State Grants & Stamp Duty Relief
Currently (2026), NSW first-home buyers have several significant forms of government assistance. They can potentially use more than one of the following:
FHBAS (First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme) – potentially the biggest saving. Eligible first-home buyers pay no transfer duty (stamp duty) on a new or established home worth $800k or less. For properties costing $800k to $1M, a concessional duty rate applies. For vacant land, the full exemption applies up to $350k with concessions up to $450k.
$10k First Home Owner Grant – Available when buying or building a new home, including a newly built house, townhouse or apartment, or a substantially renovated home. The purchase price must generally be $600k or less. For vacant land plus a comprehensive building contract, the combined cost must be $750k or less. It is not available for established homes.
Australian Government Home Guarantee Scheme – First-home buyers may also be able to purchase with a smaller deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), subject to the applicable eligibility, income and property-price requirements. This can substantially reduce the upfront cash required.
Shared-equity arrangements – NSW recognises approved shared-equity schemes, although Revenue NSW currently states that there are no schemes approved by the Chief Commissioner under its specific NSW framework
Get in touch to organise an appointment with one of our NSW Specialist.
Victorian first-home buyers currently have several major grants and concessions available. Importantly, some can be combined, so an eligible buyer may benefit simultaneously.
First Home Owner Grant – $10k
Available for an eligible new home in Victoria worth $750k or less. The property can be a house, townhouse, apartment or unit and must become your principal place of residence.
First Home Buyer Stamp Duty Exemption
For an eligible first-home buyer purchasing a new or established property worth up to $600k, there is no stamp duty.
First Home Buyer Stamp Duty Concession
For properties valued between $600k and $750k, a reduced rate of stamp duty applies. This also applies to vacant land intended for your first home.
Off-the-plan concession - Eligible buyers purchasing apartments or townhouses off the plan can potentially substantially reduce their dutiable value. The temporary Victorian concession has been extended to 21 April 2027. A first-home buyer may potentially combine this with the first-home buyer duty concession and FHOG where eligible.
Australian Government Help to Buy
Eligible buyers can purchase with a minimum 2% deposit, with the Commonwealth contributing up to 30% for an existing home or 40% for a new home. Importantly, Help to Buy can still be used alongside Victorian stamp-duty concessions and grants.
Get in touch to speak to a Victorian specialist
First Home Owner Grant — up to $30,000.
The Queensland First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) provides $30,000 to eligible first-home buyers who purchase or build a new home. The $30,000 grant has been extended for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026. The property must generally be a new home valued at less than $750,000, including land. There is no FHOG for established homes.
First-home transfer duty concession — established homes.
If buying an existing property, first-home buyers may qualify for the Queensland first home concession. For eligible purchases below $800,000, the concession can save up to $24,525 in transfer duty. Properties valued at $700,000 or less can attract zero transfer duty, provided the eligibility requirements are met. Note there are some residency category requirements for this grant.
New-home transfer duty concession — no price cap
For a first-home buyer purchasing a new or substantially renovated home, Queensland provides a full transfer-duty concession, meaning no transfer duty is payable on the qualifying residential component. Importantly, there is no property-value cap for this concession. It can also be combined with the $30,000 FHOG if the buyer satisfies both sets of requirements.
Vacant land concession
First-home buyers purchasing vacant residential land to build their first home can also receive a full transfer-duty concession. There is no value cap on the land, although the concession only applies to the residential component.
Boost to Buy
Queensland's Boost to Buy shared-equity scheme can allow eligible first-home buyers to purchase with a deposit as low as 2%. The Queensland Government contributes a share of the purchase price, reducing the amount the buyer needs to borrow. The scheme has limited places and eligibility requirements, including property-price limits.
We'll show you what your likely options are, giving you an easy to understand comparison of various loan types.
While home loans can be quite complex we'll show you what the repayments could look like when market conditions change, along with the pros and cons of each different type of loan
We're currently reviewing the options for Tasmania.
South Australian first-home buyers currently have two significant state government benefits, which can potentially be used together.
1. First Home Owner Grant — up to $15k
Eligible first-home buyers can receive a one-off grant of up to $15k when purchasing or building a new home in South Australia. This includes new houses, apartments, townhouses, off-the-plan properties and substantially renovated homes. There is currently no property-value cap for contracts entered into from 6 June 2024.
2. First-home buyer stamp duty relief — potentially 100%
Eligible first-home buyers can receive full stamp duty relief when purchasing a new home, off-the-plan apartment or vacant land on which they intend to build their home. For contracts entered into on or after 13 February 2025, there is no property-value cap, meaning the full stamp duty that would otherwise be payable can be eliminated.
Importantly, established (previously occupied) homes do not qualify for this first-home buyer stamp duty relief. However, An eligible buyer purchasing a qualifying new home could potentially receive both the $15k FHOG and full stamp duty relief.
Formal approval generally occurs after you've found the property and the lender has everything it needs to make the final credit decision.
