How the First Home Owner Grant works

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is paid by each state's government to eligible first homeowners to lessen the impact of the government fees involved with buying a home, and encourage new home buyers to get into the market. Although it differs from state to state, generally the FHOG is available to applicants who are over 18, permanent residents or Australian citizens, and who haven't previously owned a residential property anywhere in Australia. You may also need to live in your property for a minimum period of time once you have bought it.

How it works

Generally speaking, the FHOG is only available if you are looking to buy or build a new home. Already established homes are not covered. A property is considered 'new' if it has not been previously lived in or sold as a home. A home could also be classed as 'new' if it has been substantially renovated - but this requires most of the building and rooms to have been renovated.

Your conveyancer or solicitor can apply for your FHOG for you, or you can apply directly to the state revenue office if you're a do-it-yourselfer.

At Tic:Toc, we only lend for established houses, so this excludes lending for construction, land and off-the-plan. Most First Home Owner grants are only available for construction.

Unfortunately, where a FHOG is available for an established build, we can’t consider it as part of your deposit amount. So, while you’ll be able to get the cash, it won’t be considered towards your deposit in your Tic:Toc home loan application.

If you believe you are eligible for the First Home Owners Grant you will need to apply for the grant separate to your Tic:Toc Home Loan and, if approved, you will need to confirm with your conveyancer or solicitor that the funds will be made available at settlement.

State-by-state breakdown

(last updated April 2022)

South Australia

• Up to $15,000 for eligible home buyers
• Available for new properties up to the value of $575,000
• You’ll need to live in the property for 6 months once you have bought it
• You must be 18 or over
• At least one applicant needs to be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• No applicant can be a company or trust
• You can’t have owned a home prior to 1^st July 2000
• You can’t have lived in a home that you owned after 1^st July 2000 (for six consecutive months or more)

In South Australia, first home owners apply to RevenueSA and, once approved, could be eligible for up to $15,000 if they meet the criteria. The FHOG is only available to first home owners who are building or buying a new home with a max value of $575,000. If you are applying with someone else, both of you will need to be 18 or over, but only one of you needs to be an Australian resident.

You can find more information specific to the South Australian FHOG here.

Australian Capital Territory

• A grant of up to $7000 was available until 30th June 2019.

• The FHOG has been replaced with the Home buyer concession scheme, which eliminates or reduces the amount of stamp duty payable

• For 2021-22, the maximum concession amount is $35,910

• The concession is available for all properties within the ACT, new and old. This includes land.

• All buyers of the property must be at least 18 years old.

• The total gross income of the buyers must meet an income threshold to be eligible.

• Buyers can not have owned property within the previous 2 years.At least one of the buyers must reside in the property for a minimum period of 12 months.

In the ACT the FHOG was only available until the 30th of June 2019. It gave eligible first home owners up to $7,000. The FHOG was replaced by the Home buyer concession scheme from 1st July 2019, which reduces the amount of stamp duty payable on property purchases in the 2021-22 period by up to $35,910. The concession is available for all properties of any value, newly built or pre-existing. The concession also applies to land purchases. To be eligible for the concession the buyers need to meet a total gross income threshold, which ranges from $160,000 to $176,650 depending on the number of dependent children. The buyers also need to have not owned property in the last two years and at least one buyer needs to live in the property for at least one year.

You can find more information specific to the Australian Capital Territory FHOG here.

New South Wales

• Up to $10,000 for eligible home buyers
• Available for new properties up to the value of $600,000 OR;
• When building a home with a total value up to $750,000
• Full or partial exemption from paying transfer (stamp) duty for eligible home buyers
• You’ll need to live in the property for 6 months once you have bought it
• You must be 18 or over
• At least one applicant must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• No applicant can be a company or trust
• You can’t have owned a home prior to 1^st July 2000
• You can’t have lived in a home that you owned after 1^st July 2000 (for six consecutive months or more)
• You can’t have previously received a grant

The FHOG in NSW gives eligible first home owners up to $10,000 through NSW Government Revenue. Eligible applicants must be buying a new home no more than $600,000 in value or building a home no more than $750,000 in value. A First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme is available for eligible first home buyers, which entitles them to a concessional rate of transfer duty, or a full exemption from paying it.

You can find more information specific to the New South Wales FHOG here.

Victoria

• Up to $10,000 for eligible home buyers

• Available for new properties up to the value of $750,000

• Land transfer (stamp) duty exemption or concession for eligible home buyers

• You’ll need to live in the property for 12 months once you have bought it

• You must be 18 or over

• At least one applicant must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen

• You can’t have owned a home prior to 1st July 2000

• You can’t have lived in a home that you owned after 1st July 2000

• You can’t have previously received a grant

The Victorian FHOG gives up to $10,000 to eligible home buyers. The grant is only available on new homes no more than $750,000 in value. Home buyers who receive the FHOG will be required to live in the property for 12 months after purchasing it. As a first home buyer, you could also be exempt from paying transfer duty on your property if it is valued at $600,000 or less. Otherwise you could receive a transfer duty concession if your property is valued between $600,001 and $750,000.

You can find more information specific to the Victorian FHOG here.

Northern Territory

• Up to $10,000 for eligible home buyers
• Household goods grant of up to $2000
• You’ll need to live in the property for 12 months once you have bought it
• At least one applicant must be 18 or over
• At least one applicant must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• No applicant can be a company or trust
• You can’t have owned a home prior to 1st July 2000
• You can’t have lived in a home that you owned after 1st July 2000
• You can’t have previously received a grant
  

Up until 6th May 2019 Northern Territory first home owners could receive up to $26,000 with the FHOG as well as up to $23,928.60 in stamp duty reductions. Sadly, after this date the amount will has been reduced to $10,000 with no stamp duty reduction. First home owners also have access to a Household goods grant of up to $2000.

You can find more information specific to the Northern Territory FHOG here.

Queensland

• Up to $15,000 for eligible home buyers

• Available for new properties up to the value of $750,000

• Transfer (stamp) duty concession of up to $15,925 of properties valued under $550,000, or a full exemption for properties valued under $500,000

• You’ll need to live in the property for 6 months once you have bought it

• You must be 18 or over

• At least one applicant needs to be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen

• You can’t have lived in any home that you have owned

• You can’t have already received a grant

The Queensland FHOG is available on properties valued at $750,000 or less. You can receive up to $15,000 if you are eligible, as well as a transfer duty concession of up to $15,925 if your property is valued under $550,000 (and a full exemption for properties valued under $500,000). If you receive the FHOG you would need to live in the property for a minimum of 6 months.

You can find more information specific to the Queensland FHOG here.

Western Australia

• Up to $10,000 for eligible home buyers

• Available for new properties (located south of the 26th parallel of south latitude — which includes the Perth metro area) up to the value of $750,000

• Available for new properties (located north of the 26th parallel of south latitude) up to the value of $1,000,000

• Transfer (stamp) duty exemption or concession for eligible home buyers

• You’ll need to live in the property for 6 months once you have bought it

• You must be 18 or over

• At least one applicant needs to be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen

• No applicant can be a company or trust

• You can’t have owned a home prior to 1st July 2000

• You can’t have lived in a home that you owned after 1st July 2000 (for 6 consecutive months or more after the 1st July 2004)

• You can’t have previously received a grant

Depending on where it is located, a property valued up to $750,000 south of the 26th parallel of south latitude and up to $1,000,000 north of the 26th parallel of south latitude could be eligible for the FHOG. First home buyers could receive up to $10,000 and will need to live in the property for 6 months after purchasing it.

You can find more information specific to the Western Australian FHOG here.

Tasmania

• Up to $30,000 for eligible home buyers (until 30th June 2023)

• Available for new properties only

• Transfer duty concession of up to 50% for first home buyers purchasing an existing property up to a value of $600,000 (until 30 June 2023)

• No purchase price limit

• You’ll need to live in the property 6 months once you have bought it

• You must be 18 or over

• You must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen

• No applicant can be a company or trust

• You can’t have owned a home before 1st July 2000

• You can’t have lived in a home that you have owned after 1st July 2000 (for 6 consecutive months or more)

• You can’t have previously received a grant

Up until the 30th June 2019 Tasmania will offer up to $20,000 for eligible first home buyers. After that the amount will drop down to $10,000. Good news though, there’s no cap on how much your property can be valued in order to be eligible for the grant.

You can find more information specific to the Tasmanian FHOG here.

If you’d like to, learn more about the great rates and options that we have at Tic:Toc.