QLD First Home Owner Grant 2026: How Much You Get and How to Apply

The QLD first home owners grant is $30,000 for eligible first home buyers who sign a contract to buy or build a new home on or after 20 November 2023, and the 2026–27 State Budget continued that amount for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. You qualify if you’re a first home buyer, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and the new home is valued under $750,000.

It’s a generous payment, but it only covers new homes, and it usually arrives at settlement, not before. Below you’ll find the amounts, the eligibility rules, how to apply and a worked example for a new Gold Coast home.

How Much is the QLD First Home Owners Grant?

The grant is a one-off payment, and the amount depends on the date you signed your contract. The Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) sets it out like this:

• $30,000 if your contract was signed on or after 20 November 2023. For owner-builders, it’s the date the foundations were laid.

The $30,000 boost was originally due to end on 30 June 2026. Instead, the Queensland Government locked it into the 2026–27 Budget for four years.

The grant is paid per new home, not per person, so a couple buying together shares one payment.

Who is Eligible For the First Home Owner Grant in QLD?

To claim the QLD first home owner grant, you and your spouse both need to pass the tests below. QRO counts married partners, de facto partners of two years or more, and registered partners as spouses.

• First home buyer: neither of you has received a first home owner grant anywhere in Australia, and neither has owned residential property you lived in on or after 1 July 2000. Before that date, owning any residential property rules you out.
• Age and residency: you’re a person (not a company or trust) aged 18 or over, and an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or you’re applying with someone who is.
• Living in the home: you move in within 1 year of the completed transaction and live there continuously for 6 months.
• Value: the new home is worth less than $750,000, including land and any contract variations.
• Income: there’s no income test.

If you’ve only ever owned an investment property you never lived in, you may still qualify. You’ll need records such as leases and tax returns to prove it.

Variations count towards the $750,000 limit, so leave yourself some room when you sign. If the grant has already been paid and the final value reaches $750,000 or more, you must notify QRO within 28 days.

What Counts As a New Home?

QRO defines a new home as one that hasn’t been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence. A substantially renovated home can also count, but only in limited cases where a GST-registered seller did the work. Established homes get no grant.

Three types of purchase can qualify.

One trap: a brand-new unit that’s been sold on by someone who bought it as a residence is not eligible, even if nobody ever lived in it.

Other Help For QLD First Home Buyers

The QLD first home owners grant is the main cash payment, but it sits alongside three other forms of support. The first home owner grant in QLD isn’t affected by taking up the national or state schemes.

So, what grants are available for first home buyers in QLD? The $30,000 first home owner grant is the state’s main grant, and it only applies to new homes. The rest of the help comes in the form of stamp duty relief, a federal deposit scheme, and a shared equity program.

Stamp duty concessions

Do QLD first home buyers pay stamp duty? Not on a new home. For contracts entered into on or after 1 May 2025, QRO offers a full transfer duty concession with no cap on the purchase price. It applies to residential land only. The Queensland Government says more than 3,500 buyers had saved over $66 million under the change by June 2026.

Existing homes get a smaller concession. Under QRO’s current rates, no duty is payable on purchases of $700,000 or less, and the concession phases out and ends at $800,000. Our stamp duty calculator gives you a quick estimate for your own price.

The First Home Guarantee scheme

The federal First Home Guarantee scheme is now called the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme. It lets eligible first home buyers buy with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), with no income caps and no waiting list. The Gold Coast price cap is $1,000,000, and both the purchase price and your lender’s valuation must be at or below it.

The scheme is separate from the grant. QRO confirms the national schemes won’t affect your grant eligibility.

Help to Buy Scheme

The Australian Government’s Help to Buy Scheme is another option for eligible first home buyers looking to enter the property market with a smaller deposit. Through this shared equity initiative, the government contributes up to 40% of the purchase price for a new home or 30% for an existing home, helping reduce the amount buyers need to borrow.

Eligible buyers can purchase a property with a deposit as low as 2%, without paying lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). There are no interest or rental payments on the government’s equity contribution while you live in the property. Instead, the government retains an ownership share, which you can buy back over time or repay when you sell the property.

To qualify, applicants must meet certain requirements, including income thresholds, property price caps and first home buyer eligibility criteria. You’ll also need to apply through a participating lender.

The Help to Buy Scheme can be used alongside other available first home buyer support, provided you meet the separate eligibility requirements. Read our guide to the Help to Buy Scheme to learn more about eligibility, the application process and how the government’s equity contribution works.

Example: What a Gold Coast First Home Buyer Could Get

Take a couple buying their first home together. They sign a single contract for a brand-new Gold Coast townhouse at $720,000, and they’ll move in straight after settlement. These figures are illustrative only.

The price sits $30,000 under the grant’s $750,000 limit and well inside the $1,000,000 scheme cap. The $4,370 comes from QRO’s rates: duty of $18,250 at the home concession rate, less the $13,880 first home concession for a $720,000 purchase. Buying new brings that to nil.

So the couple gets $30,000 in grant money and saves $4,370 in duty compared with an existing home at the same price. A 5% deposit also means they need $36,000 instead of the $144,000 a 20% deposit would take, which is $108,000 less to save.

There’s a catch. The $36,000 still has to be ready, because the grant is paid at settlement. They’ll also need cash for legal fees, inspections and lender costs.

Can You Use the QLD First Home Owners Grant As Your Deposit?

Not reliably. It’s best not to rely on the grant as a deposit, because the timing changes with how and when you apply:

• Buying a new home through a lender: paid at settlement.
• Contract to build through a lender: paid on the first drawdown of funds.
• Applying directly to QRO: paid once the home is complete and you’ve lodged all your documents.

How much deposit do you need with the first home owners grant? You don’t need a deposit to apply for the grant, but your lender sets the deposit for your loan. That’s at least 5% under the 5% Deposit Scheme or 2% under Boost to Buy. Outside those schemes, lenders usually want 20% to avoid LMI. Our guide on how much deposit you need breaks down your options.

How To Apply For the First Home Buyer Grant in QLD

You can apply two ways, and QRO says going through an approved agent is the fastest option.

1. Through an approved agent: this is usually your bank or lender. They confirm your eligibility and lodge the application with your loan.
2. Directly with QRO: apply online at firsthome.gov.au. You can’t apply until the transaction is complete and you’ve got all the documents ready.

There’s a deadline. If you’re buying, apply within one year of taking possession and registering your title. If you’re building, apply within 1 year of the home’s completion.

You’ll need your application form and supporting documents. They include the signed contract and any variations, a statement from the seller confirming a new home was never occupied or sold as a residence, a title registration confirmation for a purchase, or a final inspection certificate for a build. QRO lists the full set on its supporting documents page.

When the 1st Home Buyers Grant QLD is paid

Payment follows the timing in the table above. QRO aims to process applications in “lodged” status within 10 working days, but this can take longer if documents are missing.

Once it’s paid, you have obligations. If you can’t move in or stay for six months, tell QRO within 14 days. You may have to repay the grant, and there are penalties for not telling them.

How Go Mortgage Helps You Claim It

Many banks and lenders on QRO’s list of approved agents will lodge your grant application alongside your loan. That’s why the lender matters. We’ll check that the lender we match you with can handle the grant, and whether it offers the 5% Deposit Scheme, since only participating lenders do.

It also helps to get pre-approved before you start looking. You’ll know whether a $720,000 townhouse really fits your borrowing power, and you can make an offer with confidence.

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