The schemes at a glance
The Queensland First Home Owner Grant pays $30,000 in cash for contracts signed before 30 June 2026 (reverting to $15,000 after), available on new homes under $750,000. The stamp duty exemption on new homes and vacant land is a full exemption with no price cap, available since May 2025. The stamp duty concession on established homes is worth up to $17,350, available on homes under $800,000. The First Home Guarantee removes LMI on a 5% deposit for new or established homes, with price caps depending on location. The Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee offers the same terms specifically for buyers outside the major cities. The Family Home Guarantee lets eligible single parents buy with just a 2% deposit and no LMI. And Boost to Buy, the Queensland Government's shared equity scheme, contributes up to 30% of a purchase price in exchange for a 2% deposit, subject to income caps.
The Queensland First Home Owner Grant
The FHOG is a cash payment from the Queensland Government to eligible first home buyers, currently $30,000 for contracts signed before 30 June 2026, reverting to $15,000 after that date. It's paid at settlement by your lender on your behalf, through the Queensland Revenue Office.
It's worth knowing the grant's history, because the amount has moved around a lot: it launched at $7,000 in 2000, was temporarily boosted to $21,000 during the GFC stimulus in 2008, settled at $15,000 for new homes only from 2012, briefly offered a $20,000 regional boost from 2016, returned to a uniform $15,000 statewide in 2023, and was lifted to $30,000 for contracts before 30 June 2026, the highest it's ever been.
To qualify, you'll need at least one applicant who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident and aged 18 or over. Neither you nor your spouse or de facto partner can have previously owned residential property in Australia that you lived in, and neither of you can have previously received a First Home Owner Grant in any Australian state or territory. The property has to be new, never previously occupied or sold as a residence, and the total value, including land and contract variations, has to be under $750,000. You'll need to move in within 12 months of settlement or construction completion and live there as your principal residence for at least six continuous months.
The grant applies exclusively to new homes: house and land packages built by a registered builder, off-the-plan apartment or unit purchases, owner-built homes, and homes that have been substantially renovated and are being sold as new. Established properties, ones that have previously been occupied or sold as a residence, don't qualify for the grant itself, though first home buyers purchasing established homes can still access the stamp duty concessions below.
One thing worth being clear on: the grant isn't paid upfront as a deposit. It's paid at settlement, which means you still need genuine savings available on the day of contract. Some lenders will take the incoming grant into account when assessing your overall position, but they can't use it as your actual deposit.
Stamp duty concessions
Queensland significantly improved its stamp duty concessions for first home buyers from 1 May 2025, and the changes depend on whether you're buying new or established.
For new homes and vacant land, first home buyers pay zero stamp duty, with no price cap at all. Whether you're buying a $400,000 townhouse or a $900,000 new build, the bill is nil, a genuinely significant change from the old structure, which had both a price cap and a sliding scale, and one of the most generous new-home stamp duty policies in the country.
For established homes, properties under $700,000 get the full concession, a saving of roughly $17,350 compared to a standard purchaser at that price point. Between $700,000 and $800,000, a partial concession applies on a sliding scale, so you pay some duty but less than the standard rate. At $800,000 and above, no concession applies and standard rates are payable.
To put some real numbers on it: a standard investor buying at $500,000 would pay $8,750 in stamp duty, where a first home buyer pays nothing. At $650,000, the investor pays $12,475 against nil. At $800,000, $16,600 against nil. At $1,000,000, where the first home buyer no longer qualifies for a concession, both would pay the standard $22,975 (illustrating just how much is saved by staying under the threshold).
The First Home Guarantee
The First Home Guarantee is a federal scheme run by Housing Australia. It lets eligible first home buyers purchase with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance, with the government guaranteeing the remaining 15% of the standard 20% threshold, so the lender treats the loan as though an 80% LVR deposit was provided.
The scheme was significantly expanded from 1 October 2025: the previous income caps of $125,000 for individuals and $200,000 for couples were removed entirely, the annual cap on places was removed, and both new and established homes are eligible.
Property price caps in Queensland sit at $1,000,000 for Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, and $700,000 for the rest of the state. The value of avoiding LMI is significant: on a $700,000 purchase with a 5% deposit, LMI would typically cost $20,000 to $28,000 depending on the lender, all of which the guarantee eliminates. On a $1,000,000 Brisbane purchase, the saving can exceed $40,000.
To make it concrete: on a $700,000 new home in Queensland, a standard 20% deposit means finding $160,000 upfront with no LMI payable. A 5% deposit without the scheme means finding just $35,000, but wearing roughly $24,000 in LMI. A 5% deposit through the First Home Guarantee means the same $35,000 deposit, with the LMI eliminated entirely, a saving of around $24,000 compared to going it alone at 5%.
The guarantee has to be applied for through an approved lender, not all lenders participate, and you can't apply directly through Housing Australia. Your broker will know which lenders are on the panel.
The Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee
This operates on the same terms as the standard First Home Guarantee, a 5% deposit with no LMI, but is specifically for buyers purchasing outside the major cities. In Queensland, that means anywhere outside Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, with a property price cap of $700,000. The same removal of income caps and place limits applies here too. For buyers in Ipswich, Springfield, Toowoomba, Cairns, Townsville and other regional centres, this can be combined with the FHOG and the stamp duty exemption for a compelling entry into the market.
The Family Home Guarantee
This one is designed specifically for eligible single parents or single legal guardians of at least one dependent child, allowing purchase with as little as a 2% deposit, with the government guaranteeing up to 18% of the standard threshold and no LMI payable.
To qualify, you need to be a single parent or guardian of a dependant, not currently own property (though unlike the standard First Home Guarantee, previous ownership doesn't disqualify you under certain conditions), and be buying as your principal residence. Because it's not limited to first home buyers, it's particularly useful for people who owned property during a relationship and are now purchasing independently after separation. Price caps match the standard guarantee: $1,000,000 in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, $700,000 elsewhere.
Boost to Buy
Boost to Buy is a Queensland Government shared equity scheme launched in December 2025, designed for first home buyers who have income to service a loan but a small deposit. The government contributes equity to your purchase in exchange for an ongoing stake in the property, up to 30% for new homes and 25% for existing homes, with a minimum 2% deposit required on properties up to $1,000,000.
There's no interest charged on the government's contribution. When you sell or pay off your loan, you repay their share based on the property's value at that time, not the original purchase price, so if the property has gone up, you repay more; if it's gone down, you repay less.
To be eligible, you need to be a first home buyer purchasing in Queensland, with income under $150,000 a year as a single, or under $225,000 as a couple or single with dependants, buying a property valued at no more than $1,000,000 as your principal residence. Applications go through approved lenders on a first-come, first-served basis.
It's genuinely worth understanding what you're signing up for: this is a shared equity arrangement, meaning the government has a financial stake in your home for as long as you're in the scheme. If your income grows significantly above the threshold for two consecutive years, you may need to repay part of the government's equity. Seek independent financial advice before applying. As of March 2026, the initial South East Queensland allocation of 500 places has been used up, though a limited number of regional places remain through Unity Bank, with additional places for both regions scheduled for release in early 2026. The scheme runs through approved lenders only, not directly through the Queensland Government.
Stacking the schemes together
The most powerful outcome for eligible buyers comes from combining several schemes at once. Say you're buying a new house and land package for $700,000 in Springfield Central. Without any schemes, you'd need a standard 20% deposit of $140,000, pay $21,850 in stamp duty, and wear somewhere between $21,000 and $28,000 in LMI if you went in at a lower deposit, a substantial upfront cost.
Stack the schemes instead, and the picture changes dramatically. The First Home Guarantee brings your required deposit down to 5%, or $35,000. The new-home stamp duty exemption brings that cost to zero. LMI is waived entirely through the guarantee. And the $30,000 FHOG, applied at settlement, further reduces your loan balance. Net cash required above the 5% deposit drops to roughly $5,000 to $8,000, essentially just purchase costs. It's worth repeating: the FHOG lands at settlement, not upfront, so you still need genuine savings of at least your 5% deposit available at the time of purchase. The grant reduces your loan balance rather than replacing your deposit, so it's worth talking to a broker about how to sequence your funds correctly.
How to apply for each scheme
The FHOG is applied for through your approved lender rather than directly through the Queensland Revenue Office in most cases, with your lender or broker lodging it on your behalf as part of settlement, and your conveyancer coordinating the payment.
Stamp duty exemptions and concessions are applied automatically during the transfer duty assessment at settlement, handled by your conveyancer as part of the transfer duty return.
Federal guarantee schemes (First Home Guarantee, Regional Guarantee, Family Home Guarantee) must be applied for through an approved lender. Your broker can identify which lenders are participating, submit your application, and confirm your allocation before you sign a contract. You can't apply directly through Housing Australia.
Boost to Buy applications are lodged through Unity Bank, currently the only approved lender for the scheme, as part of your home loan application. Check availability directly, since places are released in batches.
Traps that catch buyers out
Previously owned investment property. For the FHOG, having owned an investment property you never lived in doesn't automatically disqualify you, the test is whether you owned a property you or your spouse occupied as a residence. But for the federal First Home Guarantee, the rules are stricter: you must never have owned or had an interest in a property that was your principal residence in Australia. Previous investment property you didn't occupy isn't a disqualifier for the guarantee either. If you or your partner have any previous ownership history in any capacity, get advice before signing anything, the rules differ between the state grant and the federal schemes, and getting it wrong can mean repaying the grant plus penalties.
A previous grant in another state. If you've received a First Home Owner Grant anywhere in Australia before, under any version of the scheme, you're not eligible again in Queensland, even if it was for a property in a different state.
Inherited property. Whether an inheritance affects your eligibility depends on whether you became a registered proprietor of the property. Receiving a beneficial interest through a deceased estate without being registered on title may not disqualify you, but it's complex enough to warrant legal advice specific to your situation.
Relationship breakdown. If you previously owned property jointly and it was transferred to your former partner as part of a settlement, you may still be eligible for certain schemes, the Family Home Guarantee in particular has specific provisions for previous homeowners who no longer own property, worth exploring if separation is part of your story.
The residency requirement. You must move into the property within 12 months of settlement or completion and live there for at least six continuous months. If you're planning to rent it out first and move in later, you may not meet this requirement and could be asked to repay the grant.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the $30,000 FHOG if I buy an established home? No. It only applies to new homes that have never been occupied or sold as a residence. Buying established, you can still access stamp duty concessions under $800,000 and may qualify for the First Home Guarantee, but not the $30,000 cash grant.
Can I use the First Home Guarantee and the FHOG together? Yes. Both can apply to a new home purchase meeting both sets of criteria, and both can also combine with the stamp duty exemption on new homes.
Can I stack Boost to Buy with the First Home Guarantee? No. They address the same part of the transaction, the deposit gap, and you choose one or the other. Boost to Buy tends to suit buyers with very limited savings, since the government contributes up to 30% of the price. The First Home Guarantee is simpler and leaves you with 100% ownership from day one.
Does the FHOG count as my deposit? No. It's paid at settlement, after you've already provided your deposit at contract exchange, and reduces your loan balance rather than serving as the deposit itself. You need genuine savings of at least your lender's minimum deposit available when you sign.
What happens to my Boost to Buy equity if my property value increases? You repay the government's share based on the property's current market value when you sell or pay off your loan, not the original purchase price. Higher value means repaying more, lower value means repaying less. You can also buy back the government's equity at any time by increasing your loan, subject to approval and your income staying under the threshold.
The clearest combination for Queensland first home buyers on a new home before 30 June 2026 is the $30,000 FHOG, plus the First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI), plus the stamp duty exemption, together worth more than $68,000 in combined savings.
Getting the right advice
The Queensland first home buyer landscape has never been more generous, but navigating it correctly takes more than a quick online check. Eligibility rules differ between schemes, application processes vary, timing matters, and combining the wrong schemes can actually reduce your overall benefit.
Stanford Financial specialises in first home buyer lending across Queensland. We confirm your eligibility across all available schemes at once, identify which combinations apply to your situation, and coordinate the application with your lender and conveyancer so nothing falls through the cracks. Assessments are free and have no impact on your credit file until you proceed, and we have access to more than 50 lenders including every First Home Guarantee and Boost to Buy participant. We're based in Springfield Central, servicing Brisbane, Ipswich, the Gold Coast and Australia-wide.
Call 0483 980 002 or book your free assessment online. We typically respond within one business day.
