Government Grants And Schemes for First Home Buyers in Australia (2026 Guide)

Buying your first home is tough, especially when saving for a deposit while property prices rise.

The good news is that there are government grants and schemes for first-home buyers in Australia designed to help you enter the market sooner with a low deposit.

This page covers everything, from nationwide schemes like the First Home Guarantee, Help to Buy scheme, and First Home Super Saver Scheme to state-based schemes like the First Home Owner Grant, stamp duty exemption and concession and even shared-equity schemes.

What Government Schemes Are Available For First Home Buyers?

The government schemes and grants for first-home buyers in Australia are:

• First Home Guarantee
• First Home Super Saver Scheme
• Help to Buy
• First Home Owner Grant – this is state-specific
• Stamp duty exemption and concession – this is state-specific
• State-specific shared equity schemes

Government first-home buyer schemes are designed to make housing affordable by:

• Reducing the deposit required to as little as 5% if the property price.
• Helping you avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) even when your deposit is less than 20% of the property price.
• Offering government grants for first home buyers to use towards their purchase.
• Reducing or eliminating the need to pay stamp duty when buying your first home.
• Save for a deposit by accessing your super.
• Sharing the cost of the property via shared equity schemes so you borrow less.

Federal Government Home Buyer Schemes

Federal schemes are nationwide initiatives designed to help you buy sooner with a lower deposit. According to Housing Australia, these programs do not provide direct cash but instead reduce your borrowing costs and tax burdens.

What Is The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS)?

The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) allows you to save money for your first home inside your superannuation fund. By making voluntary super contributions, you benefit from concessional tax treatment, helping you build a deposit much faster than a standard savings account.

Maximum Benefit: Use up to $50,000 in voluntary contributions.

Key Rule: You must request a Notice of Assessment (determination) from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) before you sign a property contract.

What is the Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS)?

The Home Guarantee Scheme is an umbrella initiative by Housing Australia that allows eligible buyers to purchase a home with a deposit as low as 2% to 5% without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

The government guarantees the remaining standard 20% deposit amount.

What is the Help to Buy Scheme (Shared Equity)?

The Help to Buy scheme is a federal shared equity initiative where the government co-purchases your home.

The government provides an equity contribution of up to 30% for existing homes or 40% for new builds, dramatically lowering your required loan size and repayments.

Strict property price caps and income limits apply depending on your location. You must buy back the government’s share over time or when you eventually sell the house.

State-Specific Government Grants & Schemes For First Home Buyers

On top of the national support, each state and territory offers its own mix of help to make buying your first home affordable. These include the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) and state-backed shared-equity schemes that reduce how much you need to borrow.

Many states and territories also provide stamp duty concessions or full exemptions, saving you thousands at settlement.

First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)

The FHOG itself is a specific scheme introduced in July 2000, designed to offset the impact of the GST on housing affordability. Unlike federal initiatives, the FHOG is funded by state and territory governments and administered under their own legislation. That means:

• Each state and territory sets its own grant amount, property price caps, and eligibility rules.
• Some states (like QLD and TAS) offer up to $30,000, while others (like NSW and VIC) provide $10,000.
• Most limit the FHOG to newly built or substantially renovated homes, though conditions vary.

FHOG is a one-off payment to eligible buyers, but the details on how much you receive, what kind of property qualifies, and what price caps apply depend entirely on where in Australia you buy.

To be eligible for the FHOG:

• You (and your spouse/partner) must not have owned property in Australia.
• Must be at least 18 years of age
• At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (NZ citizens on a Special Category Visa are usually treated as permanent residents in some states).
• The property must be a new home (newly built, off-the-plan, or substantially renovated). Established homes usually don’t qualify, except under separate stamp duty concessions.
• You must live in the home as your principal place of residence within 12 months of settlement/completion and stay there for a minimum period (generally 6–12 continuous months).

Stamp Duty Exemptions & Concessions For First Home Buyers

Stamp duty (also called transfer duty) is a state and territory tax charged when you buy a property. For most buyers, it’s one of the largest upfront costs on top of their deposit.

To ease this burden, stamp duty exemptions and concessions are available for first-home buyers in Australia.

• A stamp duty exemption means you don’t have to pay duty at all if your property’s value is under a certain threshold.
• A stamp duty concession means you pay a reduced rate if your property is slightly above the exemption threshold.

To be eligible for stamp duty exemption or concession:

• You must be at least years of age.
• At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or, in some cases, a New Zealand citizen on a Special Category Visa.
• You (and/or your spouse or partner) must not have owned property in Australia before.
• You must move into the property within 12 months of settlement and live there continuously for at least 6-12 months.
• The property must fall under the exemption cap (no duty) or concession cap (reduced duty). These vary by state.

State-Specific Shared Equity Schemes

Shared equity schemes in Australia are government or partner-backed programs that allow home buyers to purchase a property by sharing the ownership cost with an equity partner, usually the government or a non-profit organisation.

Example: $176,500 Saved By Combining Schemes

By combining the First Home Guarantee, the NSW stamp duty exception and the $10,000 FHOG, you could reduce your upfront costs from $204,000 down to $27,500.

That’s a total saving of $176,500, enough to turn what felt like a decade of saving into buying your home sooner.

How to Apply for Government Housing Grants

Applying for government housing grants involves coordinating with state revenue offices, the ATO, and participating lenders. To ensure a smooth approval process, follow these steps:

Check your eligibility: Confirm that your income, citizenship status (Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident), and property price caps align with the specific grant criteria.

Get your Notice of Assessment: For schemes like the FHSSS, you must request a determination and release of funds from the ATO before closing on a property.

Apply through a participating lender or mortgage broker: Most guarantees cannot be applied for directly. Home Loan Experts can handle the entire application ecosystem for you, submitting the required government paperwork alongside your standard home loan application.

How Can We Help?

As mortgage brokers, we can:

• Apply for all the grants you’re eligible for
• Make the entire end-to-end process simpler for you
• Help you get a competitive interest rate on your home loan
• Make finding a property easier with suburb reports, and property reports of your choosing
• Order a free upfront valuation
• Help you through settlement and beyond.

Please speak with one of our specialist mortgage brokers by giving us a call on 1300 889 743 or by filling in our short assessment form to buy your first home.