Queensland First Home Buyer Grants and Schemes, 2026: The Complete Guide
There are currently five separate grants and schemes a first home buyer in Queensland might qualify for - two state, two federal, and a stamp duty exemption that sits alongside all of them. Several can be combined, some can't be used together, and eligibility for each is genuinely different. This guide covers what each one actually offers as of August 2026, who qualifies, and which combinations are realistic.
A note on accuracy: first home buyer scheme details change often, and a lot of the content ranking for these terms is out of date - several sites still say Queensland's grant drops back to $15,000 after 30 June 2026, which is no longer correct. Everything below is checked against the relevant government body directly, not against other articles.
The five schemes at a glance
Queensland First Home Owner Grant (FHOG): $30,000 toward a new home under $750,000
Transfer (stamp) duty exemption: zero duty on new homes and vacant land for first home buyers, no price cap
Boost to Buy: Queensland Government shared equity scheme, up to 30% contribution, $1M price cap
First Home Guarantee: federal 5% deposit scheme with no LMI, no income cap
Help to Buy: federal shared equity scheme, up to 40% contribution, tighter income caps than Boost to Buy
Queensland First Home Owner Grant: $30,000
This is a one-off, tax-free payment from the Queensland Government for eligible first home buyers building or buying a new home.
Amount: $30,000
Property cap: must be a new home (never previously lived in or sold as a residence) valued under $750,000, including land and any contract variations
Contract date: applies to eligible contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023 - and importantly, the Queensland Government confirmed in the 2026–27 State Budget that the $30,000 amount continues for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026 onward. It does not revert to $15,000, despite what some older articles still say.
Residency requirement: you must move in within 12 months of completion or settlement and live there continuously for at least 6 months
Not means-tested: your income doesn't affect eligibility
Not available for established homes: only new builds, off-the-plan purchases, or substantially renovated homes qualify
Owner-builders: the relevant date is when your foundations are laid, not when a contract is signed
Applications go through your lender at settlement, or directly through the Queensland Revenue Office.
Transfer (stamp) duty exemption for first home buyers
Since 1 May 2025, eligible first home buyers pay zero transfer duty on new homes and vacant residential land intended to become their first home - with no price cap. This is separate from the FHOG and can be claimed alongside it.
Established homes are treated differently: full concessions apply under $700,000, with partial concessions up to $800,000
Confirm your specific transaction with a conveyancer, as concession thresholds and definitions of "new home" can have edge cases (e.g. off-the-plan variations, owner-builder arrangements)
Boost to Buy: Queensland's shared equity scheme
Boost to Buy is a state government shared equity scheme: the Queensland Government contributes part of your purchase price in exchange for an equivalent ongoing equity share in the property, which you repay when you sell, refinance, or choose to buy it back over time.
Equity contribution: up to 30% for new homes, up to 25% for existing homes
Deposit required: as little as 2%
Property price cap: $1 million
Income caps (2026 taxable year): single applicants up to $155,000; two adults (with or without dependants) up to $232,000; a single applicant with dependants up to $232,000
Regional allocation: 50% of all places are reserved for buyers purchasing outside South East Queensland
Important for South East Queensland buyers specifically: Round 2 SEQ allocations are currently exhausted. Regional Queensland allocations remain available. If you're building in Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay or the Gold Coast - all of which sit within SEQ - check the current round status via Queensland Treasury's Boost to Buy page before factoring this scheme into your budget, since further SEQ rounds depend on future funding releases.
Applications go through the scheme's approved lender, currently Unity Bank.
First Home Guarantee: federal 5% deposit scheme
A federal scheme where the government guarantees part of your loan so you can buy with a smaller deposit and avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
Deposit required: as little as 5%
No LMI
As of 1 October 2025: no income caps, no waitlist, and unlimited places - a significant change from the scheme's earlier, more restrictive settings
Property price caps in Queensland: $1,000,000 for South East Queensland metro areas (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast); $700,000 for the rest of Queensland
You still need to service a larger loan than under a shared equity scheme, since the government isn't taking an equity stake - it's guaranteeing your deposit shortfall to the lender
Help to Buy: federal shared equity scheme
The newest scheme, launched 5 December 2025, and structurally similar to Boost to Buy but run federally with different caps.
Equity contribution: up to 40% for new homes, up to 30% for existing homes
Deposit required: as little as 2%
Income caps: $100,000 for individuals, $160,000 for couples and single parents - notably tighter than Boost to Buy's caps
Places: 10,000 nationally per year for four years
You cannot combine Help to Buy with a state-based shared equity scheme like Boost to Buy on the same purchase - you choose one or the other
Which schemes can you actually stack?
This is the part most guides skip. Based on how each scheme is structured:
FHOG + stamp duty exemption: yes, routinely combined - most eligible first home buyers building new in Queensland will use both together
FHOG + First Home Guarantee: yes - the grant reduces your effective purchase cost, the guarantee reduces your required deposit and removes LMI
FHOG + Boost to Buy: generally yes, since Boost to Buy addresses your deposit and loan size while the FHOG is a separate cash payment, but confirm with your lender as scheme-specific conditions can interact
Boost to Buy + Help to Buy: no - these are alternative shared equity schemes; a home-buyer guarantee or shared equity scheme from a Commonwealth entity is explicitly excluded from Boost to Buy eligibility, and vice versa
First Home Guarantee + Boost to Buy or Help to Buy: generally no in practice, since the Guarantee replaces the need for a deposit-boosting mechanism that a shared equity scheme also addresses - most buyers pick one deposit-side scheme, not two
A realistic example
A first home buyer purchasing a new $650,000 house and land package in Ipswich, outside a Boost to Buy SEQ allocation window, could combine:
$30,000 FHOG
$0 transfer duty (full exemption)
First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI, no income cap)
That's a genuine reduction in upfront cost and deposit burden without touching a shared equity scheme at all - often the simplest combination for buyers who don't meet Boost to Buy's income caps or can't get an SEQ allocation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the $30,000 Queensland grant definitely staying at that amount? Yes, as confirmed in the Queensland Government's 2026–27 State Budget (23 June 2026) - the $30,000 First Home Owner Grant continues for eligible contracts signed from 1 July 2026 onward. It is not reverting to $15,000.
Can I use the First Home Owner Grant for an established home? No. The FHOG applies only to new homes - new builds, off-the-plan purchases, and substantially renovated homes. Established homes may still qualify you for a stamp duty concession, but not the grant itself.
Is Boost to Buy currently open for South East Queensland buyers? Round 2 SEQ places are currently exhausted; only regional Queensland places remain in this round. Check the Queensland Treasury Boost to Buy page directly before planning around this scheme if you're buying in Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay or the Gold Coast.
Which scheme should I use if I don't qualify for Boost to Buy's income caps? The federal First Home Guarantee has no income cap as of 1 October 2025, making it the most broadly accessible deposit-side scheme currently available - combined with the FHOG and stamp duty exemption, it covers most first home buyers regardless of income.
This guide reflects scheme details current as of August 2026, sourced directly from qld.gov.au, Queensland Treasury and the Queensland Revenue Office. Grant amounts, income caps, price caps and scheme availability change - always confirm current details with the relevant government body or your lender before making a purchase decision. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.
See also: South East Queensland Growth Corridor Guide (overview) · Logan corridor · Moreton Bay corridor · Ipswich corridor · Gold Coast corridor · Queensland first home buyer grants and schemes guide
South East Queensland Growth Corridor Guide
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