You’ve got the Pinterest boards. You’ve got the spreadsheet with way too many tabs. What you might not have is the full picture of how much help the WA and federal governments are actually throwing at first home buyers right now.
And it’s not just one grant. It’s a stack of them, FHOG, stamp duty relief, a 5% deposit scheme, Keystart’s low-deposit loans, a shared equity option, and a super-saver trick most people forget exists. Used separately, each one chips away at your costs. Used together, they can turn “maybe one day” into “settlement’s in March.”
Here’s every WA first home buyer grant and scheme worth knowing in 2026, what each one actually gets you, and how they stack.
1. The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG): $10,000
Let’s start with the big one. The First Home Owner Grant is a one-off $10,000 payment from the WA Government for buyers building or buying a brand-new home. Established homes don’t qualify, so this one’s a big reason new house and land packages are having a moment.
The essentials:
- It’s $10,000 per eligible transaction, not per person. Buying as a couple still gets you one grant.
- No income test. What you earn doesn’t come into it.
- Your new home must be valued at $800,000 or less if you’re building in Perth or most of regional WA, or $1,000,000 or less if you’re building in northern WA, including areas like Exmouth, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome and the Kimberley.
- You need to move in within 12 months of completion and live there for at least six continuous months.
We’ve gone deep on every eligibility detail in our Complete Guide to the WA First Home Owner Grant if you want the full breakdown.
2. Stamp Duty Concessions: Save More Than $20,000
Stamp duty (officially called transfer duty) is the tax you pay when you buy property, and for many first home buyers, it’s one of the biggest upfront costs.
The good news? WA’s first home buyer stamp duty concessions can reduce that cost significantly, or even eliminate it altogether.
As of 7 May 2026, the thresholds got even better:
- No duty at all on homes valued up to $600,000.
- A concession rate on homes valued between $600,000 and $800,000.
- No duty on vacant land up to $450,000, with concessions available up to $550,000.
- An off-the-plan concession of up to $50,000 for eligible apartments, townhouses and survey strata properties purchased before construction starts.
Translation: If you’re building a house and land package, you’ll generally only pay stamp duty on the land purchase. Combine that with WA’s first home buyer concessions and the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, and you could save tens of thousands before construction even begins.
3. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly First Home Guarantee)
This federal scheme helps eligible buyers get into the market sooner by allowing them to buy or build with as little as a 5% deposit, without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The Australian Government guarantees part of your home loan, which can save you thousands in upfront costs.
What changed for 2026: As of 1 October 2025, the scheme dropped its income caps and place limits entirely. If you’re eligible and a participating lender says yes, you’re in. No waitlist, no “sorry, places are full” email.
The basics:
- Minimum 5% deposit (2% if you’re a single parent or legal guardian).
- Must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- The property must be owner-occupied.
- You (and anyone on a joint application) can’t have owned residential property in Australia in the last 10 years.
- You apply through a participating lender or broker, not directly to Housing Australia.
Better still, your First Home Owner Grant can form part of your 5% deposit. That’s exactly why it pays to understand how these incentives work together.
Whether you’re buying a house and land package, building on vacant land or purchasing a newly built home, the scheme can help eligible buyers get into the market sooner.
4. Keystart: WA’s Own Low-Deposit Lender
Keystart is the WA Government’s own home lender, designed to help people who can afford the repayments but don’t have a big deposit saved. It’s a genuinely different option to the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme above, and well worth comparing with your broker.
What’s on the table:
- As little as a 2% deposit (or $2,000, whichever’s greater) with no LMI.
- Property price limits of up to $860,000 for eligible homes, with different limits applying in some regional areas.
- Income limits still apply, but they’ve recently increased, so it’s worth checking the latest thresholds rather than assuming you won’t qualify.
- Shared Ownership options are also available, allowing Keystart to take an equity share in your home to reduce the amount you need to borrow.
We wrote a whole piece on the Keystart updates if you want the play-by-play.
5. Help to Buy: Shared Equity, Now Live in WA
New to WA in 2026, the Australian Government’s Help to Buy scheme gives eligible buyers another pathway into home ownership. It’s a shared equity scheme where the Government contributes towards the purchase price in exchange for an equity share, reducing the amount you need to borrow and helping keep repayments lower.
How it works:
- The Government can contribute up to 40% of the purchase price for a new home, or 30% for an established home.
- You can get in with as little as a 2% deposit.
- Income limits and property price caps apply, so check the latest eligibility criteria before applying.
- It’s currently limited to 10,000 places nationally each financial year, so unlike the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme, places aren’t unlimited.
- Only a small number of lenders currently offer the scheme, with more expected to come on board over time.
It’s not the right fit for everyone, but if Keystart or the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme don’t suit your circumstances, it’s well worth asking your broker whether Help to Buy could help you get into your first home sooner.
6. The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS)
This one flies under the radar because it works through your super, not a traditional first home buyer program. The First Home Super Saver Scheme lets you make voluntary contributions to your super, where they’re generally taxed at a lower rate than your regular income, before you withdraw your eligible contributions (plus associated earnings) to help fund your first home deposit.
The numbers:
- You can contribute up to $15,000 per financial year.
- Up to $50,000 total across all years.
- When you’re ready to buy, you can withdraw your eligible contributions, plus associated earnings calculated by the ATO.
Buying with a partner? You can both use the scheme if you’re eligible, potentially giving you access to up to $100,000 in eligible contributions (plus associated earnings) towards your first home.
It takes a bit of forward planning since the money needs time to sit in your super before you withdraw it. But if you’re still a year or two away from buying, it’s one of the smartest ways to boost your deposit while taking advantage of the tax benefits available through super.
So, How Does It All Stack?
This is where things start to add up. Let’s say you’re building your first home in Perth. Depending on your circumstances, you could potentially stack several of these incentives:
- $10,000 FHOG, straight up.
- Potentially no stamp duty, saving eligible buyers more than $20,000 upfront.
- A 5% deposit under the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (or as little as 2% through Keystart), with no LMI either way.
- Your FHOG can form part of that deposit, reducing what you need to save yourself.
That’s a lot of government support working in your favour before you’ve even chosen your floor plan. The key is understanding which incentives you qualify for and how they work together. A good broker can help map everything against your circumstances, so you can make the most of every incentive you’re entitled to.
Ready to Make Your Mark?
There’s never been a better time to build your first home in WA. The support available is significant, and in many cases, these incentives can be stacked to help you get into your new home sooner.
The key is knowing which incentives you’re eligible for and making sure your finance is structured to make the most of them. That’s where having the right broker and the right builder can make all the difference.
At La Vida Homes, we work with first home buyers every day. Many of our Perth house and land packages are designed to help eligible buyers make the most of the support available, while delivering homes that are made for real life, not just the display village.
Come have a look at our Perth house and land packages and let’s work out exactly what you can stack.
This article is general information only and isn’t financial or legal advice. Grant amounts, thresholds and eligibility criteria change, always confirm current details with Revenue WA, Housing Australia, or a licensed mortgage broker before making decisions based on this content.
