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Australia First Home Buyer Calculator

Combine your stamp duty concession and First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) to see your total government support and estimated upfront cash needed as a first home buyer.

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$
Estimated upfront cash needed$55,000.00
Total government support$33,437.50
First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)$10,000.00
Stamp duty payable (as FHB)$0.00
Stamp duty saved vs. non-FHB$23,437.50A non-first-home buyer would pay $23,437.50

How this calculator works

This calculator brings together two separate Australian government schemes for first home buyers. First, it calculates your stamp duty concession by comparing what you'd pay as a first home buyer against what an equivalent non-first-home buyer would pay on the same purchase — the difference is your stamp duty saved. Second, it looks up the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) for your state — a flat cash grant available only for eligible NEW homes or vacant land, subject to a price cap in most states:

Total government support = FHOG + stamp duty saved

Finally, it estimates your upfront cash needed: your deposit plus the stamp duty you'll pay, minus any FHOG you receive (since the FHOG is typically paid at or shortly after settlement and can offset settlement costs).

Worked example

Take a $650,000 new-build purchase in NSW by a first home buyer with a $65,000 deposit. Since $650,000 is below NSW's $800,000 full stamp duty exemption threshold, the duty otherwise payable is fully rebated — $0 stamp duty payable. Because it's a new home under the state's $750,000 FHOG price cap, the buyer also receives the $10,000 NSW First Home Owner Grant. Combined, that's meaningful total government support, and — since the FHOG offsets part of the deposit — an estimated upfront cash need noticeably below the deposit amount alone.

What affects your result

  • State — each state has its own stamp duty concession thresholds and FHOG amount/price cap.
  • New home/vacant land vs. established — the FHOG applies only to new homes or vacant land; an established home purchase can still get a stamp duty concession but no grant.
  • Purchase price — determines both how much (if any) stamp duty concession applies and whether you're under the state's FHOG price cap.
  • Regional vs. metro (WA only) — WA's stamp duty concession and FHOG price cap are both more generous for regional properties.

A note on accuracy

FHOG amounts, eligibility rules, and price caps are set by state governments and revised periodically — Queensland in particular has increased its grant amount before — so these figures should be treated as illustrative and confirmed against the relevant state revenue office and grants portal before relying on them. This calculator does not model the federal First Home Guarantee or state-based shared equity schemes. See Housing Australia — support to buy a home and Moneysmart — grants and concessions for first home buyers.

Frequently asked questions

What government support is available to first home buyers in Australia?

This calculator combines two separate schemes: a stamp duty concession or exemption (which reduces or eliminates the transfer duty otherwise payable, varying by state — see our Stamp Duty Calculator for the standalone version) and the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG), a flat cash grant available in each state for eligible NEW homes or vacant land. These are genuinely separate schemes with different eligibility rules, and this calculator shows both together with your estimated total upfront cash needed.

Does the First Home Owner Grant apply to established (existing) homes?

No — in all four states covered here, the FHOG applies only to NEW homes, or vacant land on which you'll build a new home. An established/existing dwelling purchase does not qualify for the grant in any of these states, even though it may still qualify for a stamp duty concession, which is a separate scheme with different rules. This calculator reflects that distinction directly.

How much is the First Home Owner Grant?

It varies by state: commonly $10,000 in NSW, VIC, and WA (subject to a price cap), while Queensland has boosted its grant to $30,000 with no price cap in recent years. These figures are illustrative and revised periodically by state governments — Queensland in particular has revised its grant amount upward before, so always confirm the current amount and eligibility rules with the relevant state grants portal before relying on a specific figure.

What does "estimated upfront cash needed" include?

It's your deposit plus the stamp duty you'll pay as a first home buyer, minus any First Home Owner Grant you're eligible for. It does NOT include other purchase costs like conveyancing/legal fees, building and pest inspections, loan application fees, or Lenders Mortgage Insurance if your deposit is below 20% — see our LMI Calculator for that separate cost. Treat this figure as a starting estimate of your two largest government-related upfront costs, not a complete moving-day budget.

Can I get both a stamp duty concession and the FHOG?

Yes, if you meet the eligibility criteria for both — they're separate schemes, not alternatives. A first home buyer purchasing a new home under the relevant price cap could receive a full or partial stamp duty concession AND the FHOG at the same time, which is exactly what this calculator models as "total government support". An established-home purchase, by contrast, could still receive a stamp duty concession but would not qualify for the FHOG.

Are there other first-home-buyer schemes not covered by this calculator?

Yes — the federal First Home Guarantee (which lets eligible buyers purchase with as little as a 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance, subject to place availability and income/price caps) and various state-based shared equity schemes are not modelled in this calculator, which focuses specifically on the stamp duty concession and FHOG combination. Check the Housing Australia and relevant state government websites for full eligibility details on these additional schemes.

Related calculators

Stamp Duty CalculatorSee the standalone stamp duty calculation with the full band breakdown.LMI CalculatorEstimate Lenders Mortgage Insurance if your deposit is below 20%.Borrowing Power CalculatorWork out how much you could qualify to borrow.