If you're buying your first home in Queensland, there are 9 programs sitting between the state and federal governments. Some are grants paid in cash. Some are stamp duty concessions. Others let you buy with a smaller deposit, save through super, or share equity with the government.
What you qualify for depends on what you're buying. Four scenarios cover most buyers: building a home, buying brand new or off-the-plan, buying an established home, or buying vacant land. Each path opens different doors.
Most of our clients spending under $800,000 end up qualifying for two or three programs at the same time. Stacked correctly, they can shave tens of thousands off the upfront cost. Stacked badly, you can end up locked into a property that's hard to sell or refinance later.
This page is the overview hub. Each program below has a short summary and a link to a deeper guide. If you want the broader picture first, our first home buyer guide for QLD walks through the whole process.
Every program at a glance. Use the property type column to find what fits your purchase.
Not sure which ones apply to you?
A 20-minute call is usually enough to map your eligibility across all eight. Talk to a Brisbane mortgage broker and we'll walk you through it.
The Queensland First Home Owner Grant pays $30,000 in cash to eligible first home buyers building or buying a new house, unit or townhouse valued under $750,000. It applies to contracts signed between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2026.
The grant can form part of your deposit on the build itself, but not the land. It's paid through your lender at key milestones, depending on what you're buying.
Worth a word of caution from Victor. The $30k grant can distort pricing in fringe master-planned estates. We've had clients take the grant on a new estate home and end up underwater inside five years, while others who bought a dated but well-located established home with no grant built twice the equity. The grant is real money. It doesn't make a bad asset a good one.
Full breakdown in our First Home Owner Grant guide.
Transfer duty (commonly called stamp duty) is the state tax you pay when you buy a property. The First Home Concession reduces or wipes that tax for eligible first home buyers in Queensland.
For contracts entered on or after 9 June 2024, homes valued at $700,000 or under attract no transfer duty at all when the concession is claimed. Above $700,000 and up to $800,000, the concession tapers but can still save you up to $24,525.
This one applies to both established and new homes, which is what makes it the workhorse concession for most buyers. The saving frees up cash for your deposit or settlement costs.
More detail in our First Home Concession guide.
For contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later, the First Home (New Home) Concession reduces transfer duty to nil on a new home with no value cap. That's a big shift from the previous rules.
Developers can quietly capitalise the concession into the contract price. Victor has negotiated on off-the-plan deals where the stamp duty "saving" was simply padded into the price, so the net cost matched a comparable established home. Get independent eyes on the contract before you sign.
See our stamp duty exemptions for QLD first home buyers page for the full breakdown.
If you're buying vacant residential land to build your first home, the First Home Vacant Land Concession provides a full transfer duty waiver from 1 May 2025. There's no cap on the value of the land.
This pairs neatly with the First Home Owner Grant and the First Home (New Home) Concession on a land-plus-build purchase. You can end up with no transfer duty on the land, no transfer duty on the build, and $30,000 toward construction.
Read more in our First Home Vacant Land Concession explained post.
The First Home Guarantee lets eligible first home buyers purchase with a 5% deposit and skip Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI is the insurance lenders normally charge when your deposit is under 20%). The federal government guarantees the gap.
From 1 October 2025, the scheme changed significantly. No place limits. No income caps. The Queensland property price caps are now $1,000,000 for capital city and regional centres, and $700,000 for other Queensland locations. LMI savings can reach around $46,110.
One thing to watch. The higher cap can give false confidence. Just because you're "allowed" to borrow up to $1m doesn't mean it's sensible. Serviceability and future resale demand become the real constraints, and you're still competing with cashed-up upgraders and investors. The Family Home Guarantee variant for single parents and guardians (2% deposit) sits within the same Housing Australia framework if that applies to you.
Read our First Home Guarantee deposit scheme guide for the application detail.
The Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee is the regional counterpart to the First Home Guarantee. It's for eligible buyers purchasing in regional QLD, outside Greater Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Beaudesert. The price cap is $700,000 and LMI savings can reach around $32,277.
Since the October 2025 changes to the First Home Guarantee removed place limits and income caps, the overlap between the two schemes is significant. For most regional buyers, the eligibility outcome is similar.
Note: from 1 October 2025, the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee was folded into the main First Home Guarantee. Regional QLD buyers now apply through the standard First Home Guarantee.
The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS) is a federal program that lets you save your deposit through your super fund with a tax advantage. It's already operating and available to Queensland buyers.
Voluntary concessional contributions are taxed at 15% inside super, which is usually well below your marginal income tax rate. When you withdraw the money for your deposit, assessable FHSS amounts get a 30% FHSS tax offset.
You can withdraw up to $15,000 of your voluntary contributions from any one financial year, up to $50,000 in total, plus associated earnings. Start early since contributions need time to accumulate.
Help to Buy launched on 5 December 2025 in Queensland and is now open for applications through Commonwealth Bank and Bank Australia.
Help to Buy is the federal shared equity scheme. The Australian Government takes an equity share in your home, which reduces how much you need to borrow. You can buy with as little as a 2% deposit.
Under the federal scheme, the government's equity contribution is up to 40% for a new home or up to 30% for an existing home. Income caps are $100,000 for individuals and $160,000 for joint applicants and single parents. The QLD property price cap is $1,000,000 for Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, and $700,000 for other Queensland areas.
Help to Buy is separate from Queensland's Boost to Buy. They're similar in concept but run by different governments with different caps and thresholds. You generally choose one, not both, and the right pick depends on the property and your income.
Boost to Buy is the new Queensland Government shared equity scheme. Eligible first home buyers need a minimum 2% deposit, with the QLD Government providing an equity contribution of up to 30% for new homes or up to 25% for existing homes.
The property price cap is $1,000,000. Income thresholds are $150,000 for a single adult and $225,000 for two adults or a single adult with dependants. The property must be in Queensland.
How the equity works. The government effectively co-owns a slice of the property. You repay that share when you sell, refinance, or reach a point where you can buy it out. If the property rises in value, the government's share rises proportionally.
Victor's view. Boost to Buy suits borderline borrowers stretched by timing. It's risky for high-income earners who could save a bigger deposit in a year or two, because you lock in government co-ownership that caps your ability to upgrade or refinance. Worth modelling carefully before you commit.
In most cases, yes. Two or three of these can run together. Three common stacks we set up for clients:
Stack 1: Established home under $700,000. First Home Concession (nil transfer duty, saving up to $24,525) plus First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, LMI savings up to $46,110). Indicative total benefit: $70,000+ in avoided costs.
Stack 2: New home or build under $750,000. First Home Owner Grant ($30,000 cash) plus First Home (New Home) Concession (nil transfer duty) plus First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI). Add FHSS if you've been contributing. Indicative total benefit: $100,000+ in cash and avoided costs.
Stack 3: Vacant land plus build. First Home Vacant Land Concession (nil duty on land) plus First Home Owner Grant ($30,000 on the build) plus First Home Guarantee on the construction loan.
A practical warning on Stack 2. Doubling up the FHOG and First Home Guarantee on a low-quality new build can leave you with thin equity and fragile cash flow. We've seen clients trapped, unable to sell or refinance when life shifts. The subsidy is real, but it doesn't change what the property is actually worth. Check your borrowing power before you commit.
Victor Kalinowski has been a principal broker since 2007, with 19+ years in lending. He runs eligibility across all eight programs in one conversation, then sequences the applications so the timing of one doesn't disqualify you from another.
We lodge the FHOG and concession paperwork correctly through the lender, structure the loan so the stacked savings actually land in your account, and compare 50+ lenders to find the right fit. In the last financial year, 99.6% of our submitted loans were approved. We operate under an Australian Credit Licence with clear disclosure of how we're paid.
See Blackk's first home buyer service for the full picture.
FAQs
The First Home Owner Grant is $30,000 for eligible buyers building or buying a new home in Queensland valued under $750,000. It applies to contracts signed between 20 November 2023 and 30 June 2026. The grant is paid through your lender, generally at construction milestones if you're building, or at settlement if you're buying off-the-plan or brand new. It can form part of your deposit on the build but not on the land component of a land-and-build purchase.
Yes. The First Home Owner Grant doesn't apply to established homes, but several other programs do. The First Home Concession can wipe transfer duty entirely on established homes under $700,000 and save up to $24,525 up to $800,000. The First Home Guarantee gives you a 5% deposit option with no LMI on any property type. Help to Buy contributes up to 30% on existing homes and up to 40% on new builds. Boost to Buy QLD contributes up to 25% on existing homes and up to 30% on new builds.
It depends on the program. Under the First Home Guarantee or Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee, 5% is enough and you skip LMI. Under Help to Buy and Boost to Buy QLD, the minimum is 2% because the government takes equity in the property. Without any scheme, lenders generally want 20% to avoid LMI, though some will lend at 5% with LMI added to the loan. Your real minimum depends on the program you qualify for and the lender's policy.
Help to Buy is federal. Boost to Buy is the Queensland state version. Both are shared equity schemes with a 2% minimum deposit. Help to Buy's federal equity contribution can reach 40% on a new home or 30% on existing. Boost to Buy's QLD contribution is up to 30% new and up to 25% existing, with a $1m property cap and income thresholds of $150k single or $225k for couples and single parents. You generally pick one, not both.
Often, no. If you're buying an established or new home under $700,000 and claim the First Home Concession, transfer duty is nil. For new home contracts dated 1 May 2025 or later, the First Home (New Home) Concession wipes transfer duty with no value cap. Vacant land for your first home also attracts a full waiver from 1 May 2025. You can model your exact figure with our QLD transfer duty calculator.
Yes. The First Home Super Saver Scheme is a way of building your deposit. The First Home Guarantee is a way of using that deposit to buy with no LMI. They're complementary. Many of our clients use FHSS to grow a 5% deposit inside super at a lower tax rate, then withdraw it and apply for the First Home Guarantee at purchase. Timing matters because FHSS withdrawal takes weeks, so we start the request early in the application process.
From 1 October 2025, the First Home Guarantee and Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee have no income caps. Boost to Buy QLD has thresholds of $150,000 for a single adult and $225,000 for two adults or a single adult with dependants. Help to Buy has its own federal income caps. The First Home Owner Grant and the Queensland concessions do not impose income caps but do have property price caps instead.
The Queensland Government's equity share rises proportionally with the property's value. If they hold 25% and the home doubles in value, their share doubles too. When you sell, refinance to buy them out, or reach a buy-out trigger, you repay their share at the current market value. The upside is a smaller loan and less interest paid over time. The trade-off is reduced capital gain. This is why the scheme suits buyers genuinely stretched by deposit timing rather than those who could save more in a year or two.
A 20-minute call with Victor is enough to map your eligibility, the stacking maths, and the loan structure that goes with it. No pressure, no script.
- Queensland Revenue Office: First Home Owner Grant
- Queensland Revenue Office: First Home Concession
- Queensland Revenue Office: First Home (New Home) Concession
- Queensland Revenue Office: First Home Vacant Land Concession
- Queensland Treasury: Boost to Buy fact sheet
- Housing Australia: Unlimited places and higher property price caps from 1 October 2025
Victor Kalinowski
Mortgage Broker and Founder of Blackk
I’m Victor Kalinowski and a Brisbane Mortgage Broker at Blackk Mortgage Brokers. I’ve helped thousands of people get loans for their homes and investment properties.
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