Five questions decide which schemes are worth your time
There are at least five government schemes available to most first home buyers, and eligibility for each one depends on different criteria. Many buyers check one scheme, assume the rules are the same across all of them, and miss out on benefits they actually qualify for. Answer these five questions and you can quickly narrow the field to the schemes worth investigating further.
Every major scheme filters on the same core criteria: prior ownership, state, income, property type, and purchase price. Work through them in order and the schemes that apply to you fall out quickly.
Prior ownership is the first filter for almost every scheme
If you have previously owned residential property in Australia, most schemes are off the table. The rules differ, though, and the First Home Guarantee is more flexible than the others.
Scheme | Ownership Rule |
|---|---|
First Home Guarantee (FHG) | Never owned, or not owned in the last 10 years |
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) | Never owned residential property in Australia |
First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) | Never owned a freehold interest in real property in Australia |
Help to Buy | Cannot currently own any property in Australia or overseas |
Stamp duty concessions | Never owned residential property (most states) [5] |
The FHG is the most flexible. If you owned property more than 10 years ago, you can still qualify. Every other scheme requires you to be a genuine first-time buyer.
Your state sets the dollar amounts that decide the answer
Your state determines three things: the First Home Owner Grant amount, stamp duty concession thresholds, and property price caps for federal schemes. The differences are large, and choosing the wrong reference point can cost you tens of thousands.
FHOG amount by state (new homes only)
State/Territory | FHOG Amount | Property Value Cap |
|---|---|---|
NSW | $10,000 | $600,000 (new home) / $750,000 (house and land) |
VIC | $10,000 | $750,000 |
QLD | $30,000 | $750,000 |
WA | $10,000 | $750,000 (south of 26th parallel) / $1,000,000 (north) |
SA | $15,000 | No cap |
TAS | $30,000 | No cap |
ACT | No FHOG (replaced by stamp duty concession) | |
NT | $50,000 | No cap (contracts until 30 September 2027) |
Stamp duty concessions by state (first home buyers)
State/Territory | Full Exemption Up To | Concession Up To |
|---|---|---|
NSW | $800,000 (new and existing) | $1,000,000 |
VIC | $600,000 | $750,000 |
QLD (existing homes) | $700,000 | $800,000 |
QLD (new homes) | No cap (from 1 May 2025) | N/A |
WA | $500,000 | $700,000 (metro) / $750,000 (regional) |
SA | $650,000 (new homes only) | N/A (no concession for established homes) |
TAS | $750,000 (until 30 June 2026) | N/A |
ACT | $1,020,000 (income tested) | $1,455,000 |
NT | No general concession | Up to $18,601 stamp duty discount |
Income and property type only narrow the field for some schemes
only matters for two schemes: and the ACT Home Buyer Concession. Everything else has no income test.
Scheme | Income Cap (Single) | Income Cap (Joint/Couple) |
|---|---|---|
First Home Guarantee | No income cap (removed October 2025) | |
FHOG | No income cap (all states) | |
FHSSS | No income cap | |
Help to Buy | $100,000 | $160,000 (indexed annually on 1 July) |
ACT Home Buyer Concession | Household income up to $160,000 |
If your household income exceeds $160,000, Help to Buy is not available. But the FHG, FHOG, First Home Super Saver Scheme, and most stamp duty concessions have no income test at all.
Property type splits into two parts: new vs existing home, and the property type itself. The FHOG applies only to new homes in every state except the NT. Houses, townhouses, apartments, and house-and-land packages are all eligible under the FHG, Help to Buy, and stamp duty concessions. The key restriction is that the property must be residential and you must live in it as your .
Scheme | New Homes | Existing Homes |
|---|---|---|
First Home Guarantee | Yes | Yes |
FHOG | Yes | No (most states) |
Help to Buy | Yes (up to 40% equity) | Yes (up to 30% equity) |
FHSSS | Yes | Yes |
Stamp duty concessions | Varies by state | Varies by state [5] |
Your purchase price has to clear a cap — sometimes two
Every scheme except the FHSSS has a . These caps vary by state and by whether you are buying in a capital city or regional area.
First Home Guarantee price caps (from 1 October 2025)
State/Territory | Capital City / Regional Centre | Rest of State |
|---|---|---|
NSW | $1,500,000 | $800,000 |
VIC | $950,000 | $650,000 |
QLD | $1,000,000 | $700,000 |
WA | $850,000 | $600,000 |
SA | $900,000 | $500,000 |
TAS | $700,000 | $550,000 |
ACT | $1,000,000 | N/A |
NT | $600,000 (Darwin rising to $750,000 from 1 July 2026) | $600,000 |
Source: Housing Australia, effective 1 October 2025 .
Help to Buy price caps
State/Territory | Capital City / Regional Centre | Rest of State |
|---|---|---|
NSW | $1,300,000 | $800,000 |
VIC | $950,000 | $650,000 |
QLD | $1,000,000 | $700,000 |
WA | $850,000 | $600,000 |
SA | $900,000 | $500,000 |
TAS | $700,000 | $550,000 |
ACT | $1,000,000 | N/A |
NT | $600,000 | $600,000 |
Source: First Home Buyers website, Australian Government . Tasmania has not yet passed enabling legislation to participate in Help to Buy.
Know where each scheme is applied before you start chasing it
Each scheme has a different front door. Some are applied through your lender, some through your conveyancer, and one directly with the ATO. Start early — the FHSSS determination alone can take 25 business days.
Scheme | Where to Apply | What You Need |
|---|---|---|
First Home Guarantee | Through a participating lender (check the Housing Australia website for the list) | Proof of identity, proof of savings (5% minimum deposit), property details |
FHOG | Through your lender at settlement, or directly with your state revenue office | Proof of identity, contract of sale, statutory declaration |
FHSSS | Through the ATO (request a determination, then a release) | MyGov account, eligible super contributions, signed contract within 12 months of release |
Help to Buy | Through a participating lender listed on firsthomebuyers.gov.au | Proof of income (ATO Notice of Assessment), proof of identity, 2% minimum deposit |
Stamp duty concessions | Through your conveyancer or solicitor at settlement, or via your state revenue office [5] | Contract of sale, first home buyer declaration |