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State First Home Owner Grant

Cash toward your
first new home.

The First Home Owner Grant is a one-off cash payment from your state or territory for first-home buyers building or buying a brand-new home — from $10,000 up to $30,000 in Queensland and Tasmania, and $50,000 in the NT. Here's how much you can get, who qualifies, and how a broker gets it applied at settlement.

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Grant by state

Pick where you're buying.

Queensland

$30,000

New home under $750k (contracts from 20 Nov 2023).

Indicative amounts for new homes as at 2026. Grants, value caps and dates are set by each state or territory and change regularly — always confirm the current rules for your location before you sign.

The basics

What is the First Home Owner Grant?

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a one-off cash grant paid by your state or territory government when you buy or build your first home. Unlike the 5% Deposit Scheme or Help to Buy, it's real money contributed toward the purchase — not a guarantee or an equity share.

The catch is that it almost always applies to brand-new homes only — building, a house-and-land package, or a newly built property that no one has lived in. Established (existing) homes generally don't qualify. Each state sets its own amount, its own property value cap, and its own rules.

Because it's state-run, it's the one first-home benefit that varies most across the country — from $10,000 in NSW, Victoria and WA, to $15,000 in SA, $30,000 in Queensland and Tasmania, and up to $50,000 for a new build in the NT. The ACT no longer offers a grant, using stamp duty concessions instead.

Step by step

How the grant works.

Four moving parts. The one worth getting right is the application — done through your lender, the grant lands at settlement instead of being claimed back weeks later.

01

Check your state's rules

Confirm the grant amount, the property value cap and what counts as a 'new' home where you're buying — the rules differ in every state and territory.

02

Buy or build a new home

The grant is for new homes: building, a house-and-land package, or a newly constructed property. Established homes usually don't qualify.

03

Apply through your lender at settlement

Most lenders are approved agents and lodge the grant with your loan, so it's paid at settlement and counts toward the funds you bring. A broker sets this up with the right lender.

04

Move in and meet the residence rule

You generally must move in within 12 months and live there for at least 6 continuous months as your home — not rent it out from day one.

The 2026 numbers

What the grant looks like now.

The headline features across the country. The full state-by-state amounts are in the table below — and a broker can confirm the current rules where you're buying.

$10k–$50k

Depending on your state

$30k in QLD & TAS; up to $50k for an NT new build.

New homes

What qualifies

Building or buying brand-new; established homes usually don't.

At settlement

When you get it

Lodged through your lender so it offsets funds on the day.

Stackable

With other help

Often combines with the 5% scheme and stamp duty concessions.

State by state

How much in each state.

Grant amounts for new homes as at 2026. Every state also applies its own property value cap and eligibility rules, and several have time-limited boosts — always confirm the current position for your location before you sign a contract.

State / territory

Grant

For a new home

New South Wales

$10,000

New home up to $600k (house & land up to $750k).

Victoria

$10,000

New or newly built home up to $750k.

Queensland

$30,000

New home under $750k (contracts from 20 Nov 2023).

Western Australia

$10,000

Value caps apply by region (metro vs north).

South Australia

$15,000

New home — no property value cap.

Tasmania

$30,000

Building or buying a new home.

Northern Territory

$50,000

New home under the HomeGrown Territory Grant.

ACT

No grant

Replaced by stamp duty concessions instead.

Indicative only — grants and caps are set by state and territory governments and change regularly. Confirm the current amount, value cap and closing dates with your state revenue office or a broker before making an offer.

Both sides of it

The upside — and the catches.

Free money toward a first home is a genuine boost — but the "new homes only" rule and value caps rule a lot of buyers out. A broker checks whether your plan actually qualifies before you count on it.

What it can unlock

Real cash toward your first home — from $10,000 up to $50,000 depending on the state.
Paid at settlement through your lender, so it reduces the funds you bring on the day.
Often stacks with the 5% Deposit Scheme and first-home stamp duty concessions.
No repayment and no equity share — it's a grant, not a loan.

What to weigh up

New homes only — building, house-and-land or newly built; established homes usually miss out.
Property value caps apply in most states, so pricier homes can fall outside the grant.
You must move in within 12 months and live there for at least 6 continuous months.
Amounts, caps and closing dates differ by state and can change, so timing matters.

Worked example

Stacking a grant with a low deposit.

Picture a first-home buyer in Queensland looking at a $650,000 house-and-land package. Because it's a new build under the state's value cap, it could attract the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant — and because they're a first home buyer, the 5% Deposit Scheme could let them in without Lenders' Mortgage Insurance.

Used together, the grant lands at settlement and offsets the cash they need on the day, while the deposit scheme keeps their upfront savings low and skips the LMI bill. What looked like years of saving suddenly looks like months.

This is where a broker earns their keep: confirming the build qualifies as "new", checking the property sits under both the grant and scheme caps, lodging the grant through a lender that applies it at settlement, and making sure the income comfortably passes serviceability. The grant is only useful if the whole structure lines up — and that's the part worth getting right.

This is an illustrative example, not a specific client. Grant amounts, value caps and eligibility are set by each state or territory, change regularly, and every application is subject to individual circumstances and approval. This is general information within Australian Credit Licence scope and is not financial, tax or credit advice — seek advice suited to your own situation before proceeding.

Keep readingThe 5% Deposit Scheme — buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI

First Home Owner Grant FAQs

Questions, answered.

It depends on your state or territory. For new homes it's $10,000 in NSW, Victoria and WA, $15,000 in South Australia, $30,000 in Queensland and Tasmania, and up to $50,000 for a new build in the Northern Territory. The ACT no longer offers a grant, using stamp duty concessions instead. Each state also sets its own property value cap and closing dates, which change regularly.

Usually no. The First Home Owner Grant is almost always limited to new homes — building, a house-and-land package, or a newly constructed property no one has lived in. Established (second-hand) homes generally don't qualify, though first-home stamp duty concessions may still apply to them.

Yes — this is one grant where a broker is directly useful. Most lenders are approved agents for the grant, so it can be lodged with your home loan and paid at settlement rather than claimed back later. A broker helps you choose a lender that processes it, confirms your build or purchase qualifies, and makes sure the timing works.

Often, yes. The First Home Owner Grant and the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme are separate programs and can usually be used together on an eligible new home — the grant reduces the cash you need at settlement while the scheme lets you buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI. First-home stamp duty concessions may stack on top as well. A broker checks which you qualify for and how they combine.

Yes. The grant is for owner-occupiers, not investors. In most states you must move in within 12 months of completion or settlement and live there continuously for at least 6 months. If you don't meet the residence rule you may have to repay the grant.

If your lender lodges the grant as an approved agent, it's typically applied at settlement (or at the relevant construction stage for a build), so it goes straight toward the funds required. If you apply directly to your state revenue office instead, it can take longer to come through. A broker will usually arrange the lender route so it lands when you need it.

How much could
you claim?

Ask a licensed broker whether your build or purchase qualifies for the grant, how it stacks with the 5% scheme and stamp duty concessions, and how to get it applied at settlement. No phone number, no obligation.

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