How do I qualify for the first home owners grant?

Can I get the first home owners grant if I buy an established home?

Usually, no: most of the listed grants are limited to new homes, although the Northern Territory had a temporary established-home grant for a defined contract period. NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia expressly exclude established homes from their current grant descriptions.

There are specific exceptions and date limits. South Australia includes eligible new-home purchases, off-the-plan apartments and substantially renovated homes. Victoria also includes qualifying substantially renovated homes, while NSW may cover a substantially renovated home. These are not the same as buying an ordinary established home; the property must meet the jurisdiction’s criteria.

The NT’s $50,000 HomeGrown Territory grant applies to eligible new-home builds and purchases, including owner-builder and off-the-plan purchases, for contracts signed from 1 October 2024 through 30 September 2027. A separate $10,000 NT grant for established homes applied only to contracts signed from 1 October 2024 through 30 September 2025. The dates matter as much as the property type.

Do not treat a transfer-duty concession as the grant. Queensland says established-home buyers cannot receive its grant, though they may qualify for a separate transfer-duty concession. Check the relevant revenue office’s current definition of a new home and the rules applying to your contract or build.

How much is the grant in my state or territory, and what is the property price limit?

Grant amounts and caps are jurisdiction-specific, and several are tied to the date a contract is signed or a transaction commences. The figures below reflect the supplied government information; check the revenue office for updates before relying on them.

The cap can apply to the home and land together, not only the building price. That is explicit in Queensland’s rule and in NSW’s separate combined limit for vacant land and a building contract. For contract-date rules, signing or commencement timing can change the amount or eligibility, so confirm which date the authority uses for your transaction.

Revenue NSW states that its grant is not available for established homes. Its $10,000 grant applies to an eligible new home, with the listed price limits. The Queensland Government and State Revenue Office Victoria similarly set new-home conditions and caps. Compare your transaction against the relevant state’s exact measure rather than assuming a national limit.

Do I qualify if my partner owned a home before, even if I did not?

Your partner’s history can affect eligibility even when they are not applying for the grant or named on the property title. Victoria requires spouse or partner details on the application and assesses relevant prior ownership, occupancy and grant history. South Australia also requires spouse or domestic-partner details because their property history can affect the decision.

Western Australia assesses both applicants and a spouse or de facto partner for prior grant use and residential property ownership or occupancy. Tasmania assesses applicants and their spouse against prior ownership and occupancy criteria. These rules mean that being a first-time owner individually does not settle the question.

Give the revenue office or lender accurate details about each applicant and partner before lodging. Do not leave a partner off an application because they will not be on title; the Victorian guidance explicitly says their details must be included. The supplied rules do not provide one national test for how past ownership affects every couple, so apply the local criteria to each person’s history.

Can I use the grant for a house-and-land package, an off-the-plan apartment, or a substantially renovated home?

A house-and-land package, off-the-plan apartment or substantially renovated home can qualify when it meets the relevant state’s new-home rules, price limits and transaction-date conditions. The label used by a developer or seller does not establish eligibility; the authority’s criteria do.

NSW permits an eligible new home within its purchase limit, and a separate combined limit applies to vacant land with a comprehensive building contract and related variations. South Australia includes eligible off-the-plan apartments and qualifying substantially renovated homes, but not vacant land on its own. Victoria lists houses, townhouses, apartments and units, and includes qualifying substantially renovated homes; for off-the-plan eligibility, it uses the contract price.

The NT HomeGrown Territory grant includes new-home purchases and builds, owner-builders and off-the-plan purchases, within its date window. Tasmania lists new dwelling purchases, building contracts and owner-builder construction, with conditions tied to when the transaction begins. Across these pathways, confirm whether the grant office treats the land, building contract, completion date or contract price as the relevant measure before committing.

New construction also creates a timing choice. In NSW, an applicant who needs the grant for settlement or the first building progress payment must lodge through an approved finance provider. The grant’s usefulness at a particular payment date depends on the application route and processing arrangements, so establish the route with the lender before the payment falls due.