First Home Buyer Guide Australia: State Checks for 2026

Short answer

First home buyer assistance is not one national entitlement. Duty relief, cash grants, guarantee schemes and shared-equity programs use different definitions, dates, property caps and occupancy rules. Check the relevant authority before treating any saving as available.

Start with the transaction, not the headline grant

Record the state, contract date, property type, price, whether the home has been occupied before and every buyer's ownership history. These facts determine which rules need checking.

Use the Stamp Duty Calculator for an indicative duty amount and the Property Purchase Cost Calculator for a broader upfront-cost budget. Selecting first home buyer does not confirm eligibility.

State and territory checks

• NSW first home buyer guide and NSW duty calculator
• Victoria first home buyer guide and Victoria duty calculator
• Queensland July 2026 grant and duty update and Queensland duty calculator
• WA July 2026 first home buyer duty update and WA duty calculator
• South Australia duty calculator
• Tasmania duty calculator
• ACT duty calculator
• NT duty calculator

Tasmania's established-home duty exemption ended on 30 June 2026. From 1 July 2026, the ACT removed its Home Buyer Concession Scheme property price and income caps but retained ownership and occupancy conditions. The NT established-home grant's contract window ended on 30 September 2025. These differences are why a generic claim that every jurisdiction offers the same type of relief is unsafe.

Finance checks

The Borrowing Power Calculator is a site model, not a lender assessment. A lender may use verified income, expense benchmarks, credit limits, dependants, HELP repayments and product-specific serviceability rules. Pre-approval is conditional and can expire or be reassessed.

The LMI Calculator uses a broad illustrative premium grid. Actual LMI depends on the lender, insurer, borrower and property. A 20% deposit often avoids lender's mortgage insurance, but lender policy and other fees still apply.

Before signing

1. Ask the relevant revenue office to confirm current duty and grant rules.
2. Have the contract reviewed by a conveyancer or solicitor.
3. Obtain a lender assessment and retain a cash buffer beyond the deposit.
4. Budget for inspections, legal work, registration, insurance, moving and immediate repairs.
5. Recheck scheme dates if settlement or construction will occur later.

General information disclaimer

This guide is general information only. It is not financial, credit, legal or tax advice and does not determine eligibility, borrowing capacity or approval.