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Updated for 13 February 2025 rules

First Home
Owner Grant
South Australia.

Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make, and in South Australia, the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is designed to make that journey a little easier.

$15K

GANT AMOUNT

Feb 2025

RULE UPDATE

SA-wide

ELIGIBLE

July 22, 2026

Up to $15,000

One-off payment per eligible transaction.

New homes only

Established properties do not qualify.

12-month window

Move in within 12 months, live there 6+ months.

Admin by RevenueSA

Backed by SA Government legislation.

01

Buying your first home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make, and in South Australia, the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is designed to make that journey a little easier. Administered by Revenue SA, this one-off payment helps eligible first-time buyers offset some of the upfront costs of purchasing or building a new home.

Following changes to the eligibility rules that came into effect on 13 February 2025. This guide breaks down everything you need to know – updated in line with the latest Revenue SA guidance. So, you can check your eligibility, understand how much you could receive, and apply with confidence.

What Is the First Home Owner
Grant (FHOG) in South Australia?

The First Home Owner Grant is a one-off payment of up to $15,000, funded by the South Australian Government, for eligible first home buyers who are purchasing or building a new residential property to use as their principal place of residence in South Australia.

Importantly, the grant is only available for new homes – it does not apply to established (previously lived-in) homes, and it is paid once per eligible transaction, not once per person. There’s no limit on how many applicants can be named on a single application, but only one grant is payable per eligible transaction. You also won’t be eligible if you, another applicant, or your spouse/domestic partner has already received the FHOG previously – in South Australia or any other Australian state or territory.

Key Changes You Need to Know About (From 13 February 2025)

If you’re comparing older information about the FHOG with the current rules, the most important update is this:

Contracts signed on or after 13 February 2025 are assessed under stricter property ownership rules – you (and your spouse or domestic partner) must never have owned a residential property in Australia, at any time, to qualify.

Contracts signed before 13 February 2025 are still assessed under the previous, more lenient ownership rules, which allow some past property ownership if you didn’t live in it for 6 months or more.

Knock-down rebuild projects are only eligible for contracts entered into before 13 February 2025 , this pathway is no longer available for new contracts signed after that date.

Owner builders building on vacant land can still qualify under either rule set, provided all other criteria are met.

This means the date your contract was signed is now central to determining your eligibility – not just your current living or ownership situation.

A Word on the Commonwealth Help to Buy Scheme

Separately from the state-based FHOG, the Commonwealth Government’s Help to Buy Scheme opened for applications from 5 December 2025. This is a shared equity scheme run by the federal government, not RevenueSA, and operates under different eligibility rules to the FHOG. If you’re weighing up all the assistance available as a first home buyer, it’s worth researching whether Help to Buy could apply to you in addition to, or instead of, the state grant.

02 Eligible Properties for the FHOG

To qualify, the property must be new and residential. Eligible transaction types include:

Purchase or construction of a new home

a home that has never been previously occupied or sold as a residence (houses, flats, units, duplexes, townhouses, apartments, and substantially renovated homes.)

Off-the-plan apartment

Property not yet built, or still under construction and not substantially complete.

Substantially renovated home

Purchased from a GST-registered developer with genuine structural renovations.

Comprehensive building contract

Including house-and-land packages.

Owner builder project

Building your own home; finished dwelling must be a fixed, habitable residence.

Knock-down rebuild

Only for contracts entered into before 13 February 2025.

Properties That Do NOT Qualify

The purchase of an established home (a property that has already been lived in or sold as a residence)
The purchase or construction of a property intended solely as an investment property or holiday home
Properties above the applicable property value cap (relevant only to older contracts - see below)
The purchase of vacant land on its own (though entering a building contract afterwards may make you eligible)
Non-habitable structures, such as sheds, garages or barns

Property Value Caps - Does a Price Limit Apply?

Contract / construction commencement date	Property value cap
On or after 6 June 2024	No cap — no limit on market value
15 June 2023 – 5 June 2024	$650,000 or less
17 September 2010 – 14 June 2023	$575,000 or less

03 Who Is Eligible to Apply?

To be an eligible applicant, every applicant must:

Be at least 18 years old at the time of application
Be a natural person (companies and trusts cannot apply)

In addition, at least one applicant must be either:

An Australian citizen, or
A permanent resident of Australia, or
A New Zealand citizen permanently residing in Australia and holding a Special Category visa

Your Spouse or Domestic Partner Must Be Disclosed

You are required to include your spouse or domestic partner’s details on your application – even if they are not a named applicant and will not hold any legal interest in the property. This is because their property ownership history can directly affect your eligibility for the grant.

Property Ownership Rules: Have You (or Your Partner) Owned Property Before?

This is the area most affected by the February 2025 reforms, so it’s worth reading carefully.

on or after 13 Feb 2025:

Stricter rule set

You will not be eligible for the FHOG if you, or your spouse/domestic partner, currently own - or have ever previously owned - a residential property anywhere in Australia. There is no exemption for short-term or non-resided-in ownership under this newer rule.

before 13 Feb 2025:

Transitional rule set

You may still qualify if:

You or your partner owned a residential property after 1 July 2000, but
You did not reside in that property for a continuous period of 6 months or more

However, you will not be eligible if:

You or your partner owned a residential property that was purchased before 1 July 2000 – regardless of whether you ever lived in it.

This transitional arrangement means two buyers in near-identical circumstances could receive different outcomes purely based on their contract date, so it’s essential to check which rule set applies to you.

Residence Requirements

Once your new home is complete (for building contracts) or settlement has occurred (for purchases), all applicants must:

Move into the home as their principal place of residence
Live there for a continuous period of at least 6 months
Begin that residency period within 12 months of settlement or building completion

This means genuinely living in the home full-time with your personal belongings, not simply holding the title.

Important

If a change in circumstances means you can’t meet the 6-month residence requirement, you must notify RevenueSA in writing within 14 days of that change. Failing to do so, or receiving the grant while ineligible, can result in penalties — so don’t delay this notification if your plans change.

How Much Is the Grant Worth?

$15,000

per eligible transaction

Paid once only – you cannot claim multiple grants across multiple applicants for the same purchase
The timing of payment depends on how and when your application is lodged (see below)

When Will You Actually Receive the Money?

Payment timing depends on how you lodge your application and what type of transaction you’re completing.

Transaction type	When it's paid
Purchasing a new home or off-the-plan apartment	At settlement
Building under a comprehensive building contract	At the first progress payment
Owner builder	When you submit evidence and a Statutory Declaration confirming the home is complete and ready to live in

If you lodge directly with RevenueSA:

Transaction type	When it's paid
Purchasing a new home or off-the-plan apartment	Within 5 business days of approval, once proof of settlement/title registration is provided
Building under a comprehensive building contract	Within 5 business days of approval, once the first progress payment invoice is lodged
Owner builder	Within 5 business days of approval, once the completion evidence and Statutory Declaration are provided

Note: RevenueSA cannot approve any application regardless of pathway, until all required supporting documentation has been received. Incomplete applications will simply be held up, so it pays to have everything ready before you lodge.

Supporting Documentation You'll Need

Every applicant , plus any spouse or domestic partner who isn’t a named applicant must provide evidence covering:

In most cases you only need to provide legible copies of your documents rather than certified originals – but if your name differs across documents (for example, after marriage), you’ll also need to provide evidence of that name change, such as a marriage certificate or change of name certificate.

Stamp Duty Relief - A Related but Separate Benefit

Many first home buyers in South Australia are also eligible for Stamp Duty Relief for Eligible First Home Buyers, which uses broadly similar eligibility tests to the FHOG. However, this is a separate benefit administered under separate legislation, and you must apply for it independently; approval for one does not automatically grant the other. If you don’t qualify for the FHOG, it’s still worth checking whether you qualify for stamp duty relief.

Stamp duty relief has its own timeline of changes, largely mirroring the FHOG’s:

Contracts entered into on or after 6 June 2024: Full stamp duty relief applies to eligible new homes, off-the-plan apartments, vacant land, and house-and-land packages, with no property value cap.
Contracts entered into between 15 June 2023 and 5 June 2024: Full relief applies to new homes valued at $650,000 or less; a partial reduction may still apply for homes valued up to $700,000, and for vacant land valued under $450,000.
Contracts entered into before 15 June 2023: Different historical thresholds and relief levels apply – check with RevenueSA for the specific rules that applied at that time.

As with the FHOG, you cannot claim stamp duty relief if you, or your spouse/domestic partner, have previously received stamp duty relief anywhere in Australia. And if you settled on an eligible contract without claiming the relief at the time, you can generally apply for a refund of duty paid within 5 years of the settlement date.

04 How and When to Apply

You can apply for the FHOG in one of two ways:

Through an approved agent

(typically your bank or lender) - this is the most common method, and is required if you want the grant paid at settlement or as a building progress payment.

Directly with RevenueSA

suitable if your lender is not an approved agent, or you prefer to lodge the application yourself.

Application Timeframes

You can lodge your application any time after entering into your contract.

Your application must be lodged within 12 months of:

Settlement (if you’re purchasing an existing new home or off-the-plan apartment), or
Completion of construction (if you’re building)

Supporting Documentation

You’ll need to provide supporting documents for yourself and your spouse or domestic partner, even if your partner is not a named applicant. Requirements typically include proof of identity, evidence of the contract or transaction, and evidence relating to prior property ownership.

Legislation Behind the Grant

The FHOG in South Australia is administered under:

The First Home and Housing Construction Grants Act 2000
The First Home and Housing Construction Grants Regulations 2015

RevenueSA is the government authority responsible for assessing applications, making payments, and conducting compliance and audit checks.

False Claims and Penalties

Because the FHOG is a government-funded payment, RevenueSA actively audits applications. If you receive the grant while ineligible, including failing to meet the residence requirement without notifying RevenueSA – you may be required to repay the grant and could face additional penalties. Always ensure your application and supporting information are accurate and complete.

Building Your First Home Starts With the Right Builder.

Government grants can help reduce upfront costs, but the right builder makes all the difference throughout the journey. Whether you’re exploring your eligibility or preparing to build, Lexmo Homes is here to guide you every step of the way with expert advice, quality craftsmanship, and a seamless building experience.

Our team can help you understand how the First Home Owner Grant and Stamp Duty Relief may apply to your situation, and guide you through the design and building process from concept to completion. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or planning your next home, we’re here to offer expert advice, quality construction, and reliable service.

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