Quick answer: the NSW First Home Owner Grant is $10,000 for eligible first home buyers buying or building a new home. The price cap is $600,000 for a new home, or $750,000 for land plus a building contract. You must move in within 12 months and live there for at least 12 continuous months. It doesn’t apply to established homes.
The grant is often confused with the much bigger stamp duty exemption. They’re separate schemes with different rules, and many buyers qualify for both. Here’s how the grant works.
What counts as a new home
- A newly built house, townhouse, apartment or unit that hasn’t been lived in, including off-the-plan purchases.
- A home you build on vacant land under a building contract, or as an owner-builder.
- A substantially renovated home, where most of the home was removed or replaced, nobody lived in it before, during or after the renovation, and it’s the first sale since.
A home isn’t “new” if the builder lived in it, rented it out or used it for short-term stays before selling.
Price caps
| How you’re buying | Cap |
|---|---|
| Buying a new home, including off the plan | $600,000 purchase price |
| Buying a substantially renovated home from the renovator | $600,000 purchase price |
| Vacant land plus a building contract | $750,000 combined, including variations |
| Owner-builder | $750,000 for house and land |
Who qualifies
- Each applicant is 18 or over, and you buy as individuals, not through a company or trust.
- At least one applicant is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- Neither you nor your spouse or partner has received a first home grant before, owned a home in Australia before 1 July 2000, or lived for six months or more in a home you owned in Australia since then.
- You move in within 12 months of settlement or completion and live there for at least 12 continuous months (contracts from 1 July 2023). If plans change, you must contact Revenue NSW to repay the grant.
How it’s paid
If you need the grant at settlement, or for the first progress payment on a build, you apply through the lender providing your loan, which pays it with the settlement or first drawdown. If you’ve already settled or finished building, you can apply directly to Revenue NSW, generally within 12 months. We handle the application as part of your loan.
How it stacks with other help
The grant can be combined with:
- the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme: no stamp duty on homes up to $800,000, and a concession to $1 million. Use our NSW stamp duty calculator.
- the 5% Deposit Scheme: buy with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance. How it works.
On a $600,000 new apartment, an eligible buyer could receive the $10,000 grant, pay no stamp duty (normally about $21,187) and avoid LMI with a 5% deposit: around $31,000 of help, plus the LMI saving, on one purchase.
Building a house-and-land package?
The $750,000 cap covers the land, the building contract and any variations. Price creep during the build can tip you over the cap, so keep variations in check. Our construction loan guide explains how the build is funded in stages.
First home grants by state: NSW · VIC · QLD · WA · SA · TAS · ACT · NT
Common questions
How much is the First Home Owner Grant in NSW?
$10,000, for eligible first home buyers buying or building a new home.
Can I get the First Home Owner Grant on an established home?
No. In NSW the grant is only for newly built, off-the-plan or substantially renovated homes that haven’t been lived in. Established homes don’t qualify, though they can still get the stamp duty exemption.
What are the price caps?
$600,000 for a new home (or a substantially renovated one bought from the renovator), and $750,000 combined for vacant land plus a building contract, including variations.
How long do I have to live in the home?
For contracts signed on or after 1 July 2023, you must move in within 12 months and live there for at least 12 continuous months. Older contracts had a six-month requirement.
Can I get the grant and the stamp duty exemption together?
Yes. The grant can be paid on top of the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme exemption or concession, and you can also use the 5% Deposit Scheme if you qualify.
Can temporary residents get the grant?
At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If you’re buying with a citizen or PR partner, you may still qualify together.
Source: Revenue NSW, First Home Owner (New Homes) Grant. Checked 6 October 2026. General information only; eligibility is assessed by Revenue NSW. Other states have different grants: see our first home buyer guide.
