Buying your first home

The First Home Owner Grant is a national first home buyer scheme designed to help Australians with buying their first property. Each state and territory have their own criteria to be eligible, but in general to be eligible you’ll need to be over the age of 18, a permanent resident or Australian citizen, and you can’t have previously owned a residential property anywhere in Australia.

State-by-state breakdown (last updated April 2022)

South Australia

• Up to $15,000 for eligible first 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 1st July 2000

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

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.

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

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

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

Queensland

• Up to $15,000 for eligible home buyer
• 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

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

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

Stepping onto the housing ladder for the first time also means accessing great first home buyer benefits. Most states offer some form of stamp duty/land transfer duty discount. New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and the ACT all offer either a full exemption or partial concession on stamp duty/land transfer duty for first home buyers. Unfortunately, South Australia and the Northern Territory don’t currently offer any form of stamp duty/land transfer duty discount for first home buyers at this time.

You’ll need the following things when buying your first home:

• A deposit for your home loan (usually 20% of your loan amount, or 10% if you pay LMI)

• Funds to pay for government and third party fees

• Your bank statements

• PAYG summaries

• Income statements

• Details of any other debt or financial responsibilities you currently have

With Tic:Toc you can get a first home owner loan with a minimum 10% deposit. If you have less than a 20% deposit you’ll need to pay Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI). LMI protects the lender in case you can’t make your repayments, the cost can be added to your total loan amount (but keep in mind this means you’ll have less to spend on your home). You’ll also need additional funds to cover any government and third party fees.