You’ve been saving hard, scrolling suburbs on your phone at midnight, and doing some very ambitious spreadsheet maths. Good news: the WA government has been busy making your first home actually more affordable.
Between the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, updated stamp duty concessions, and the Federal First Home Guarantee Scheme, there’s a genuinely powerful stack of savings available for eligible first home buyers in Perth right now. And if you’re building a new home or buying a house and land package, you’re in the best possible position to claim them all.
In this guide, we’re breaking down every WA first home buyer incentive you should know about in 2026, how they work together, and exactly what you need to qualify.
What Is the WA First Home Owner Grant?
The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a one-off $10,000 payment from the Western Australian Government to eligible buyers purchasing or building a brand-new home. It’s been around for years, but a lot of first home buyers still aren’t sure if they qualify, or they underestimate how powerful it is when stacked with other schemes.
A few key facts to get across upfront:
- The grant is $10,000 per eligible transaction, not per person. If you’re buying as a couple, you still receive one grant.
- It only applies to new homes. Established properties don’t qualify.
- Your total home and land package needs to stay under a set limit: $800,000 if you’re building in Perth or the southern half of WA, or $1,000,000 if you’re looking further north in areas like the Pilbara or Kimberley.
- There is no income test. Your earnings don’t factor into your eligibility at all.
For most Perth first home buyers, this puts house and land packages firmly in the sweet spot. With Perth’s median house price ending 2025 at record highs, established homes are increasingly out of reach for many first home buyers. New house and land packages in Perth’s growth corridors, on the other hand, regularly come in well under that $800,000 cap, which means you keep every dollar of that grant.
Are You Eligible? The Checklist
The good news is the criteria isn’t overly complicated. If you tick these boxes, you’re likely in the clear.
You’ll need to:
- Be 18 year or older
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (at least one applicant on a joint application must meet this).
- Never have owned a residential property in Australia since 1 July 2000 (all applicants must meet this).
- Be building or buying a brand-new home, not an established one.
- Move into the home as your main place of residence within 12 months of it being finished.
- Actually live in the home for at least six continuous months (not rent it out or leave it vacant).
Your home also needs to:
- Be completely brand new (no previous owners or tenants).
- Come in under the house and land price cap: $800,000 in Perth and southern WA.
- House and land packages count as new homes, so they’re good to go.
One thing that catches people out: if you’re buying with a partner who’s owned property before, you won’t qualify. The rules apply to everyone on the application, not just one person.
Not sure where you sit? A good mortgage broker can confirm your eligibility quickly before you commit to anything.
Stamp Duty Relief: The Saving Most First Home Buyers Overlook
The $10,000 grant is great. But the real plot twist? Stamp duty savings can quietly do just as much heavy lifting.
Stamp duty (officially called transfer duty in WA) is basically a tax you pay when you buy property. It used to be one of the biggest upfront costs… the kind that made people question all their life choices. Good news though, the WA Gov has made things a lot easier for first home buyers, with updated concessions in March 2026 that stick around until June 2028.
For homes (house and land purchases):
No stamp duty is payable on homes valued up to $500,000. That’s a saving of around $17,765 compared to the standard rate. If you’re between $500,000 and $700,000, you’ll get a scaled (sliding) concession, so you’ll still pay significantly less than someone who isn’t a first home buyer.
For vacant land (to build on):
Eligible first home buyers now pay no stamp duty on vacant land purchases up to $450,000, with reduced rates applying for homes valued up to $550,000.
For off-the-plan and under-construction properties:
The WA Government has also extended stamp duty relief for off-the-plan homes, which now applies to survey strata dwellings for the first time, alongside apartments, townhouses, and other built strata developments.
So if you’re building a house and land package in Perth valued at $520,000, you only pay stamp duty on the scaled amount above $500,000. That’s a very different number to what buyers were looking at just a couple of years ago.
Stack Your Savings: Combining Multiple WA First Home Buyer Schemes
Here’s something the government marketing doesn’t always make clear: these schemes are designed to work together. Here’s how the main ones stack up.
The $10,000 FHOG plus stamp duty savings
These combine automatically. If you’re building a new home valued under $500,000, you receive the $10,000 grant and pay zero stamp duty. On a $480,000 build, that’s over $26,000 in government support before you’ve even chosen your floor tiles.
The First Home Guarantee Scheme
The Federal Government’s First Home Guarantee lets eligible buyers purchase or build with just a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). As of 1 October 2025, the scheme removed all income caps and all limits on places available. If you’re eligible and a lender approves you, you’re in.
In Perth, the property price cap under this scheme is $850,000 for the metro area. LMI on a typical Perth property can run into tens of thousands of dollars, so skipping it entirely is a big deal. Your $10,000 FHOG can sit alongside your own savings to meet the 5% deposit threshold, and your broker can help you structure this correctly.
Keystart: WA’s Low-Deposit Home Loan
If your deposit is tight, Keystart is worth knowing about. It’s a WA State Government lending initiative that lets eligible buyers build with as little as 2% deposit (or $2,000, whichever is higher), no LMI, and a property price cap of $850,000. Income limits apply ($155,000 for singles, $228,000 for couples and families), meaning it’s built for buyers who need it the most.
How and When Do You Get the Grant?
Applying for the FHOG doesn’t need to be complicated. Most buyers apply through their lender or mortgage broker as an approved agent, as part of setting up their finance. For a new build, here’s how the timing works:
- Apply through your broker or lender as part of your finance setup.
- Your application is lodged with Revenue WA before construction begins.
- The grant is released at the first progress payment milestone of your build, typically slab completion.
- Your builder invoices the bank, the bank releases the grant as part of that drawdown, and it all happens in the background.
If you’d prefer to apply directly (not through a broker), you can lodge your application through Revenue WA’s online portal. The application must be in before settlement or before the first progress payment, whichever comes first.
FAQ: WA First Home Owner Grant
Can I use the FHOG for a house and land package?
Yes! House and land packages count as new dwellings, so they’re fully eligible for the $10,000 grant. Just make sure the combined value of the land and home stays under $800,000 if you’re building in Perth or anywhere below the state’s midline (basically the lower half of WA).
Can I combine the FHOG with the First Home Guarantee Scheme?
Yes. These are separate programs from separate levels of government. You can use your $10,000 FHOG as part of your deposit alongside your own savings, then access the First Home Guarantee to buy or build with just a 5% total deposit and no LMI.
When do I actually receive the $10,000?
For new builds and house and land packages, the grant is typically paid at the first progress payment milestone, which is usually slab completion. For off-the-plan purchases, it’s paid at settlement.
If my partner has owned property before, can I still get the grant?
No. All applicants on a joint application need to meet the first home buyer criteria. If your partner has previously owned residential property in Australia after 1 July 2000, the grant won’t be available on a joint application.
Can I rent the property out?
Not straight away. You must live in the property as your principal place of residence for at least six continuous months, starting within 12 months of completion. After that, it’s yours to do what you like with.
Your First Home Is Closer Than You Think
The WA government has stacked up some genuinely useful support for first home buyers right now. The $10,000 FHOG, stamp duty concessions saving up to $17,765, the Federal First Home Guarantee for a 5% deposit with no LMI, and Keystart’s 2% deposit option for eligible WA buyers: use these correctly and your path to a first home becomes a lot shorter than it looks.
If you’re building with La Vida Homes, you’re building something purpose-designed to work within these schemes. Our house and land packages across Perth are priced within the FHOG threshold, built from new (so you qualify as a first home buyer), and designed for real life, not just a brochure. Whether you’re after the growth corridors in Perth’s north, the lifestyle vibe of the south, or something in between, we’ve got options built around your budget.
Come take a look at our Perth house and land packages and let’s get your first home on the map.
