Grants & Schemes

Australian first home buyers can access a range of federal and state-based grants, schemes, and concessions that significantly reduce the cash needed at purchase. The biggest levers are the First Home Guarantee (a 5% deposit with no Lender's Mortgage Insurance), the Family Home Guarantee for single parents (2% deposit, no LMI), the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee for regional purchases, the First Home Super Saver Scheme (using voluntary super contributions to boost your deposit), and state-based stamp duty exemptions and First Home Owner Grants.

In most states you can stack multiple schemes. A NSW first home buyer purchasing under $800,000 can typically combine the First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (full stamp duty exemption), the First Home Owner Grant if the property is new, and the federal First Home Guarantee — saving $20,000-$40,000 on upfront costs. Eligibility rules vary: most schemes require Australian citizenship or permanent residency, the property as your principal place of residence within 12 months, and meeting income or price caps.

First home buyers commonly miss out by applying too close to settlement, failing to combine available schemes, exceeding price caps by a small margin (no partial relief — you lose the whole benefit), or buying a property type that doesn't qualify (off-the-plan rules vary). Some schemes have annual caps and are first-come, first-served. The guides below cover each scheme in detail; a broker can confirm which combination applies to your situation before you commit to a property.