How South Australia supports first home buyers
South Australian assistance for first home buyers is built around new housing. The two main state measures, the First Home Owner Grant and stamp duty relief for eligible first home buyers, both apply only to new homes, off-the-plan apartments, house and land packages, and vacant land on which a home will be built. Since contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024, neither measure has a property value cap. A first home buyer who purchases an established home receives neither the grant nor any stamp duty concession.
Alongside those measures, the South Australian Government operates HomeStart Finance, a state-owned lender that offers low deposit loans without lenders mortgage insurance and several additional loan products for lower income households. The HomeSeeker SA website lists affordable homes offered to eligible buyers. Each of these has its own eligibility rules, and they can be combined with federal schemes in some cases but not in others.
This guide summarises the South Australian arrangements as at September 2026, using information published by RevenueSA, HomeStart Finance and HomeSeeker SA. It is general information only. Eligibility depends on the facts of each purchase, and the relevant agency or a licensed professional should be consulted before a contract is signed.
The South Australia First Home Owner Grant
The First Home Owner Grant in South Australia is a one-off payment of up to $15,000 to help eligible applicants buy or build a new home. RevenueSA administers the grant. For contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024 there is no property value cap, so the grant is available regardless of the price of the new home. Contracts signed on or before 5 June 2024 remain subject to the value cap that applied at the time.
A new home, for grant purposes, is one that has not previously been occupied or sold as a place of residence. The definition includes an off-the-plan apartment, a home built under a comprehensive building contract, a home built by an owner builder, and a substantially renovated home bought from a developer who carried out the renovation. Cosmetic changes to an existing home do not make it a substantially renovated home. Only one grant is payable for each eligible transaction.
Applicants must be natural persons aged at least 18. At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen permanently residing in Australia who holds a Special Category visa. Neither the applicant nor the applicant's spouse or domestic partner may own, or have previously owned, residential property in Australia. All applicants must live in the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months, beginning within 12 months of settlement for a purchase or within 12 months of completion for a build. RevenueSA may ask for evidence of occupation, such as utility accounts or bank statements.
Applying for the First Home Owner Grant in South Australia
An application can be lodged once a contract to buy or build a new home has been signed. Most financial institutions accept grant applications, and lodging through the lender is required where the grant is to be paid at settlement or at the first progress payment of a construction loan. Applicants who do not need the funds at that point can instead lodge directly with RevenueSA.
The application must be lodged within 12 months of settlement or completion of building. Where the grant is paid through a lender, it can form part of the funds available for settlement or construction. Each lender sets its own policy on whether the grant counts towards its minimum genuine savings requirement.
If an applicant later fails to meet the residence requirement or is found to have been ineligible, RevenueSA may require the grant to be repaid. For this reason it is prudent to check eligibility carefully before lodging, particularly where one partner has owned property in the past, or where the new home may not be ready for occupation within the expected time.
South Australia stamp duty relief for new homes and land
Eligible first home buyers in South Australia receive full stamp duty relief on a new home, an off-the-plan apartment, vacant land on which a new home will be built, or house and land under a comprehensive building contract, where the contract was signed on or after 6 June 2024. There is no limit on the market value of the property. On a $700,000 new home, full relief removes a duty bill of $32,330 under the standard scale.
The eligibility rules for relief are similar to those for the grant but are assessed separately. For contracts signed on or after 13 February 2025, no applicant, spouse or domestic partner may own or have owned a relevant interest in residential property in Australia. All applicants must live in the home as their principal place of residence for at least six continuous months, beginning within 12 months after settlement for a new home, or within 12 months after the home becomes ready for occupation where vacant land is bought.
Relief is claimed through the conveyancing process rather than through the lender. In most cases the conveyancer or solicitor lodges the application in RevenueSA Online at the time the transfer is assessed for duty. The computed table on this page shows the value of the relief at several price points. The stamp duty calculator for South Australia, linked from this site, shows the duty payable on an established home, where no relief applies.
HomeStart Finance and HomeSeeker SA in South Australia
HomeStart Finance is the South Australian Government's home lender. It is not limited to first home buyers, but its products are designed for people who find it difficult to enter the market through a conventional lender. HomeStart states that its borrowers do not pay lenders mortgage insurance. The standard HomeStart Loan requires a 5% deposit to buy or 8% to build, with a 2% deposit available to first home buyers building with a partner builder. The Graduate Loan allows a 2% deposit for eligible graduates and certain occupations, and the Low Deposit Loan requires 3% to buy an existing home in metropolitan Adelaide. All require the borrower not to own another property.
HomeStart also offers three additional loans that sit alongside a HomeStart home loan. The Starter Loan provides up to $10,000 towards upfront costs, interest free and without repayments for seven years, subject to available funding. The Advantage Loan provides up to $90,000 at a reduced interest rate with no monthly repayments while the main loan runs. The Shared Equity Option provides 5% to 25% of the value, interest free, in exchange for a share of any change in the property's value, for purchase prices up to $750,000. Each has income and retained savings limits, and the Advantage Loan and the Shared Equity Option cannot be held together.
HomeSeeker SA is a South Australian Government website that lists affordable homes for sale to eligible buyers. Buyers must meet income and asset limits, must not own residential property, must hold finance pre-approval and must live in the home for at least six months from settlement. The eligibility criteria are set out on the HomeSeeker SA website, and the listings change as new homes are released.
Combining South Australian assistance with federal schemes
The First Home Owner Grant and stamp duty relief can both apply to the same new home, provided the buyer meets the conditions of each. They can also sit alongside the federal 5% Deposit Scheme, which allows eligible first home buyers to purchase with a 5% deposit without lenders mortgage insurance, provided the price is at or below the cap for the location. In South Australia the cap is $900,000 in Adelaide and regional centres and $500,000 elsewhere, and the scheme covers both new and established homes. That makes it the main source of assistance for a South Australian first home buyer purchasing an established home.
The 5% Deposit Scheme is accessed through participating lenders, so a buyer who wishes to use it must borrow from one of those lenders. A buyer who chooses a HomeStart loan will generally not need the scheme to avoid lenders mortgage insurance, because HomeStart does not charge it. The two pathways should therefore be compared on interest rate, fees, deposit, borrowing capacity and the conditions of any additional loans rather than on LMI alone.
The federal First Home Super Saver Scheme can also be used to accumulate part of a deposit inside superannuation, and the released amount can be combined with the grant and with state relief. Timing matters, because the ATO sets rules on when a determination and a release must be requested relative to signing a contract and settlement. Details of the federal schemes are set out on the national government grants page of this site.
Practical sequencing for South Australian first home buyers
The order in which steps are taken can affect eligibility. A sensible sequence begins with confirming whether the purchase will be a new home or an established home, because that single decision determines whether the grant and stamp duty relief are available. The next step is to obtain pre-approval from a lender, or from HomeStart, and to identify whether the 5% Deposit Scheme or a HomeStart additional loan is relevant. Any First Home Super Saver request should be planned in line with the ATO timing rules.
Before signing, buyers should confirm the contract date rules that will apply, the eligibility of every applicant and of any spouse or domestic partner, and the timing of the residence requirement, particularly for off-the-plan apartments and land where completion may be some time away. The grant application is lodged with the lender if the funds are needed at settlement or at the first progress payment, and the stamp duty relief application is lodged by the conveyancer in RevenueSA Online.
After settlement, buyers should move in within the required time and keep records of occupation for at least the six-month period. An accredited mortgage broker can help compare lenders and state and federal options, and BorrowWise can connect readers with one. The final decision on eligibility always rests with RevenueSA, HomeStart Finance, the relevant South Australian Government agency or Housing Australia.
First home buyer grants in South Australia: frequently asked questions
How much is the First Home Owner Grant in South Australia?
The grant is up to $15,000 for an eligible new home. For contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024 there is no property value cap.
Can the South Australian First Home Owner Grant be used for an established home?
No. The grant applies only to new homes, including off-the-plan apartments, homes built under a comprehensive building contract, owner builder homes and substantially renovated homes bought from a developer. An established home does not qualify.
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty on a new home in South Australia?
Eligible first home buyers pay no stamp duty on a new home, an off-the-plan apartment, or vacant land on which a home will be built, for contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024. There is no value cap, but ownership and residence conditions apply.
How long must a buyer live in the home to keep the South Australian grant?
All applicants must live in the home as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months, beginning within 12 months of settlement or completion of building.
Does HomeStart charge lenders mortgage insurance?
HomeStart Finance states that its borrowers do not pay lenders mortgage insurance. Its loans have their own deposit requirements, ranging from 2% to 8% depending on the product and whether the borrower is buying or building.
Can the South Australian grant be combined with the 5% Deposit Scheme?
Yes, provided the buyer meets the conditions of each. The grant and stamp duty relief are state measures for new homes, and the 5% Deposit Scheme is a federal guarantee accessed through a participating lender, subject to the South Australian price caps.
Where is the South Australian First Home Owner Grant lodged?
Most financial institutions accept applications, and lodging through the lender is required if the grant is needed at settlement or at the first progress payment. Applications can also be lodged directly with RevenueSA within 12 months of settlement or completion.
Sources for the SA grants guide
- RevenueSA: First Home Owner Grant
- RevenueSA: First Home Owner Grant eligibility requirements
- RevenueSA: First Home Owner Grant residence requirement
- RevenueSA: First Home Owner Grant, how to apply
- RevenueSA: stamp duty relief for eligible first home buyers
- RevenueSA: first home buyer relief for contracts on or after 6 June 2024
- HomeStart Finance: home loans
- HomeSeeker SA: eligibility to buy an affordable home
- First Home Buyers (Housing Australia): 5% Deposit Scheme property price caps