First Home Buyer Grants in WA: 2026 Guide

Buying or building your first home in Western Australia can feel like a moving target. Between saving a deposit, choosing land and understanding finance, it is easy to miss support that could make the numbers more achievable.

The good news is that eligible first home buyers in WA may be able to access a combination of grants, duty concessions and low-deposit or shared equity pathways. The important word is eligible: each option has its own rules, property limits and timing requirements.

Here is a clear starting point for the main support worth checking before you commit to a block, a builder or a loan.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is the best-known support option for people building or buying a brand-new home in Western Australia.

For eligible applicants, the grant is $10,000. It is designed for a new home, which can include:

• Building a new home on land you buy
• Buying a newly built home that has not previously been lived in
• Buying an off-the-plan home that meets the scheme requirements

It is not generally available for an established home. If you are looking at an existing property, stamp duty relief may still be relevant, but the FHOG itself is focused on new homes.

While you should always confirm your position with the WA Government or your lender before relying on it, the main checks usually include:

• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
• You or your spouse must not have previously owned residential property in Australia, subject to limited exceptions
• You must live in the home as your principal place of residence for the required period
• The home must meet the applicable value cap for its location

For homes south of the 26th parallel, including Perth, the total value cap is generally $750,000. Different caps apply in areas north of the 26th parallel.

The timing matters too. Do not assume a grant will apply simply because you intend to build. Check the contract, settlement and occupancy requirements before signing anything.

In WA, transfer duty — often called stamp duty — can be one of the biggest upfront costs when you buy land or a home. Eligible first home buyers may receive a full exemption or a concession, depending on the type and value of the purchase.

For a vacant residential lot, first home buyer duty relief may apply where the dutiable value is within the relevant threshold. For a home, separate thresholds apply.

These thresholds and concession calculations can change, so it is worth checking the current RevenueWA guidance or asking your broker or conveyancer to run the figures for the exact property you are considering.

A useful rule of thumb: do not look only at the advertised price. Ask for a full upfront-cost estimate that includes duty, settlement costs, site costs and any lender fees. That gives you a much more realistic picture of what you need to save.

A grant can help, but it does not always solve the deposit challenge on its own. That is where Keystart may be worth exploring.

Keystart is backed by the WA Government and can help eligible buyers enter the market with a lower deposit than many mainstream lenders require. It is a home loan, not a grant, so it needs to suit your income, budget and long-term plan.

For some buyers, Keystart can make it possible to move forward sooner rather than spending years trying to catch a rising market. During construction, repayments can also be more manageable while you are still paying rent, depending on your loan structure and build progress.

Keystart has its own income, property price and eligibility requirements. For example, the Urban Connect Shared Equity Home Loan has separate limits and property criteria, so it is important to check the product that applies to you rather than relying on a general headline.

Urban Connect Shared Equity is another WA Government-supported option administered through Keystart. Under a shared equity arrangement, the Government may contribute toward the purchase in exchange for an ownership share of the property.

This can reduce the amount you need to borrow and lower the deposit barrier for eligible buyers. It is not the same as a cash grant, and it is not the same as the Federal Government's Help to Buy scheme.

For Urban Connect Shared Equity, current published criteria include income limits and property purchase price caps. Individual applicants can have a maximum income of $128,000, while joint applicants and families can have a maximum income of $197,000. The property purchase price cap is $800,000.

There are also land-size limits: up to 300 square metres in metropolitan areas and up to 500 square metres in regional areas. As with every government programme, check the latest product page before making a decision because eligibility details can be updated.

The Australian Government's Help to Buy scheme is separate from WA's Keystart and Urban Connect programmes. It is a shared equity initiative administered through Housing Australia, where the Government contributes an equity share alongside a home loan from a participating lender.

Whether it is available to you, and whether it is the best fit, will depend on the programme's current rollout, lender participation, income rules and property price caps. It is worth comparing it with WA options rather than assuming one scheme replaces another.

Before you start applying, pull together these five details:

1. Your household income before tax
2. Your available savings and deposit
3. Whether you are buying land and building, a new completed home or an established home
4. Your target suburb and approximate purchase price
5. Whether you have owned property before, including with a former partner

With those answers, you can quickly narrow down which grants, concessions and loan pathways are worth investigating.

Government support can make a real difference, but it should be one part of a complete plan. You still need to account for your borrowing capacity, land costs, site works, build contract, moving costs and a buffer for the unexpected.

The strongest first-home plans are built around a realistic budget first, then use every eligible support option to make that plan work harder.

If you are not sure which WA first home buyer support applies to you, start with a conversation before you lock in land or a builder. I can help you look at the bigger picture — your income, deposit, target area and build goals — so you can understand the options worth pursuing.

The information in this guide is general in nature and current as at August 2026. Government programmes and eligibility criteria can change, so always confirm the latest requirements directly with the relevant government agency, Keystart, your lender or a qualified adviser before making a financial decision.