Government schemes
Four different things, one confusing name
People say "the first home scheme" as if it were one programme. It is at least four, run by different bodies, with different eligibility and no relationship to each other. Qualifying for one says nothing about the others — and two of them are set by your state rather than federally, which is where most bad advice comes from.
Eligible first home buyers, single parents and regional buyers
Housing Australia — support to buy a homeHome Guarantee Scheme
The government guarantees part of the loan, which lets a participating lender approve a lower deposit without lenders mortgage insurance. It is a guarantee to the lender, not a payment to you.
Set by government, not by the lender
- Administered by Housing Australia and delivered through participating lenders
- Property price caps that differ by state, territory and region
- Residency and prior-ownership conditions set federally, not by the lender
- Places and terms have changed more than once — check the current position before you plan around it
The catch: A place is not reserved for you by reading about it. Eligibility is confirmed through a participating lender, and the caps that apply are the ones current at the time you apply.
First home buyers who can make voluntary superannuation contributions
ATO — First Home Super Saver SchemeFirst Home Super Saver Scheme
You make voluntary contributions into superannuation, then apply to release them plus associated earnings towards a first home deposit. The benefit comes from the concessional tax treatment inside super.
Set by government, not by the lender
- Administered by the Australian Taxation Office
- Annual and total limits on what can be contributed and released
- A determination must be requested from the ATO before you sign a contract
- Release takes time — this is not a scheme to start the week you go to auction
The catch: The timing is the hard part. There are steps that must happen before you enter into a contract, and doing them in the wrong order can cost the benefit entirely.
First home buyers, and in some places all buyers under a threshold
Moneysmart — Buying a home (ASIC)State and territory duty concessions
Each state and territory sets its own transfer duty, and each runs its own concessions and exemptions for first home buyers, usually banded by property price.
Set by government, not by the lender
- Set by the state or territory revenue office, not federally and not by the lender
- Thresholds and bands differ everywhere and are commonly revised at the start of a financial year
- Some concessions apply only to new builds or vacant land
- Residence requirements often apply after settlement
The catch: There is no national first home duty rule. Advice you read about another state may be exactly wrong for yours, and the difference is frequently tens of thousands of dollars.
First home buyers, generally of new homes
Moneysmart — Buying a home (ASIC)First Home Owner Grant
A one-off payment administered by each state and territory, usually restricted to newly built or substantially renovated homes rather than established ones.
Set by government, not by the lender
- Administered by the state or territory revenue office
- Amount, property-value cap and eligible property type differ by jurisdiction
- Usually requires you to live in the home for a minimum period
- Frequently cannot be combined with every other concession
The catch: It is a different thing from a duty concession, and being eligible for one says nothing about the other. Check both separately with your own state's revenue office.
Why no numbers appear on this page
Price caps, income caps, grant amounts and duty thresholds are revised — commonly at the start of a financial year, sometimes mid-year. A figure printed here would keep asserting itself long after it stopped being true, and it would do so most confidently to the reader who is furthest from the source.
Each scheme above links to the body that sets it. That link carries the current position; this page carries the structure, which is the part that stays useful.
General information about how the Australian home buying and lending process works. Thresholds, concessions and scheme eligibility are set by federal, state and territory agencies and change; each page links to the agency that sets the rule. Reviewed 17 August 2026.