You might be closer to your first home deposit than you think

You’ve probably heard the federal government is giving $25,000 grants to eligible Australians looking to build or substantially renovate their homes. Today we’ll look at what that means for first home buyers when combined with state and territory schemes.

If you’ve been umming and ahhing about purchasing your first home for a while now, we have great news: you’d be hard-pressed to find a time when there were more government incentives to help you enter the property market.

For starters, there’s the federal government’s First Home Loan Deposit Scheme, which can help you buy your first home with a deposit of just 5% without having to pay lenders mortgage insurance (LMI) – so that’s one major cost out of the way.

But you’ll still need that 5% deposit, right?

Well, each state and territory (except ACT) has a first homeowner grant program, with most grants between $10,000 and $20,000.

On top of that, the federal government will give eligible Australians $25,000 to build or substantially renovate homes as part of the new HomeBuilder scheme (however, at this stage it’s still unclear whether or not this amount can go towards your initial deposit).

Last but certainly not least, most states and territories have stamp duty discounts or exemptions for first home buyers too, which can save you tens of thousands of dollars – another hurdle cleared!

Below, we’ll break down exactly what’s on offer in each state and territory and just how much these government initiatives could help put you within reach of a deposit on your first home.

NEW SOUTH WALES

First homeowner grant: $10,000 for new homes valued up to $750,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes up to $800,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $45,000 in government support + stamp duty exemption.

VICTORIA

First homeowner grant: $10,000 (urban) and $20,000 (regional) for new homes valued up to $750,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes up to $600,000, partial concession on homes between $600,001 and $750,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: between $45,000 and $55,000 in government support + stamp duty exemption.

QUEENSLAND

First homeowner grant: $15,000 on new homes valued at less than $750,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes up to $500,000, partial concession on homes up to $550,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $50,000 in government support + up to $15,925 in stamp duty concessions.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

First homeowner grant: $10,000 on new or substantially renovated homes valued at less than $750,000 south of the 26th parallel (latitude), or less than $1,000,000 north of the 26th parallel. WA also offers $20,000 grants for new homes built on vacant land or off-the-plan single-storey developments.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: exemption on homes valued at up to $430,000, partial concession on homes up to $530,000. An off-the-plan unit rebate is available for more expensive homes.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $65,000 in government support + applicable stamp duty concessions.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

First homeowner grant: $15,000 on new homes valued up to $575,000.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: full concession on off-the-plan new or substantially refurbished apartments up to $500,000.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $50,000 in government support + stamp duty concession.

TASMANIA

First homeowner grant: $20,000 on new homes (reduced to $10,000 from 1 July 2020).

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: a 50% discount on stamp duty for established properties valued at $400,000 or less.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $55,000 in government support.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

First homeowner grant: none.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: first home buyers in the ACT pay no duty so long as their household income is below $160,00-$176,650, depending on how many dependents you have.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $35,000 in government support + stamp duty exemption.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

First homeowner grant: $10,000 for new homes.

First Home Loan Deposit Scheme: LMI saving of up to $10,000.

Stamp duty: you can get up to $18,601 off your stamp duty costs.

With HomeBuilder, you could have: up to $45,000 in government support + up to $18,601 in stamp duty savings.

Get in touch

So, that covers the first home buyer schemes. If you think you might be eligible, the next thing to organise is financing your new home.

And that’s where we come in. Lenders will still want you to show some sort of genuine savings before they’ll approve a loan application, and we can help you get everything in order for that assessment process.

So if you’d like help obtaining finance to pay for the first home of your dreams, get in touch with us today – we’re here to help you any way we can.

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