Government First Home Buyer Scheme & Grants

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.

National (Federal) Government Schemes

The national (federal) government schemes are designed to reduce the upfront cost of buying by lowering the deposit you need, removing LMI, or even having the government co-invest with you.

Unlike state-specific support that varies depending on where you buy, these schemes are available nationwide.

The nationwide schemes available are:

• First Home Guarantee
• First Home Super Saver Scheme
• Help to Buy

First Home Guarantee

The First Home Guarantee is a part of the broader Home Guarantee Scheme. The First Home Guarantee helps you purchase your home sooner, as you can buy with a deposit as low as 5% of the property’s value.

Usually, home buyers need around a 20% deposit and may need to pay Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (LMI) if borrowing more than 80% of the property value. Under this scheme, the government provides a guarantee to the lender for up to 15% of the property value, so you can avoid LMI, which reduces the upfront cost of buying a home.

With the recent changes announced that are effective from 1 October 2025, you can:

• Access the First Home Guarantee with no limits on the number of places available. Previously, the limit was capped at 35,000 scheme places.
• Benefit from no income caps, so it is expanded to all first home buyers regardless of income. Currently, the annual income cap for single buyers is $125,000 and for couples, it is $200,000.
• Purchase homes under higher property price caps, such as $1.5 million in Sydney and $1 million in Brisbane.

To be eligible for the First Home Guarantee, you must:

• Not have owned property in Australia in the last 10 years
• Be an eligible first home buyer
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, aged 18 or over
• Have a minimum 5% deposit in genuine savings
• Buy an owner-occupied property within the relevant property price caps
• Have a loan with principal and interest repayments (no interest-only loans except for land + build)

From 1 October 205, there are no income caps restricting eligibility.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

The First Home Super Saver Scheme allows first-home buyers to save a deposit for their first home inside their super account, to take advantage of the concessional tax treatment.

Under the scheme, the government has increased the total amount of savings borrowers can release from super to make a deposit on a home from $30,000 to $50,000.

Tip: You’ll need a determination letter from the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) specifying the amount that can be released from your super to use as a deposit for a home loan.

Help To Buy Scheme

The Help to Buy Scheme is a shared equity scheme wherein the government helps first-home buyers purchase a home by contributing up to 40% of the property price for a new home and up to 30% for an existing one.

The scheme is designed to address the longstanding affordability crisis. Each year, 10,000 eligible Australians will be offered places.

The government has not confirmed if the scheme will commence in 2025.

Find Out Which Schemes Are Available To You

Home Loan Experts can show you the government schemes for which you’re eligible and help you apply. 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. Find out the best path to your new home today!

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 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.