First Home Owner Grant NT and Other Home Buyer Assistance

The HomeGrown Territory Grant for first home buyers in the Northern Territory

The HomeGrown Territory Grant is the name the Northern Territory Government uses for its first home owner grant, which is paid under the First Home Owner Grant Act 2000. For an eligible new home, section 18 of the Act sets the grant at $50,000 where the commencement date of the transaction falls between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2027. The commencement date is the date the contract is made or, for an owner-builder, the date building work starts. The grant cannot exceed the amount actually paid for the transaction, although for a home purchase that limit is rarely relevant.

The Territory Revenue Office has announced an extension of the scheme dates, so contracts signed up to 30 September 2027 remain eligible, and the Act as in force at 1 July 2026 reflects that date. For transactions with a commencement date on or after 1 October 2027, the Act returns the grant to $10,000 for new homes. Purchasers planning a build that will not be contracted until late 2027 should therefore allow for the lower amount unless the Territory extends the scheme again.

There is no purchase price cap on the grant for current contracts. The threshold amounts that appear in the Act apply only to transactions from earlier periods, which means a first home buyer building a higher value home in Darwin or a regional centre may still qualify for the full $50,000.

Who is eligible for the first home owner grant in the Territory

The eligibility criteria are set out in Part 2 of the Act. Each applicant must be a natural person, and at least one applicant must be aged 18 or over at the commencement date. At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident when the application is made. All persons who will own the home on completion must join in the application, including a spouse or de facto partner who will be on the title.

The grant is limited to people who have not owned and lived in a home before. An applicant is ineligible if the applicant or the applicant's spouse or de facto partner has already received a first home owner grant in any state or territory, unless it was repaid with any interest and penalties. An applicant is also ineligible if either of them held a relevant interest in residential property anywhere in Australia before 1 July 2000, or held an interest after that date in a property that either of them used as a residence. Owning an investment property that neither person ever lived in does not, by itself, exclude an applicant after 1 July 2000.

The residence requirement is stricter for the HomeGrown Territory Grant than for earlier Territory grants. Under section 12, at least one applicant must start living in the home as a principal place of residence within 12 months after completion and continue for at least 12 months, rather than the six months that applied before 1 October 2024. The Commissioner of Territory Revenue may approve a longer start period or a shorter occupancy period where special reasons exist, and may require repayment where the requirement is not met.

Which homes qualify for NT grants

From 1 October 2025 the grant applies only to new homes. Under the Act a new home is one that has not previously been occupied or sold as a place of residence. Qualifying transactions include a contract to buy a newly built house, unit or townhouse, an off-the-plan contract, a comprehensive home building contract for a home on land the applicant owns or will own, and the building of a home by an owner-builder. The Territory Revenue Office has also confirmed that a new transportable or modular home can qualify if it is permanently fixed and approved for residential use.

An established home bought on or after 1 October 2025 does not attract the grant. Between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025 the Territory paid a $10,000 grant for established homes, but that window has closed. A first home buyer who prefers an established home in the Northern Territory therefore relies on federal support, such as the 5% Deposit Scheme, rather than a Territory grant, and pays ordinary stamp duty on the purchase.

The FreshStart New Home Grant for existing Territory home owners

The FreshStart New Home Grant extends Territory assistance to people who are not first home buyers. It provides $30,000 towards buying or building a new home and is available to people who have previously owned, or currently own, a home. The Territory Revenue Office publishes the scheme conditions rather than setting them out in the First Home Owner Grant Act.

The conditions follow the HomeGrown Territory Grant closely. The contract to buy or build must be signed, or owner-builder work must start, between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2027, and the home must not have been previously occupied or sold as a residence. At least one applicant must occupy the home as a principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least 12 months, beginning within 12 months of completion. The FreshStart grant cannot be combined with the HomeGrown Territory Grant, and applications close on 31 December 2027, earlier than the HomeGrown application deadline.

Stamp duty and the Northern Territory House and Land Package Exemption

The Northern Territory has no general stamp duty concession for first home buyers as at September 2026, so a first home buyer purchasing an established home pays the same duty as any other purchaser. The relief table on this page reflects that position. Duty on an established home is estimated by the Northern Territory stamp duty calculator on this site.

The main duty relief for new homes is the House and Land Package Exemption in Division 2A of the Stamp Duty Act 1978. It exempts from duty the purchase of land from a registered building contractor where, in the same contract, the builder agrees to build, complete or transfer a detached new home on that land. The exemption applies to conveyances first executed between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2027, is not limited to first home buyers and has no value cap. The purchaser must be an individual aged 18 or over who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and must occupy the home as a principal place of residence for at least six months. The exemption conditions do not exclude a purchaser who also receives the HomeGrown Territory Grant, so a first home buyer of an eligible package may receive both, subject to confirmation by the Territory Revenue Office.

Where land is bought separately and a home is then built under a comprehensive building contract, duty is payable on the land only, and the building contract may be an eligible transaction for the grant. The combination of a lower duty bill and a $50,000 grant is the main reason new homes attract most Territory assistance.

Applying for Territory grants and when the money is paid

Most applicants apply through the lender financing the purchase or build. The lender completes the application with the applicant, lodges it with the Territory Revenue Office and receives the grant on approval, so that it can be applied at settlement or towards the first progress payment. An applicant who does not need finance, or whose lender does not process grants, may apply directly to the Territory Revenue Office. The Territory Revenue Office states that direct applications are paid after settlement for a purchase, or once the foundations are laid for a build.

The Act allows an application from the commencement date until 12 months after completion of the transaction, and the Commissioner has discretion to accept a late application. The Territory Revenue Office has published closing dates of 30 September 2028 for HomeGrown Territory Grant applications and 31 December 2027 for FreshStart applications. Supporting evidence usually includes identity and citizenship documents, the signed contract and, for a build, the building contract and evidence of the land purchase. Providing false or misleading information is an offence, and a grant paid in error or where conditions are breached can be recovered.

Combining NT assistance with federal schemes

Territory grants can generally be used alongside Australian Government schemes, because they are administered separately. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme allows eligible buyers to purchase with a smaller deposit without paying lenders mortgage insurance, subject to property price caps. As at September 2026 the cap is $750,000 in Darwin and $600,000 in the rest of the Northern Territory. The grant has no price cap, so a buyer who intends to use both must keep the purchase price within the federal cap.

Savings released under the First Home Super Saver Scheme can also be put towards a new home that qualifies for the HomeGrown Territory Grant, subject to the rules of that scheme. The national government grants page of this site explains the federal schemes, including the 5% Deposit Scheme and the First Home Super Saver Scheme, in more detail.

Practical sequencing for a Darwin or regional Territory purchase

Timing matters because each Territory scheme turns on the date a contract is signed. A buyer intending to claim the $50,000 grant should confirm eligibility before signing, and should sign the contract to buy or build, or start owner-builder work, no later than 30 September 2027. A buyer relying on the House and Land Package Exemption should sign by 30 June 2027, and should confirm that the land is owned by a registered building contractor and that the contract meets each condition of the exemption.

A sensible order is to obtain pre-approval that accounts for the grant, compare the price with the federal price cap where the 5% Deposit Scheme is to be used, have a conveyancer review the contract for grant and duty exemption eligibility, and then sign. For a build, progress payments, variations and the date the home is ready for occupation also affect when the grant is paid and when the 12 month residence period begins. BorrowWise is an education site that can connect readers with an accredited broker, who is able to explain how the grant, the duty position and any federal scheme apply to a particular purchase.