First home buyers in Australian Capital Territory: every grant, concession and scheme

Stamp duty for first home buyers

From 1 July 2026, the Home Buyer Concession Scheme means no conveyance duty for eligible buyers, with no income test and no price cap. It covers new homes, established homes and vacant residential land.

Eligibility is broader than first home buyer: you, and any domestic partner, must not have owned or held an interest in any property in the last five years, and you must live in the home for at least a year, starting within a year of settlement.

For the full rate tables and how conveyance duty is worked out, see stamp duty in Australian Capital Territory.

The First Home Owner Grant

The ACT no longer pays a First Home Owner Grant. The main help for first home buyers in the ACT is the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, which from 1 July 2026 means no conveyance duty for eligible buyers at any price.

National schemes you can use in Australian Capital Territory

These come from the Australian Government and work alongside Australian Capital Territory's duty relief and grant. In Australian Capital Territory the 5% Deposit Scheme price cap is $1,000,000, and the Help to Buy cap is $1,000,000.

The 5% Deposit Scheme

The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly the Home Guarantee Scheme) lets first home buyers buy with a deposit of 5%, and single parents or legal guardians with 2%, without paying lenders mortgage insurance. The government guarantees part of the loan, which is what lets the lender skip the insurance. Since 1 October 2025 there are no income caps and no waitlist; the limits are property price caps that vary by state and area.

Help to Buy

Help to Buy is shared equity: you put in at least 2%, borrow from a participating lender, and the government contributes up to 30% of the price of an existing home or up to 40% of a new one, in exchange for that share of the home's value. You can buy the share back over time or repay it when you sell. Applicants must be Australian citizens with taxable income at or below $103,000 (single) or $165,000 (joint applicants and single parents), and the home has its own price caps.

The First Home Super Saver scheme

Through the First Home Super Saver scheme you can make voluntary contributions to super and later withdraw them, with associated earnings, for a first home deposit: up to $15,000 of contributions from any one financial year and $50,000 in total. Because concessional contributions are taxed at 15% inside super rather than at your marginal rate, it can grow a deposit faster for many earners. Ask the ATO or a tax adviser how it applies to you.

What it takes in cash: a worked example

Say you are buying an established home in Canberra for $1,000,000 with the 5% Deposit Scheme. The cash you need at settlement is roughly:

The loan is the harder part: a lender has to be satisfied you can repay it at today's rates plus a 3 percentage point buffer, after living costs and any debts. That is what the Borrowable check works out for you.

Before you start looking

• Know your number first. Your borrowing capacity, plus your deposit, less stamp duty and costs, is the price range that actually works. Agents' price guides won't tell you that.
• Credit card limits count, even if you pay them off. Lenders assume the full limit is in use. Reducing or closing a card you don't need can add tens of thousands to what you could borrow. See why your credit card limit matters.
• HECS reduces borrowing power because the compulsory repayment comes out of your take home pay. See how HECS affects a home loan.
• Get your finance lined up before you make an offer, especially at auction, where a winning bid is unconditional.