Get a great home loan, the first time

The First Home Owner Grant is a national first home buyer scheme designed to help Australians buying their first property. Each state and territory have their own eligibility criteria, but in general 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.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown (updated Nov 2023)

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 after purchasing
• You must be at least 18 years old
• 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

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

New South Wales

• Up to $10,000 for eligible individuals when you buy or build your first new home
• 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 after purchasing
• You must be at least 18 years old
• At least one applicant must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• You can’t apply through a company or a 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)
• You can’t have previously received a grant

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

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 after purchasing
• You must be at least 18 years old
• 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

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 after purchasing
• You must be at least 18 years old
• At least one applicant needs to be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• You can’t apply through a company or a 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

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

South Australia

• Up to $15,000 for eligible first home buyers
• Available for new homes with a value of up to $650,000 (where the contract was entered into on or after 15 June 2023) or $575,000 (where the contract was entered into on or before 14 June 2023)
• You’ll need to live in the property for at least 6 months after purchasing or construction is complete
• You must be at least 18 years old
• At least one applicant needs to be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• You can’t apply through a company or a 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)

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 2023-24, the maximum concession amount is $34,504
• The concession is available for all properties within the ACT, new and old and it 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
• Buyers can’t have owned property within the previous 2 years
• At least one of the buyers must reside in the property for at least 12 months

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

Tasmania

• Up to $30,000 for eligible home buyers (until 30th June 2024)
• 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 2024)
• No purchase price limit
• You’ll need to live in the property 6 months after purchasing.
• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• You can’t apply through a company or a 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

You can find more information specific to the Tasmanian 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 after purchasing
• At least one applicant must be 18 or over
• At least one applicant must be a permanent resident or an Australian citizen
• You can’t apply through a company or a 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

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

Stamp duty is a state government tax levied on home buyers and it varies depending on the state or territory.

Generally, it’s 3-4% of the property value, but it’s best to use our Stamp Duty Calculator for an estimate of what you can expect to pay. Below, you’ll find an overview of stamp duty for each state and territory:

VIC
$440,001 to $550k = $18,370, plus 6% of the dutiable value over $440k.
$550,001 to $960k = $28,070, plus 6% of the dutiable value over $550k.

NSW
$80,001 to $300k = $1,290, plus $3.50 for every $100 over $80k$300,001 to $1m = $8,990, plus $4.50 for every $100 over $300k.

If you're a first home buyer, you can choose between a lump sum stamp duty payment or an annual tax that is based on your property's land value. There are conditions and eligibility criteria, which you can find here.

QLD
$75k to $540k = $1,050, plus $3.50 for every $100 over $75k.$540k to $1m = $17,325, plus $4.50 for every $100 over $540k.

WA
$100,001 to $250k = $2,090, plus $3.80 for every $100 over $100k.
$250,001 to $500k = $7,790, plus $4.75 for every $100 over $250k.

SA
$250k to $300k = $8,955, plus $4.75 for every $100 over $250k.$300k to $500k = $11,330, plus $5 for every $100 over $300k.

TAS
$200k to $375k = $5,935, plus $4 for every $100 over $200k.$375k to $725k = $12,935, plus $4.25 for every $100 over $375k.

NT & ACT
Stamp duty is determined by a formula in these territories, so you’ll need to use the calculators on the NT Government and ACT Revenue Office websites to determine approximate stamp duty.

When looking to buy your first home, you’ll need the following:

• A deposit. Usually 20% of your loan amount, or 10% which will require you to pay Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance (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

Our self-serve home loan application can be completed independently and at your own pace, so if you’ve checked your eligibility, prepared the documentation you need and you’re ready to get started, simply start your application here.

With a Tiimely Own home loan 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.