The first home owners grant is a national first home owners grant melbourne scheme that helps Aussies get on the property ladder. It’s a one-off payment of up to $10,000. Each state and territory supports it separately. This means that eligibility criteria and the amount you receive can vary significantly. Buying your first home is already an intimidating process. With property prices reaching record highs across the country, a little help can make all the difference. That’s why we’ve rounded up all the current grants, schemes and concessions available to Australian first home buyers in this article.

Whether you’re looking to buy an established house or build a new home, these first home buyers grants will give you the leg up you need to get into your dream home.

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Originally, the grant was only for homes built from scratch. But now it can be used for newly built, or substantially renovated existing houses as long as they meet certain requirements. To be eligible, the renovation must be substantial and include major structural changes. Cosmetic work such as a fresh coat of paint doesn’t count.

Isuru Thuduhena was a first-time buyer who built her dream home with the assistance of the HomeBuilder grant in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. She says it allowed her to move out of her parents’ place and into a bigger, more spacious home. “The only way we could afford it was with the first home builders grant,” she tells The Age. The government is considering axing the program in a bid to boost housing affordability and curb excessive development on the city’s fringe. The Victorian Opposition today slammed the move.