QLD first home buyer grants in 2026: what you can actually get
Three separate benefits, three separate sets of rules. Here is what each one is worth, what it requires, and the kind of purchase that can meet all three, if you are eligible.
What help can a Queensland first home buyer get in 2026?
An eligible Queensland first home buyer purchasing a new home in 2026 may be able to combine three separate benefits: the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant for a new home, including the land, valued below $750,000, a transfer duty concession that can reduce stamp duty to nil on an eligible new home (contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later), and the federal 5% Deposit Scheme, which lets eligible buyers purchase with a 5% deposit. Price alone never makes you eligible: each benefit has its own criteria.
Each benefit is administered by a different body and assessed on its own criteria, which is why buyers can qualify for one and wrongly assume they have missed the others. The sections below take them one at a time, then set out the kind of purchase that can meet all three.
The three benefits at a glance
| Benefit | What it is worth | Key condition | Administered by |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Home Owner Grant | $30,000 | Eligible buyer; new home, including land, valued below $750,000; contracts from 20 November 2023, continuing for eligible contracts from 1 July 2026 | Queensland Revenue Office |
| First home (new home) transfer duty concession | Duty reduced to nil | Eligible buyer; new or substantially renovated home; contract dated 1 May 2025 or later; no value cap on the home and its residential land; from 1 August 2026, Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree | Queensland Revenue Office |
| Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme | 5% deposit | Eligible buyer and participating lender approval; purchase price and lender-assessed value at or below the postcode cap | Housing Australia, via participating lenders |
Figures verified against the Queensland Revenue Office and firsthomebuyers.gov.au on 8 October 2026; the grant amount and value test, grant payment timing, the new-home and vacant land duty concessions, the Queensland 5% Deposit Scheme caps, and the Help to Buy and Boost to Buy income limits were rechecked on 27 October 2026. Each benefit also has personal eligibility criteria, so a price under a cap does not on its own make you eligible. Government criteria change; check the official pages linked at the end of this guide before you rely on any figure here.
How much is the First Home Owner Grant in Queensland?
The Queensland First Home Owner Grant is $30,000 for eligible buyers on contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, and the $30,000 amount continues for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026. For contracts signed before 20 November 2023 the amount is $15,000.
Two conditions do most of the disqualifying. The home must be new, which Queensland Revenue Office defines as a home that has not been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence. And the value of that new home, including the land, must be below $750,000. An established house, however modest, does not attract the grant at any price.
When the grant is paid depends on how you apply, and Queensland Revenue Office advises not to count on it for your deposit. See when the grant is paid.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Queensland?
Not on an eligible new home, if you meet the criteria. The first home (new home) transfer duty concession is a full concession, which Queensland Revenue Office describes plainly: it "reduces the duty to nil". It applies to contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later, where the contract date means the day you sign, not the day you settle.
Unlike the grant, this concession has no value cap on the home and the residential land attributed to it. Duty is still imposed on any additional land that does not form part of the residence.
The conditions worth knowing before you count on it: you must be at least 18, you must never have held an interest in another residence anywhere in Australia or overseas, you must move in within one year of settlement, you must pay market value, and you need a vendor statement evidencing that the home is new or substantially renovated.
One change took effect on 1 August 2026: for transactions entered into on or after that date, the concession is only available to a buyer who is an Australian citizen, a permanent resident or a specified foreign retiree. If you are buying with someone who does not meet that test, an eligible buyer can still claim the concession on their own share; Queensland Revenue Office explains how.
Completed new home, or land plus a build?
A completed new home bought on one contract falls under the first home (new home) concession above.
Vacant land with a separate building contract falls under a different concession. For agreements from 1 May 2025, an eligible first home buyer may pay no duty on residential vacant land, with no value cap, but must build their first home on it and move in within 2 years of settlement, and that time cannot be extended. Either way, the grant's below-$750,000 test applies to the home including the land. The house and land package guide covers the build side.
What is the 5% Deposit Scheme, and is it the same as the First Home Guarantee?
Same programme, new name. What buyers still call the First Home Guarantee or the Home Guarantee Scheme is now the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, run by Housing Australia at firsthomebuyers.gov.au. Eligible first home buyers purchase with a minimum 5% deposit, and eligible single parents and legal guardians with 2%. Housing Australia guarantees part of the loan, so buyers can avoid paying lenders mortgage insurance. It is a guarantee, not a grant and not a loan approval: a participating lender still assesses your application.
The change most people have not caught up with: from 1 October 2025 the expanded scheme has no income caps and no limit on places. The income test that ruled out a lot of dual-income households, and the annual place cap that meant applying early in the financial year, are both gone.
What still binds is the property price cap, and it is set by postcode.
| State | Capital city and regional centres | Rest of state |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | $1,000,000 (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast) | $700,000 |
| Victoria | $950,000 (Melbourne, Geelong) | $650,000 |
| Western Australia | $850,000 (Perth) | $600,000 |
Both the purchase price and the home's value as assessed by your participating lender must sit at or below the cap. Caps run by postcode, so a suburb split across two postcodes can carry two different caps. Housing Australia publishes a postcode search tool for checking a specific address.
Can you combine all three?
Yes, if you meet each programme's criteria. The grant and the duty concession are Queensland Revenue Office programmes; the deposit scheme is federal and reaches you through a participating lender. Each is assessed separately against its own criteria, so qualifying for one neither guarantees nor forfeits the others.
To meet the price tests for all three, a new home has to be under both the grant's threshold, which needs the home including the land to be valued below $750,000, and the 5% Deposit Scheme cap for its postcode. In Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, where the scheme's cap is $1,000,000, the grant threshold is the tighter limit. In the rest of Queensland the scheme's cap is $700,000, so that is the tighter limit. You still need to meet each programme's other criteria.
A $700,000 completed new home, in numbers
- Deposit of $35,000. Five per cent of $700,000 under the 5% Deposit Scheme, if you are eligible and a participating lender approves the loan, against a Brisbane and Gold Coast cap of $1,000,000.
- $30,000 First Home Owner Grant, if you are eligible. The home, including land, is valued below $750,000. Don't count on the grant as part of your deposit.
- No transfer duty, if you are eligible. The first home (new home) concession reduces duty to nil. Building instead, on vacant land with a separate building contract, the vacant land concession applies to the land.
Illustrative only. Your eligibility for each programme, your borrowing capacity (assessed by a licensed finance provider), the lender's valuation and the other costs of buying all determine what is actually possible. The free 5-minute call is a first conversation about your options — see how our first home buyer pathway works.
When is the Queensland grant paid?
It depends on how you apply and on the transaction. If you apply through your lender, the grant is generally paid at settlement when you buy a new home, or at the first drawdown of the loan when you build. If you apply directly to Queensland Revenue Office, you apply after the transaction is complete.
Don't count on it for your deposit. Queensland Revenue Office advises against relying on the grant as part of your deposit, so ask your lender how and when it will be paid before you sign. Official detail: Queensland Revenue Office — First Home Owner Grant obligations.
To plan the money you need before the grant is paid, read can you use the First Home Owner Grant as a deposit?
What else to budget for besides the deposit
- Transfer duty if a concession doesn't apply, or on land that isn't part of the residence. Queensland Revenue Office's transfer duty estimator gives the figure.
- Legal and conveyancing fees, including independent advice on the contract before you sign.
- Loan and registration costs: lender fees, and the fees to register the transfer and the mortgage.
- Inspections and insurance: a building and pest inspection for a completed home, and home insurance.
- The costs of owning: council rates, water charges, insurance and maintenance, and body corporate fees for some homes.
- On a build: site costs, connections and outdoor items not in the base price, rent while you wait, and a contingency. The house and land inclusions checklist covers these.
The first home buyer checklist sets out what to check, and in what order.
For each cost in more detail, with a worksheet to fill in from your quotes, read upfront costs of buying your first home in VIC and Queensland.
Talk through which of the three may apply to you
Five minutes, no documents, no credit check. We talk through your options and what to check next. Eligibility is decided by Queensland Revenue Office and Housing Australia's participating lenders, and borrowing is assessed by a licensed finance provider.
Prefer to talk now? Call 0418 252 432.
Questions people ask about Queensland first home benefits
How much is the First Home Owner Grant in Queensland in 2026?
The grant is $30,000 for eligible buyers on contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, and it continues for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026. The home must be new, meaning it has not been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence, and its value, including the land, must be below $750,000. Contracts signed before 20 November 2023 attract $15,000.
When is the Queensland First Home Owner Grant paid?
It depends on how you apply and on the transaction. Through your lender, it is generally paid at settlement for a new home you buy, or at the first drawdown of the loan for a home you build. If you apply directly to Queensland Revenue Office, you apply after the transaction is complete. Queensland Revenue Office advises not to count on the grant as part of your deposit.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Queensland?
Eligible first home buyers of a new or substantially renovated home can claim the first home (new home) transfer duty concession, which reduces the duty to nil. It applies to contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later and there is no value cap on the home and the residential land attributed to it, but eligibility criteria apply, and duty still applies to additional land that is not part of the residence. For transactions entered into on or after 1 August 2026, the concession is only available to a buyer who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or specified foreign retiree; where buyers have mixed eligibility, an eligible buyer can claim on their own share.
What is the 5% Deposit Scheme and is it the same as the First Home Guarantee?
It is the same programme, renamed. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, formerly known as the Home Guarantee Scheme and the First Home Guarantee, lets eligible first home buyers purchase with a minimum 5% deposit, or 2% for eligible single parents and legal guardians. Housing Australia guarantees part of the loan so buyers can avoid paying lenders mortgage insurance. It is a guarantee, not a grant or a loan approval.
Is there an income cap on the 5% Deposit Scheme?
No. Income caps and place limits were removed for the expanded scheme from 1 October 2025, so there is no income test and places are not rationed.
What is the property price cap for the 5% Deposit Scheme in Queensland?
The cap is $1,000,000 for Brisbane and the regional centres of the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and $700,000 for the rest of Queensland. Both the purchase price and the lender-assessed value of the home must be at or below the cap, and caps are set by postcode, so a suburb split across postcodes can have more than one cap.
Can you combine the $30,000 grant, the stamp duty concession and the 5% Deposit Scheme?
Yes, if you meet each programme's criteria. They are administered separately, by Queensland Revenue Office for the grant and duty concession and by Housing Australia through participating lenders for the deposit scheme, and each is assessed on its own criteria. To meet the price tests for all three, a new home must be under both the grant's threshold (home including land valued below $750,000) and the 5% Deposit Scheme cap for its postcode ($1,000,000 in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast; $700,000 in the rest of Queensland). Price alone does not make you eligible.
How much deposit do I actually need for a $700,000 new home in Queensland?
If you are eligible for the 5% Deposit Scheme and a participating lender approves the loan, the minimum deposit on a $700,000 home is $35,000. That purchase sits under the $1,000,000 Brisbane and Gold Coast price cap (elsewhere in Queensland the cap is $700,000, so it would be right at the limit), and under the $750,000 grant threshold, so an eligible buyer may also get the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant and a duty concession. Don't count on the grant as part of the deposit. Your borrowing capacity, lender criteria and other costs still determine what is possible for you.
Can I get a first home grant or stamp duty concession on an established home in Queensland?
Not the grant: the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant is for new homes only. Stamp duty relief is still available. Under the first home concession for established homes, no duty is payable on a home valued at $700,000 or less (agreements from 9 June 2024), with a partial concession up to $800,000. The 5% Deposit Scheme covers established homes too, within the price cap for the postcode.
What is the difference between Help to Buy and Boost to Buy?
Both are shared equity schemes with a 2% minimum deposit, where the government owns part of the home. Help to Buy is federal: up to 40% of a new home or 30% of an existing one, for taxable incomes up to $103,000 individual or $165,000 joint or single parent, from the previous financial year's notice of assessment. Boost to Buy is Queensland's: up to 30% new or 25% existing, for 2026 taxable incomes up to $155,000 individual or $232,000 for two adults or a single with dependants, with a $1,000,000 price cap. You can use one or the other, not both.
Official sources
Every figure in this guide comes from the administering body. If you check one thing before acting, check these.
- Queensland Government — First Home Owner Grant (checked 27 October 2026)
- Queensland Revenue Office — First Home Owner Grant eligibility (page last updated 5 August 2026)
- Queensland Revenue Office — First Home Owner Grant obligations, including payment timing (checked 27 October 2026)
- Queensland Revenue Office — first home (new home) transfer duty concession (checked 27 October 2026)
- Queensland Revenue Office — first home vacant land concession (page last updated 31 July 2026; checked 27 October 2026)
- Queensland Revenue Office — first home concession (established homes) (page last updated 31 July 2026)
- Housing Australia — Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (checked 27 October 2026)
- Housing Australia — 5% Deposit Scheme property price caps, including the postcode search tool (checked 27 October 2026)
- Housing Australia — Help to Buy scheme (income limits checked 27 October 2026)
- Queensland Treasury — Boost to Buy (page last updated 30 September 2026; income limits checked 27 October 2026)
Where to go from here
- First home buyer checklist — the steps in order, and who assesses your borrowing (My Finance People or your chosen lender).
- Victorian first home buyer grants 2026 — if you are weighing up Victoria. Buying in the west? See WA first home buyer grants 2026.
- House and land packages for first home buyers — the grant, stamp duty and 5% deposit on a new build, compared across QLD, VIC and WA.
- House and land packages for investors — if the first purchase is an investment rather than a home to live in.
- Talk to the team — Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, on 0418 252 432.
This guide is general information, not financial, credit, legal or taxation advice, and it does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. Eligibility for grants, schemes and finance varies by state, lender and individual circumstances and is subject to current government criteria.