Real Estate · Australia

First Home Buyer Grants & Schemes in Australia (2026)

Australia has more first home buyer assistance than at any point in its history, and almost nobody claims all of it. The schemes stack — federal with state, grant with duty concession — and an eligible buyer in the right state can assemble $40,000 to $75,000 or more in combined benefits. Here is the full map for 2026.

The federal schemes

1. The 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly the Home Guarantee Scheme)

The headline programme, expanded on 1 October 2025. The government guarantees part of your loan so you can buy with a 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance — a saving of up to about $30,000 upfront.

The 2025 expansion removed two things that used to disqualify most applicants: all income caps and the annual cap on places. Property price caps still apply and vary by location.

2. Help to Buy (shared equity)

Opened December 2025. The Commonwealth takes an equity stake in your home, reducing the amount you need to borrow. You buy the government's share back over time. It lowers the deposit and the repayment, at the cost of giving up part of any capital gain.

3. First Home Super Saver Scheme

Lets you make voluntary contributions into superannuation and later withdraw them for a deposit. Because those contributions are taxed at 15% rather than your marginal rate, it is effectively a tax-advantaged deposit account — genuinely valuable for higher earners, and frequently overlooked.

State stamp duty concessions

This is where the state you buy in matters most. Duty is the single largest entry cost, and the treatment ranges from total abolition to none at all:

• ACT — from 1 July 2026, no stamp duty at any price for eligible first home buyers. The most generous regime in the country.
• Queensland and South Australia — duty waived on new homes with no price cap.
• NSW, Victoria, WA, Tasmania — full exemptions below a threshold, tapering concessions above it. Check the current threshold, as these move regularly.
• Northern Territory — offers a large grant rather than duty relief.

How to work out what you are owed

1. Start with your state. Duty concessions and the First Home Owner Grant are state-administered and by far the largest variable. Your state revenue office is the authority.
2. Add the federal 5% Deposit Scheme if your purchase is under the local price cap. With income caps gone, most first home buyers now qualify.
3. Check whether the grant is new-build only. Most First Home Owner Grants are — buying established often forfeits the grant entirely even where duty relief still applies.
4. Consider the First Home Super Saver if you are twelve months or more from buying. It needs lead time to be worth anything.
5. Model the total, not the headline. A $30,000 grant restricted to new builds in an outer suburb may be worth less than a duty waiver on the established home you actually want.

The trade-offs nobody mentions

• A 5% deposit means a 95% loan. Avoiding LMI does not avoid the debt — your repayments and your exposure to any price fall are both much larger.
• New-build grants steer you to new builds, which typically carry a developer premium and can underperform established stock in the early years.
• Shared equity means shared gains. Help to Buy reduces what you borrow, and reduces what you keep when you sell.
• Price caps distort choices. Buying up to the cap purely to stay eligible is how people end up with the wrong home.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 5% Deposit Scheme in Australia?
Formerly the Home Guarantee Scheme, it lets eligible first home buyers purchase with a 5% deposit while the government guarantee removes the need for Lenders Mortgage Insurance — saving up to about $30,000. Income caps and annual place limits were removed on 1 October 2025, though property price caps still apply.

Can I combine first home buyer schemes?
Yes, and most buyers should. A Queensland buyer purchasing at $500,000 could combine the $30,000 state grant, roughly $8,750 of stamp duty exemption and about $17,028 of avoided LMI — around $55,778 in total.

Which state has the best first home buyer stamp duty concession?
The ACT, which from 1 July 2026 charges eligible first home buyers no stamp duty at any price. Queensland and South Australia waive duty on new homes with no price cap. Other states use thresholds and tapering concessions.

Is the First Home Super Saver Scheme worth using?
It can be, particularly for higher earners, because voluntary contributions are taxed at 15% rather than your marginal rate — effectively a tax-advantaged deposit account. It needs at least a year of lead time to be worthwhile.

Related

• Home-buying cost calculator (Australia)
• Renting vs buying in Australia
• Stamp duty by state
• Superannuation guarantee explained
• Rent vs buy calculator (Australia)

These schemes are for a home you live in. If you are weighing an investment property instead, the rules change from 1 July 2027.

Sources

• Housing Australia — Home Guarantee / 5% Deposit Scheme eligibility and price caps
• Australian Government — Help to Buy shared equity scheme
• ATO — First Home Super Saver Scheme
• State and territory revenue offices — First Home Owner Grants and stamp duty concessions (2026)

Figures compiled September 2026 from public sources and not individually verified; worked examples are illustrative. Scheme rules, price caps and state concessions change frequently — confirm with your state revenue office and housingaustralia.gov.au before relying on them. General information, not financial advice (ASIC RG 244).