There is no single national First Home Owner Grant. Every state and territory runs its own version, the amounts differ, and in almost every case the money is now reserved for brand-new homes, meaning a place you build or one nobody has lived in before. If you are buying an established house, the grant usually does not apply at all, and the help you actually receive comes from stamp duty concessions instead.
That distinction trips up a lot of first home buyers, so it is worth slowing down on. The grant is a single piece of a larger puzzle that also includes state stamp duty relief and federal schemes. Below we walk through how the grant works, an indicative state-by-state comparison for 2026, and why the duty concession is often the bigger prize.
What the First Home Owner Grant actually is
The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a one-off cash payment from your state or territory revenue office, paid when you buy or build your first home. It is not a loan and you do not pay it back, provided you meet the residency rule, which generally means living in the home for a set period soon after settlement.
The headline catch is the property type. After years of tightening, most jurisdictions now limit the grant to new homes. That includes newly built houses, off-the-plan apartments, and substantially renovated properties sold as new. An existing home that has already been lived in will rarely qualify. Each state also sets a price cap, so a new build above a certain value misses out entirely.
Because the schemes are run separately, the eligibility fine print varies: the dollar amount, the price cap, what counts as a new home, and how quickly you must move in. The principles below hold across the country, but the numbers are the part most likely to have shifted by the time you read this.
The grant by state and territory
The table is an indicative guide only. It reflects the broad shape of each scheme rather than the exact dollar figure, which changes frequently and is sometimes adjusted in state budgets handed down mid-year. Confirm the current amount, price cap and eligibility with the relevant revenue office before you rely on any of it.
| State or territory | Grant focus | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Grant for new homes, with duty relief doing the heavy lifting | New or off-the-plan homes under a price cap |
| Victoria | New-home grant, larger in regional areas in recent years | Newly built homes under a price cap |
| Queensland | One of the more generous new-home grants | New build or never-lived-in homes under a price cap |
| Western Australia | Established new-home grant | Building or buying a brand-new home |
| South Australia | New-home grant, no value cap in recent settings | New homes, build or purchase |
| Tasmania | New-home grant, boosted in recent years | Newly built or off-the-plan homes |
| ACT | Grant largely replaced by broad duty concessions | Mostly delivered through duty relief now |
| Northern Territory | New-home grant plus build incentives | New builds and never-occupied homes |
Notice the pattern. Almost every line says new. If your plan is to buy an established three-bedder in an established suburb, the grant column is probably a dead end, and you should focus your attention on duty concessions instead. For a deeper walk-through of one of the more generous schemes, our Queensland first home owner grant guide breaks down the caps and the new-build test in more detail.
Why stamp duty relief often beats the grant
Here is the part that surprises people. For many first home buyers, the stamp duty concession is worth more than the grant, sometimes much more.
Stamp duty, or transfer duty, is the tax you pay the state when property changes hands, and on a typical home it can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Most states offer first home buyers either a full exemption below one price threshold or a sliding discount up to a higher one. Crucially, these concessions often apply to established homes, not just new ones, which is exactly where the grant leaves you empty-handed.
Chase the grant if you are building new, but never forget that the duty concession is usually the larger cheque, and it often covers the established home the grant ignores.
So the sensible order of operations is to check the duty concession first, then the grant, then any federal scheme. In New South Wales, for instance, the duty relief is the centrepiece of first home buyer support, and our stamp duty in NSW explainer shows how the thresholds work and where the cut-offs bite. Because thresholds and home prices both move, it pays to research prices in your state before you assume a property sits under the cap.
How the federal schemes fit in
State grants and concessions sit alongside Commonwealth programs, and the two do not cancel each other out. The federal first home guarantee lets eligible buyers purchase with a smaller deposit while avoiding lenders mortgage insurance, which can save thousands on its own. That guarantee can usually be stacked with a state grant or duty concession, so it is worth treating them as complementary rather than as alternatives.
The interaction between all these programs is where first home buyers most often leave money on the table. A clear, step-by-step plan helps, and our first home buyer guide maps out how the grant, the duty concession and the federal guarantee can work together for a single purchase.
Five things to check before you count on the grant
A short checklist saves a lot of disappointment at settlement.
- Is the property genuinely new? An established home almost never qualifies, so confirm the build status in writing.
- Is the price under the cap? Even a qualifying new home is excluded above the state threshold.
- Will you meet the residency rule? You generally must move in and stay for a set minimum period.
- Are you actually a first home buyer? Prior ownership by you or, in some states, your partner can disqualify you.
- Have you compared the duty concession? It may be worth more, and it may cover an established home the grant will not.
Work through those five and you will quickly see whether the grant is your main benefit or a minor one. For many buyers of established homes, the honest answer is that the grant is a non-event and the duty concession is the real prize.
The bottom line
The First Home Owner Grant is real money, but it is narrow money. In 2026 it is almost entirely a new-home benefit, with each state and territory setting its own amount, price cap and rules, so the figures above are an indicative guide rather than a promise. Treat the grant as one ingredient, not the whole meal: in many cases the stamp duty concession is the larger benefit, and the federal first home guarantee can sit on top of both.
Because amounts, caps and thresholds change often, and sometimes mid-year, always confirm the current detail with your state or territory revenue office before you commit. The figures here were last checked in June 2026.
This article is general information only and does not take your circumstances into account. It is not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Speak to a licensed professional and your relevant revenue office before making a decision.