home buyers even more than the FHOG in most cases. In NSW, properties up to $800,000 receive a full exemption, with a sliding concession up to $1,000,000 — saving up to $31,000. Victoria offers a full exemption on properties up to $600,000 and a concession up to $750,000, saving up to $31,000. Queensland provides a concession of up to $17,350 on properties up to $700,000, with partial concessions to $800,000. WA offers no stamp duty on properties up to $430,000 for first home buyers, with concessions above. SA gives full stamp duty relief on properties up to $650,000. Tasmania offers a 50% duty concession for first home buyers. The ACT provides a full stamp duty concession for properties up to $1,000,000 with a household income below $170,000. These exemptions can save $15,000–$40,000 and should be factored into your purchase price strategy — buying just below the threshold can save tens of thousands.
Home Guarantee Scheme: buy with just 5% deposit
The Australian Government's Home Guarantee Scheme allows eligible first home buyers to purchase with as little as 5% deposit (2% for single parents) without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The government guarantees the difference between your deposit and the usual 20% requirement. There are three streams: the First Home Guarantee (35,000 places per year, minimum 5% deposit), the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee (10,000 places, minimum 5% deposit, regional areas only), and the Family Home Guarantee (5,000 places, single parents, minimum 2% deposit). Property price caps apply: $900,000 in Sydney, $800,000 in Melbourne, $700,000 in Brisbane, and lower in other areas and regions. Income caps are $125,000 for singles and $200,000 for couples. On a $700,000 purchase, avoiding LMI saves approximately $15,000–$25,000. Applications are made through participating lenders — not all banks participate, so check the Housing Australia website for the current list.
Help to Buy scheme and Family Home Guarantee
The Help to Buy scheme is an equity contribution scheme where the government contributes up to 40% of the purchase price for a new home (30% for existing homes), with the buyer needing only a 2% deposit. The buyer holds title and lives in the property, paying the mortgage only on their share. Income caps apply: $90,000 for singles and $120,000 for couples. Property price caps vary by location, generally $500,000–$950,000. The buyer can purchase the government's share over time as their income grows. This scheme dramatically reduces the deposit and mortgage required — on a $600,000 new home, the government contributes $240,000, meaning the buyer needs a mortgage of only $348,000 and a deposit of $12,000. The Family Home Guarantee targets single parents (natural or legal) with dependents, allowing purchases with just 2% deposit. This scheme has been life-changing for separated parents who lost their equity share in a divorce settlement and need to re-enter the property market.
State-specific bonus schemes in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland
Beyond the national schemes, individual states offer additional incentives. Victoria's First Home Buyer Duty Exemption is one of the most valuable: zero stamp duty on properties up to $600,000, saving up to $31,070. Victoria also offers the Victorian Homebuyer Fund, where the Victorian Government contributes up to 25% of the purchase price as a shared equity arrangement. NSW's First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme provides stamp duty exemptions up to $800,000 and the optional annual property tax for first home buyers up to $1.5 million. NSW also offers Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper for essential workers (nurses, teachers, police) with the government contributing up to 40% of the price. Queensland's FirstHomeBoostGrant at $30,000 is the most generous direct cash grant, and Queensland also offers the Queensland Housing Finance Loan for eligible buyers with deposit gaps. Always check your state revenue office website for the most current thresholds, as these are adjusted periodically.
Tips to maximise your first home buyer benefits
Strategic planning can significantly increase your total benefits. First, know your price thresholds: buying at $795,000 in NSW gives you a full stamp duty exemption, but buying at $805,000 means you pay partial duty — that $10,000 higher purchase price could cost you an additional $15,000+ in duty. Second, check whether you qualify for multiple schemes simultaneously: you can potentially combine the FHOG ($10,000–$30,000), stamp duty exemption ($15,000–$31,000), and Home Guarantee Scheme (LMI saving of $15,000–$25,000) on a single purchase, totalling $40,000–$86,000 in benefits. Third, consider building new: in most states, the FHOG applies only to new homes, meaning building a house-and-land package or buying off-the-plan can unlock grants unavailable for established homes. Fourth, partner carefully: if one person in a couple has previously owned property, the other may still qualify as a first home buyer — get specific advice from your state revenue office. Use our Stamp Duty Calculator to model exact savings for your target purchase price and state.
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General information and estimates only — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Always verify with a licensed adviser or the ATO.
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