First home buyer schemes — South Australia
First Home Buyer Schemes in South Australia (2026)
Federal and South Australia grants, guarantees and stamp-duty concessions for first home buyers in one place. Eligibility categories and price caps drawn from each scheme's official source, reviewed 2026-07-09. Most schemes require you to live in the property — see the warning below. General information, not advice.
Warning for rentvestors
Most first-home schemes require you to live in the property for a minimum period. If you rentvest — buy an investment and keep renting where you live — some grants, concessions, or guarantees may not apply. Check the official rules before relying on any scheme.
Schemes available to eligible first home buyers in South Australia
Federal schemes (apply nationally)
3
5% Deposit, FHSS, Help to Buy
South Australia state schemes
3
Grants + stamp-duty relief sourced from RevenueSA
Federal first home buyer schemes (apply in South Australia)
These Australian Government schemes are open to eligible first home buyers in every state and territory, including South Australia. Each entry below states its eligibility categories and (where modelled) its property price cap.
Federal scheme
Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme
May let eligible first home buyers purchase with as little as a 5% deposit while the government guarantees part of the loan, so you could avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance. From 1 October 2025 the scheme (formerly the Home Guarantee Scheme) was expanded — places are uncapped, income caps were removed, and property price caps were raised (caps vary by location). You generally must move in and live in the home.
Must live in the propertyFirst home buyersOwner-occupiersLow-deposit buyersRentvesting (not owner-occupied)Investment propertiesAbove the price cap
Source: Australian Government (housingaustralia.gov.au), reviewed 2026-07-09. Scheme results are a guide only, not confirmation of eligibility. Rules can change and may depend on price, location, residency, occupancy, income, and lender requirements. Check the official source before making decisions.
Federal scheme
First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS)
May let you make voluntary super contributions (up to $15,000 per financial year, and $50,000 in total across all years) and later release them, plus associated earnings, to help fund a first home to live in. It does not apply to buying an investment property. The tax and release rules are detailed — worth checking with the ATO before relying on it.
Must live in the propertyFirst home buyersOwner-occupiersRentvesting (not owner-occupied)Investment properties
Source: Australian Government (ato.gov.au), reviewed 2026-07-09. Scheme results are a guide only, not confirmation of eligibility. Rules can change and may depend on price, location, residency, occupancy, income, and lender requirements. Check the official source before making decisions.
Federal scheme
Help to Buy (shared equity)
A national shared-equity scheme, now live nationally (rolled out from December 2025), where the government contributes up to 40% of the price for a new home, or 30% for an existing home, lowering the deposit and loan you need. Places are limited and income caps apply — currently around $103,000 for singles and $165,000 for joint or single-parent applicants (in force from 1 July 2026). You must live in the home. Property price caps vary by state and territory.
Must live in the propertyFirst home buyersOwner-occupiersRentvesting (not owner-occupied)Investment propertiesAbove the price cap
Source: Australian Government (firsthomebuyers.gov.au), reviewed 2026-07-09. Scheme results are a guide only, not confirmation of eligibility. Rules can change and may depend on price, location, residency, occupancy, income, and lender requirements. Check the official source before making decisions.
South Australia first home buyer schemes
South Australia-specific first-home grants and stamp-duty concessions. Sourced from RevenueSA; eligibility and price caps shown as modelled and should be checked against the official rules.
SA scheme
First Home Owner Grant
SA: $15,000 — New home; property value cap REMOVED (uncapped since 2023). You may be eligible if you meet the state's first-home and occupancy rules.
Must live in the propertyFirst home buyersOwner-occupiersRentvesting (not owner-occupied)Investment properties
Source: RevenueSA (revenuesa.sa.gov.au), reviewed 2026-07-09. Scheme results are a guide only, not confirmation of eligibility. Rules can change and may depend on price, location, residency, occupancy, income, and lender requirements. Check the official source before making decisions.
SA scheme
First Home (New Home) Duty Exemption — no cap
SA: Full stamp duty exemption, no price cap — First home buyer, new home, since 6 Jun 2024. You may be eligible if you meet the state's first-home and occupancy rules.
Must live in the propertyFirst home buyersOwner-occupiersRentvesting (not owner-occupied)Investment properties
Source: RevenueSA (revenuesa.sa.gov.au), reviewed 2026-07-09. Scheme results are a guide only, not confirmation of eligibility. Rules can change and may depend on price, location, residency, occupancy, income, and lender requirements. Check the official source before making decisions.
SA scheme
HomeStart Finance (shared equity / low-deposit)
SA: Shared equity and low-deposit loans — Income-tested (≈$120K income cap), SA residents; property up to $750K. You may be eligible if you meet the state's first-home and occupancy rules.
Property price cap: $750,000
Must live in the propertyFirst home buyersOwner-occupiersRentvesting (not owner-occupied)Investment propertiesAbove the price cap
Source: RevenueSA (revenuesa.sa.gov.au), reviewed 2026-07-09. Scheme results are a guide only, not confirmation of eligibility. Rules can change and may depend on price, location, residency, occupancy, income, and lender requirements. Check the official source before making decisions.
First home buyer schemes by state
Compare the scheme mix across Australia:
Related guides
- Stamp Duty in South Australia — the upfront transfer duty the stamp-duty concession schemes above reduce or remove for eligible first home buyers.
- Land Tax in South Australia — the annual holding cost for the investment properties the schemes below intentionally exclude.
- First Home Builder — work backwards from a purchase price to your deposit runway and the schemes that may help.
See which schemes match your situation
The catalogue above shows headline eligibility. Plug your income, deposit, and whether you intend to live in or rent the property in for a tailored picture of the schemes that may actually apply — in minutes.
Start the free questionnaireFAQ — first home buyer schemes in South Australia
What first home buyer schemes are available in South Australia?
South Australia has 3 state-level scheme(s) (first-home grant and/or stamp-duty relief) on top of the 3 federal schemes (the 5% Deposit Scheme, the First Home Super Saver Scheme, and the Help to Buy shared-equity scheme). The state schemes are: First Home Owner Grant; First Home (New Home) Duty Exemption — no cap; HomeStart Finance (shared equity / low-deposit). Federal schemes available to eligible first home buyers anywhere in Australia are: Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme; First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSS); Help to Buy (shared equity). Categories and price caps below are taken from each scheme's official source — confirm against RevenueSA or the relevant federal agency, reviewed 2026-07-09.
Do first home buyer schemes in South Australia require me to live in the property?
Most first-home schemes require you to live in the property for a minimum period. If you rentvest — buy an investment and keep renting where you live — some grants, concessions, or guarantees may not apply. Check the official rules before relying on any scheme. Almost every scheme shown below for South Australia is flagged as requiring occupancy. If you intend to rent the property out, most of the grants and concessions listed will not apply to you.
Are there property price caps for first home buyer schemes in South Australia?
Price caps vary by scheme. Among the federal schemes shown, Help to Buy has location-based property price caps; the 5% Deposit Scheme also uses location-based price caps. The South Australia state schemes with a modelled price cap are: HomeStart Finance (shared equity / low-deposit) (around $750,000). Caps change with each budget — verify the current cap against the official RevenueSA schedule reviewed 2026-07-09.
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Sources: federal schemes attributed to the Australian Government (sourced from the URLs listed per scheme); South Australia state schemes sourced from RevenueSA. The newest-reviewed scheme on this page is dated 2026-07-09. Eligibility categories and price caps are modelled snapshots, NOT confirmation of eligibility — rules change with each budget.