Quick answer: South Australia offers a $15,000 First Home Owner Grant for new homes — the highest permanent grant on the mainland — with no property value cap (removed June 6, 2024). You must be over 18, an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and have never owned residential property in Australia at any time. Move in within 12 months and live there for at least 6 continuous months. SA also provides full stamp duty exemption on new homes with no value cap. Combined savings range from $30,000 to $60,000+ depending on property value. Established homes receive no stamp duty relief in SA — unique among all states. Apply through RevenueSA or via your lender. Updated April 2026 based on RevenueSA data.
South Australia removed the FHOG value cap in June 2024, making it the most generous grant on the mainland (RevenueSA). That’s $15,000 cash plus full stamp duty exemption for new homes regardless of price. The catch? Established homes get zero stamp duty relief in SA — new builds only. This makes South Australia the best state for first home buyers building new, but the worst for buying established. If you need financing for a new build, read our construction loans vs home loans guide to understand how progress payments work.
Who Is Eligible?
You need to tick every box. Miss one and RevenueSA will knock you back:
- First home buyer — you (or your partner) have never owned residential property in Australia at any time
- Over 18 years of age
- Australian citizen or permanent resident (at least one applicant)
- New home — newly built, off-the-plan, substantially renovated, or house & land package
- Principal place of residence — move in within 12 months, live there for at least 6 continuous months
- Not a company or trust — the purchase must be by a natural person
Important change from February 13, 2025: The eligibility rules got stricter (RevenueSA). Previously, you could qualify if you hadn’t owned property “in the last 12 months.” Now, you can’t have owned residential property in Australia at any time. If you owned a property 10 years ago and sold it, you’re out.
What Counts as a “New Home”?
- A home you build yourself (owner-builder)
- A home built for you by a builder (contract to build)
- A brand new home that has never been lived in (buying off-the-plan or from a developer)
- A substantially renovated home (full gut-reno level, not just a new kitchen)
- House and land packages (land plus building contract signed together)
What Does NOT Qualify
- Established/existing homes
- Investment properties
- Homes you don’t plan to live in for 6+ months
- Vacant land on its own (you get the grant when you build, not when you buy land)
- Knock-down rebuilds — only eligible if contract entered before February 13, 2025
That last one catches people out. If you bought a house intending to knock it down and rebuild, you needed to sign your building contract before February 13, 2025 to get the grant. After that date, knock-down rebuilds don’t qualify.
Value Cap: None
From June 6, 2024, South Australia removed the FHOG value cap entirely. There is no maximum property value. You can build a $500,000 home or a $1.5 million home—if it’s new and you meet the other eligibility requirements, you get the full $15,000.
This is a huge change. Previously, the cap was $575,000. Now, high-value builds qualify for the full grant (RevenueSA). South Australia is the only mainland state with no FHOG cap.
How Much Can You Save?
Stack the FHOG with stamp duty exemption:
| Benefit | Amount | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| FHOG | $15,000 | New home only (highest on mainland) |
| Stamp duty exemption | Up to ~$20,000+ | First home buyer, new home only, no cap |
| Stamp duty on land only | Saves $10K–$20K+ | Separate land + build contracts |
Example 1: Building in Elizabeth
| Scenario | Building (Land $180K + Build $420K) |
|---|---|
| FHOG | $15,000 |
| Stamp duty (new home exemption) | $0 (full exemption, no cap) |
| Standard stamp duty on $600K property | ~$23,000 saved |
| Total upfront savings | $38,000 |
If you bought an established $600,000 home in Elizabeth instead, you’d get zero FHOG and zero stamp duty relief. You’d pay the full ~$23,000 stamp duty. That’s a $38,000 disadvantage for buying established in SA.
Example 2: Building in Mount Barker (Adelaide Hills)
| Scenario | Building (Land $280K + Build $620K) |
|---|---|
| FHOG | $15,000 |
| Stamp duty | $0 (full exemption for new homes, no cap) |
| Standard stamp duty on $900K property | ~$36,000 saved |
| Total upfront savings | $51,000 |
Even high-value builds get the full benefit in SA. No cap means no phase-out. See our Adelaide building costs guide for suburb-by-suburb construction pricing.
“South Australia’s uncapped FHOG is unique on the mainland — build a $1.5 million home and you still get the full $15,000 grant plus zero stamp duty. No other mainland state offers that. The removal of the value cap in June 2024 was a quiet game-changer that most first home buyers haven’t caught onto yet.” — Emma Whitfield, Property Finance Analyst at BuildBudget
Example 3: Buying Established Home in Norwood
| Scenario | Buying Established $650K |
|---|---|
| FHOG | $0 (established homes don’t qualify) |
| Stamp duty | ~$25,000 (full rate, no relief) |
| Total upfront cost | $25,000 more than building new |
South Australia is the only state where first home buyers get zero stamp duty relief on established homes. NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, TAS, ACT, NT all offer at least some FHB stamp duty concession on established properties. SA does not.
This policy is designed to encourage new home construction. It works — but it also means buying established is significantly more expensive for first home buyers than in any other state. For full stamp duty details, see our SA stamp duty guide.
“If you’re set on buying established in Adelaide, budget for the full stamp duty bill — there’s zero relief. A $650,000 established home costs you roughly $25,000 in stamp duty that you’d pay zero on if you built new instead. That $25,000 plus the $15,000 grant is a $40,000 gap.” — James Thornton, Construction Cost Analyst at BuildBudget
See your SA first home buyer savings
Our calculator shows total project cost including FHOG and stamp duty savings for South Australia.
How to Apply
If You’re Building (Most Common)
Your builder or lender usually handles the paperwork.
- At contract stage — mention the FHOG when you sign your building contract
- Lender lodges the application — most lenders do this as part of the loan process
- Grant offsets a progress payment — the $15,000 gets knocked off a progress payment (typically first or final), so you pay less out of pocket
- Or apply yourself — you can go directly through RevenueSA after construction starts
If You’re Buying a New Home
- At settlement — your conveyancer or solicitor lodges the FHOG application on your behalf
- Grant reduces your settlement figure — that’s $15,000 less you need on the day
- Lender handles it — if you’re getting a home loan, your lender submits the application
What You Need to Apply
- Proof of identity (100 points of ID)
- Contract of sale or building contract
- Evidence the property is a new home
- Statutory declaration confirming eligibility
- If building: certificate of occupancy (when construction is complete)
Processing time: Typically 4–6 weeks once all documents are submitted.
FHOG + Building: Timeline
| Step | When | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Buy land | Month 1 | Pay stamp duty on land only (not the build) |
| Sign building contract | Month 2-3 | Lender lodges FHOG application |
| Construction starts | Month 3-6 | Builder begins work |
| FHOG applied | During build | $15,000 offset against a progress payment |
| Construction complete | Month 12-18 | Certificate of occupancy issued |
| Move in | Within 12 months of completion | Must live there for 6+ consecutive months |
SA Stamp Duty for First Home Buyers
Updated June 2024:
New Homes (New Build, Off-the-Plan, Substantially Renovated)
- Full stamp duty exemption for all first home buyers purchasing new homes
- No value cap — applies regardless of property price
- Applies to: New builds, off-the-plan, vacant land (if building), substantially renovated homes
Big savings: If you build a $700,000 home in Adelaide, you pay zero stamp duty (RevenueSA). Standard stamp duty on $700,000 is ~$27,000. That’s a $27,000 saving on top of the $15,000 FHOG.
Established Homes
- NO stamp duty relief for first home buyers
- You pay full standard rates regardless of property value
- This is unique to South Australia—every other state offers at least some FHB relief on established homes
Standard stamp duty rates (for established homes):
- Progressive scale from 1.0% to 5.5% across nine brackets
- $500,000 property: ~$21,500 stamp duty
- $700,000 property: ~$27,000 stamp duty
Sources: Johnston Withers (2025), RevenueSA via Feasly (2025), Money.com.au (2026).
SA has the strongest incentives for building new in Australia
$15,000 FHOG + full stamp duty exemption with no cap
Foreign Buyer Surcharge
South Australia charges a 7% additional stamp duty on residential property purchases by foreign buyers. This is the lowest foreign surcharge in Australia (equal with WA).
NSW charges 8%, VIC charges 8%, QLD charges 8%. SA and WA charge 7%.
Important: The first home buyer stamp duty exemption does not reduce the foreign surcharge. The 7% is calculated independently on the full property value. If you’re a foreign buyer, you pay 7% regardless of FHB status.
Source: Stamp Duty Calcs (2025-26).
Common Questions
Can I get the FHOG if I’ve owned property overseas?
Yes. The grant only looks at Australian residential property. If you owned a flat in Singapore or a house in the UK, that doesn’t count. As long as you’ve never owned residential property in Australia, you qualify.
What if my partner has owned a home before?
This is where people get caught out. If either you or your partner has ever owned residential property in Australia, neither of you qualifies, even if only one name is going on the title. RevenueSA looks at the couple, not the individual.
Can I use the FHOG as part of my deposit?
Usually no. The FHOG is applied at settlement or during construction (against a progress payment). Most lenders won’t let you count it toward your 5-10% deposit because the money doesn’t hit your account until later. However, some lenders factor the grant into your borrowing capacity.
Off-the-plan purchases are sometimes an exception—check with your lender.
What happened to knock-down rebuilds?
Knock-down rebuilds only qualify if your building contract was signed before February 13, 2025. After that date, they’re no longer eligible for the FHOG. This change caught a lot of people who bought an old house intending to demolish and rebuild. If you signed your building contract after February 13, 2025, you don’t get the grant.
Can I rent out the property after 6 months?
Yes. Once you’ve done your 6 consecutive months living there, the place is yours to do what you want. Plenty of first home buyers move out and rent it after that. It’s a way to start building equity while you rent somewhere that suits your lifestyle better.
What if I sell before 6 months?
You’ll have to pay the full $15,000 back. RevenueSA doesn’t do partial refunds. If something comes up and you genuinely can’t stay (medical reasons, family breakdown), contact RevenueSA before you move out. They have discretion in hardship cases, but you need to ask, not just disappear.
Can I get the FHOG and stamp duty exemption together?
Yes, and you should. They’re separate schemes. If you’re building a new home in Adelaide, you get the $15,000 FHOG plus full stamp duty exemption. Stack them. The government set it up specifically to encourage first home buyers to build.
Why doesn’t SA offer stamp duty relief for established homes?
Policy decision. South Australia wants to stimulate new home construction, not just churn in the existing housing stock. The trade-off is that SA first home buyers pay full stamp duty on established homes while getting the most generous incentives in Australia for building new.
If you’re set on buying established in SA, you’ll pay more in stamp duty than you would in any other state. But if you’re building new, SA is the best state in Australia for incentives.
“Adelaide’s building costs are 10–15% lower than Melbourne or Sydney, and the incentives are better. A $600,000 build in Elizabeth or Mount Barker gets you $15,000 cash, zero stamp duty, and a brand-new four-bedroom home. The affordability gap between SA and the eastern seaboard states is significant.” — David Park, Housing Market Researcher at BuildBudget
Run the numbers with our free building cost calculator to see exactly how FHOG and stamp duty savings affect your total project cost. For a national overview, see how much it costs to build a house across Australia.
Information current as of April 2026, based on RevenueSA, Johnston Withers, and Money.com.au data. Check your eligibility with RevenueSA before making decisions. Rules can change mid-year.
Key Takeaways
- South Australia offers $15,000 FHOG for new homes (highest on mainland) with no property value cap from June 6, 2024
- Full stamp duty exemption on new homes and vacant land (no value cap) — unique among Australian states
- Established homes receive NO stamp duty relief in SA (unique policy — every other state offers some FHB relief on established)
- Combined savings of $15K grant + stamp duty exemption worth $40K–$60K+ depending on property value
- Must occupy as principal place of residence for minimum 12 continuous months
- Application lodged through RevenueSA portal or via lender/conveyancer during settlement
Data Sources
All information sourced from official government agencies:
- RevenueSA — First Home Owner Grant Information, accessed April 2026
- South Australian Government — FHOG eligibility and application guidelines, 2026
- Johnston Withers, Money.com.au — SA FHOG guidance, 2026
