
First homeowners buying a property in 2025 know what a huge milestone they are achieving. That said, it can be somewhat daunting too. It’s not only a huge financial commitment but can be made seriously confusing by all of the jargon and different incentives that are involved. In this article, we break down what’s available to First Home Buyers in Australia including concessions, incentives and grants and which state these apply to.
These programs are designed to make homeownership more achievable, especially for first-time buyers who might find the costs of entering the property market daunting. From upfront savings like stamp duty exemptions to long-term benefits like superannuation schemes, these incentives can significantly reduce the financial strain. Understanding how these grants and concessions work—and how they can be combined—will put you in the best position to take advantage of what’s on offer.
View your state here:
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- National
First Home Buyers in ACT
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
The ACT currently doesn’t offer any First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concessions.
First Home Owner Grant ACT
The ACT no longer has a First Home Owners Grant, but instead offers alternative options through the Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) for all eligible individuals. This scheme gives home buyers a maximum concession of $34,270 on all properties that are eligible for the scheme. All properties and buyers are eligible for this scheme, applying to vacant residential land and both new and established homes in the ACT.
First Home Owner Grant Eligibility
There are a few requirements that need to be met to be eligible for the Home Buyer Concession Scheme. To be eligible for the HBCS, the income of all homebuyers and their partners over the full financial must be less than or equal to a pre-determined threshold.
For all other eligibility requirements, visit the ACT website here.
First Home Buyers in New South Wales
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
In New South Wales, first-home buyers have the opportunity to significantly reduce their upfront costs through the transfer duty exemption. If the property you purchase is valued at less than $800,000, you won’t pay any transfer duty at all, offering a saving of up to $21,529. This exemption can be a game-changer for first-time buyers, helping to ease the financial pressure associated with buying a home.
For properties valued between $800,000 and $1,000,000, you can still benefit from a partial concession. The transfer duty is calculated on a sliding scale, meaning the closer the property’s value is to $800,000, the more you’ll save. This makes it a valuable incentive for those looking to purchase in the higher price range but still qualify for some assistance.
To determine how much transfer duty you’ll need to pay—or how much you could save—check out the NSW Revenue transfer duty calculator for a clear estimate tailored to your situation.
First Homeowner Grant New South Wales
The First Home Owner Grant provides a $10,000 financial boost to first-time buyers in Sydney and New South Wales when purchasing or building a brand-new home. Unlike stamp duty concessions, which reduce the amount you pay, this grant offers direct financial assistance. However, with the introduction of the stamp duty concession, the grant is now strictly limited to those purchasing newly constructed or off-the-plan properties. Unfortunately, if you’re buying an existing home, you won’t qualify for this grant.
First Home Buyers Grant Eligibility
To qualify for the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, you must either purchase a newly built property priced at $600,000 or less or construct a new home where the combined value of the land and build doesn’t exceed $750,000. Additionally, if you’re buying a substantially renovated property, it must not exceed a purchase price of $600,000.
There are further requirements to meet eligibility. To find out if you qualify, visit the State Revenue Office website and complete their quick online assessment.
First Home Buyers in the Northern Territory
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
If you’re considering purchasing a house in the Northern Territory, it’s important to note that there are currently no specific stamp duty concessions for first-home buyers. However, the House and Land Package Exemption (HLPE) offers substantial savings for those buying house and land packages. This exemption applies to contracts signed before 30 June 2027, providing an opportunity to significantly reduce or even eliminate stamp duty costs.
First Homeowner Grant Northern Territory
The Northern Territory has introduced a new First Home Owner Grant offering three different grants for first-home buyers and existing homeowners, with amounts ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. These grants aim to make homeownership more accessible and affordable for eligible buyers.
First-home buyers can access a generous $50,000 grant if they choose to build or purchase a newly constructed home. Alternatively, a $10,000 grant is available for first-home buyers purchasing an existing property. This provides flexibility for buyers, whether they’re looking to build their dream home or move into an established property.
First Home Buyer Grant Eligibility
To be eligible for the NT First Home Owner Grant, you must be 18 years or older, an Australian citizen or permanent resident (or applying with someone who is), and a first-home buyer who has not previously owned property or received the grant. You must sign a contract to purchase a home before 30 September 2025.
For the full list of eligibility criteria, click here.
First Home Buyers in Queensland
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
In Queensland, first-home buyers can benefit from generous stamp duty concessions. The first home buyer transfer duty exemption allows you to avoid paying any transfer duty entirely if the property is valued at less than $700,000. This can save you up to $24,525—a substantial amount the state government provides to help you step into the property market.
For properties valued between $701,000 and $799,000, transfer duty is calculated on a sliding scale. You can find out how much duty applies to your property purchase using the calculator on the Queensland Revenue website.
First Homeowner Grant Queensland
The First Home Owner Grant offers financial assistance to first-time buyers by providing up to $30,000 when purchasing or building a brand-new property in Brisbane or Queensland. Unlike stamp duty concessions, this grant gives you money directly, making it a valuable boost for those entering the property market. However, it’s important to note that the grant is only available for new builds or newly constructed homes. Unfortunately, if you’re buying an existing property, you won’t be eligible for the First Home Owner Grant.
First Home Buyers Grant Eligibility
To qualify for the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant, you must either purchase a new (or substantially renovated) property valued at less than $750,000 that has never been occupied or build a new home with a total value of up to $750,000, including both the land and construction costs.
Additional criteria may apply, and you can easily check your eligibility for the First Home Owner Grant by completing a quick questionnaire on the State Revenue Office website.
First Home Buyers in South Australia
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
In South Australia, first-home buyers do have access to stamp duty relief with the concession available. Anyone buying their first home can apply for the concession and won’t need to pay duty on existing homes up to $650,000 or vacant land (bought to build your first home) valued up to $400,000. Alternatively, eligible homes valued between $650,001 and $700,000 will also receive partial stamp duty relief.
First Homeowner Grant South Australia
The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) in South Australia provides eligible individuals with up to $15,000 to assist with purchasing or building a new home. This grant is available for homes intended to be used as the buyer’s principal place of residence.
The grant offers flexibility, allowing recipients to choose from a variety of property types, including houses, apartments, townhouses, or villas.
First Home Owner Grant Eligibility
To be eligible for the grant in South Australia, the property you purchase or build must have a value of $650,000 or less. This requirement ensures the grant is targeted toward making homeownership more accessible for a wide range of buyers.
Additionally, applicants must reside in the property as their principal place of residence for a minimum of six months within the first 12 months of ownership.
For more details on eligibility requirements and how to apply, click here.
First Home Buyers in Tasmania
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
Like the other states, Tasmania also offers relief with a stamp duty concession. As of mid-2024, stamp duty has been removed on properties valued under $750,000 offering savings of up to $28,945 in stamp duty fees, but need to live in the home for six out of the first twelve months. This grant is available until 30 June 2026 and does have set eligibility which can be viewed here.
Further, first-home buyers in Tasmania have access to a First Home Owner Grant on top of avoiding stamp duty fees.
First Home Owner Grant Tasmania
Tasmania does have a First Home Owner Grant available. This grant is worth up to $10,000 and is available to all eligible applications who purchase or build a new home in Tasmania. This grant can be put towards anything, including to the deposit.
First Home Owner Grant Eligibility
When applying for a First Home Owner Grant in Tasmania, there are a few requirements in order to be eligible for the grant such as you must occupy the residence for at least six months out of the first twelve months.
To view all the criteria for this loan, visit the First Home Owner Grant page.
First Home Buyers in Victoria
First Home Buyer Stamp duty exemption or concession
A stamp duty concession is exactly what you think it is – a reduction in the amount of stamp duty you are required to pay. The first home buyer stamp duty exemption is where you don’t pay any stamp duty at all. This stamp duty exemption and stamp duty concession applies across Victoria, including metro Melbourne.
If the property you buy is valued at $600,000 or less, then you don’t have to pay any stamp duty. That’s right. Nothing. Based on a property of $600,000 that’s a savings of up to $31,070. So, it’s a pretty generous chunk of money the state government are forgoing to help you get into your first home.
If the property is worth $600,001 – $750,000 then you pay stamp duty on a sliding scale. This is the concession element, whereby the higher the value of the property you purchase, the higher the stamp duty you pay will be.
Check out our handy calculator here to work out what you would have to pay based on property in this bracket.
First Homeowner Grant Victoria
The First Home Owners Grant is different to the first home buyers stamp duty exemption or concession in that the government gives you money – $10,000 in total if you buy or build a new property in Melbourne or Victoria. With the introduction of the stamp duty concession, the First Homeowners Grant is only available to anyone who is building or buying a brand-new property. If you are buying an established property unfortunately there is no First Homeowner Grant.
First Home Buyers Grant Eligibility
To be eligible to receive the $10,000 First Homeowners Grant in 2025, you need to be buying a new property valued up to $750,000 that has never been lived in OR be building a new property valued up to $750,000.
There are some other criteria too, you can check your First Home Buyers Grant eligibility online here by answering a few questions on the State Revenue Office website.
Homebuyer Fund
The Victorian Homebuyer Fund is a shared equity scheme making it easier for Victorians to own a home with the government is contributing up to 25% of a property purchase in a shared equity scheme.
*Please note that this scheme ends on 30 June 2025*
First Home Buyers in Western Australia
First Home Buyer transfer duty exemption or concession
In Western Australia, first-home buyers can benefit from stamp duty concessions. If you buy your first home under $450,000, you will not need to pay any stamp duty on the property. For properties between $450,001 and $600,000, there is a concessional rate available on your stamp duty. However, if you are a foreign buyer (Non-Australian citizen) you may be required to pay additional duties.
First Homeowner Grant Western Australia
The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a one-off payment designed to encourage and support first-home buyers in purchasing or building a new property to use as their primary residence. This initiative aims to make homeownership more achievable for individuals and families taking their first step into the property market.
The grant provides $10,000 to all eligible applicants, offering financial assistance that can be put towards the costs of buying or constructing a new home. This program is an excellent opportunity for first-home buyers to reduce upfront expenses and ease the financial burden associated with property ownership.
First Home Buyer Grant Eligibility
To qualify for the $10,000 Home Owner Grant, there are a few requirements that need to be met. One of those is that the value of the home if you’re planning on building a new home or an off-the-plan purchase must not exceed more than $750,000 or $1,000,000 (depending on location).
For other eligibility requirements, view them here.
National Schemes
Home Guarantee
The Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) is a Federal Government scheme designed to support eligible first-home buyers nationwide. This scheme includes three types of Guarantees:
- First Home Guarantee (FHBG) – this supports eligible home buyers to buy a home sooner, with a deposit of as little as 5%.
- Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee (RFHBG) – supporting regional home buyers with a deposit of as little as 5% accepted.
- Family Home Guarantee (FHG) – Supporting eligible single parents and eligible single legal guardians of at least one dependent, with a deposit of as little as 2%.
You can download the fact sheet here.
First Home Buyers Super Saver Scheme
The First Home Super Saver Scheme lets you save money in your superannuation, allowing you to save faster than outside super thanks to concessional tax treatment within your super fund.
You can make extra contributions either before (concessional) or after-tax (non-concessional) into your super fund and withdraw up to the cap of $15,000 in any one year and up to $50,000 across all years. This is an individual cap, so couples can save up to $100,000 in total.
We would very strongly recommend speaking to an accountant before you decide to engage in the First Home Super Saver Scheme. It’s a pretty confusing area and there are quite a lot of rules and regulations that you’ll need to adhere to.
Get in touch if you’d like to chat with an accountant, we have some experts in our entourage who will help you wrap your head around what you can and can’t do through the FHSSS.
You can download the fact sheet here.
Support from parents/guardians
Many first-home buyers are able to purchase with support from their parents or guardians, in conjunction with some of the incentives mentioned above. Check out our article here on how parents can assist in buying your first home.