Buying your first home in Victoria is a big milestone. It excites many people, but it can also feel stressful.
You need to save for a deposit, pay stamp duty, and cover legal costs. Many first-home buyers wonder if they can ever own a home.
The Victorian Government offers help. The First Home Owners Grant Victoria (FHOG) is a one off grant providing eligible home buyers $10,000 when they purchase or build a new home valued at $750,000 or less.
On top of this home buyer grant, you can save more through stamp duty concessions, home buyer duty exemptions, deposit guarantees, and shared equity programs.
This guide explains the First Home Owners Grant Victoria. You will learn who can apply, how much you can receive, and how to combine the grant with other programs.
What is the First Home Owners Grant Victoria?
The First Home Owners Grant Victoria (FHOG) provides first-time buyers with money to reduce the cost of buying their first home.
- The government pays $10,000 under this one off grant.
- You can only claim it on new homes worth $750,000 or less that have not been previously sold or occupied.
- You do not repay this money.
You can use the FHOG when you:
- Buy a new house, townhouse, apartment, or residential property.
- Purchase off the plan, including off the plan concession eligibility.
- Buy a home that someone has substantially renovated but not lived in.
Your lender, financial institution, or approved agent usually lodges your application. They pay the grant at settlement when you buy or at the first progress payment when you build.
Who is Eligible for the First Home Owners Grant Victoria?
You and the property must meet clear eligibility criteria.
Applicant rules:
- You must be 18 or older.
- You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. If you buy with a spouse or partner, at least one applicant must meet this rule.
- You must apply as an individual. You cannot apply through a company or trust.
- You must never have owned a home in Australia before 1 July 2000.
- You must never have lived in a home you owned after 1 July 2000 for more than a continuous period of six months.
- You must never have received the FHOG before.
- Australian Defence Force personnel, including current members of the Australian Army, Air Force, and Navy, may be exempt from some residency requirements. Australian Public Service staff are not eligible for these exemptions.
- Torres Strait Islander participants and Aboriginal Australians may have special eligibility considerations.
Property rules:
- The home must be new and worth $750,000 or less.
- Nobody must have lived in the home before you or it must not have been sold previously as a place of residence or used for short term accommodation such as Airbnb.
Residency rules:
- You must live in the home as your principal place of residence for 12 months.
- You must start living in the home within 12 months of settlement or construction.
- Defence Force members usually receive an exemption from residency requirements.
Young Farmers
If you are a farmer under 35 buying your first single parcel of farmland, you may qualify for a young farmer duty exemption or concession.
- For farmland under $600,000, you pay no duty on the first $300,000.
- For farmland between $600,000 and $750,000, you receive a concession.
- You must choose between this exemption or concession and the principal place of residence concession. You cannot claim both.
- You remain eligible even if you have owned non-farmland before.
How Much is the First Home Owners Grant in Victoria?
The Victorian Government pays $10,000 under the grant when you buy or build a new home worth $750,000 or less.
From 2017 to June 2021, buyers in regional Victoria could claim $20,000 under the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee. The state has since ended that program.
Using the grant as a deposit
You can use the FHOG towards your deposit. However, lenders still expect you to contribute. For example:
- A $600,000 home requires a 5% deposit of $30,000.
- The FHOG adds $10,000.
- You still need $20,000 in savings.
When you receive the money
- If you buy, your lender or approved agent pays the grant at settlement.
- If you build, your lender or approved agent pays it at the first progress payment.
- If you apply directly to the State Revenue Office (SRO), they pay it within 10 working days after approval.
How to Apply for the First Home Owners Grant Victoria
You can apply in two ways.
Through your lender, financial institution, or broker
- Most people apply this way.
- Your broker lodges the application with your home loan.
- Your lender or approved agent pays the grant in time for settlement or construction.
Directly with the State Revenue Office (SRO)
- You lodge the application yourself.
- The SRO pays the grant after settlement or once you provide the occupancy certificate.
Documents you need:
- Completed FHOG application form.
- Proof of identity.
- Proof of citizenship or permanent residency.
- Contract of sale or building contract showing the contract price.
- Occupancy certificate (for construction).
Stamp Duty Exemptions and Concessions in Victoria
Stamp duty often makes up one of the biggest upfront costs when buying a home or investment property. For first-home buyers in Victoria, the government offers generous stamp duty concessions and home buyer duty exemptions that can save you tens of thousands of dollars.
Full exemption
- You pay no stamp duty if the property value is $600,000 or less.
- This applies whether you buy a new home, an established home, or vacant land to build on.
- The exemption can save you more than $30,000 depending on the property value.
Partial concession
- If the property value is between $600,001 and $750,000, you pay a reduced rate of stamp duty.
- The amount you pay scales up gradually.
- At $605,000, the duty is very small.
- At $745,000, you almost pay full stamp duty.
Who qualifies
- You must meet the general first-home buyer eligibility requirements: be over 18, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and not have owned property before.
- You must also live in the property as your principal place of residence for at least 12 months.
Why this matters
Stamp duty savings combined with the First Home Owners Grant Victoria can reduce your entry costs dramatically. For many aspiring homeowners, this makes the difference between waiting years to save or buying sooner in the property market.
Other First-Home Buyer Assistance in Victoria
The First Home Owners Grant Victoria is not the only help available. You can combine it with other schemes.
- Stamp Duty Savings: Pay no duty if the property is $600,000 or less. Pay reduced duty if the property is up to $750,000.
- First Home Guarantee (FHBG): Buy with a 5% deposit and avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
- Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee: Buy with a 5% deposit in regional Victoria.
- Family Home Guarantee: Eligible single parents can buy with just a 2% deposit.
- First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS): Save through superannuation and withdraw up to $50,000 for your deposit.
- Victorian Homebuyer Fund: The government contributes up to 25% of the purchase price in exchange for a share of ownership.
Frequently Asked Questions About the First Home Owners Grant Victoria
Do first-home buyers pay stamp duty in Victoria?
No, if the property is worth $600,000 or less. You pay less duty on homes worth up to $750,000.
Is the grant still available in 2025?
Yes. The government still pays eligible buyers the $10,000 FHOG.
Can couples apply?
Yes. Both must meet the eligibility requirements. If one of you owned a home before, you cannot claim the grant.
Can you use the FHOG as a deposit?
Yes, but the grant will not cover the full deposit. Lenders still require your savings.
When do you receive the money?
You receive it at settlement when you buy, at the first progress payment when you build, or within 10 days if you apply directly to the SRO.
What homes qualify?
Only new homes qualify. This includes new builds, off-the-plan purchases, or homes that someone has substantially renovated and never lived in.
Making the Most of the First Home Owners Grant Victoria
The First Home Owners Grant Victoria gives you $10,000 towards a new home valued at up to $750,000.
While the money will not cover your full deposit, you can combine it with stamp duty concessions, deposit guarantees, and shared equity schemes to save thousands.
Check your eligibility before you buy. Talk to a lender, broker, or approved agent about how you can use the FHOG with other programs. With the right planning, these grants and schemes can bring you closer to owning your first home sooner in the property market.
