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This page gives information about properties eligible for the first home owner grant.

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Properties eligible for the first home owner grant

If you are purchasing or constructing property (for example a house, flat, unit, townhouse or apartment) in South Australia that will be your principal place of residence for at least 6 continuous months (within the relevant timeframe), you may be eligible for a first home owner grant for one of the following:

New home

A new home is a home that has been built but has not been previously occupied or sold as a place of residence. This includes houses, flats, duplexes, townhouses, apartments and substantially renovated homes.

Off-the-plan apartment

An off-the-plan apartment is an apartment that has not yet been built and only exists as a plan that is yet to be constructed, or for which construction has commenced and where the Commissioner of State Taxation is satisfied that the work has not been substantially completed.

Substantially renovated home

In order to be eligible, the substantially renovated home must be purchased from a developer, who has undertaken substantial renovations, not just cosmetic changes.  The developer must be registered for GST purposes for developing the property and claimed GST offsets on the renovations to the home and provide evidence of this.  See ATO Goods and Services Tax Ruling (GSTR 2003/3) for more information.

Comprehensive building contracts or contracts to build a home

A comprehensive building contract or contract to build a home refers to entering into a contract with a builder to build a home on land. This could include vacant land that you already own or vacant land that is included as part of the contract (these contracts are sometimes referred to as 'house and land packages').

Owner Builder

An owner builder is an owner of land (or someone who is purchasing land) who is going to build a home on the land without entering into a comprehensive building contract.  An owner builder must build an eligible property.  This means the property must be a fixed dwelling that is suitable as a place of residence and provides complete and permanent living facilities and provisions.  Examples include a house, flat, unit, townhouse or apartment.

If you entered into your contract on or after 13 February 2025:

  • you may be eligible for the first home owner grant if you are building on vacant land and all other criteria are met.

If you entered into your contract before 13 February 2025:

  • you may be eligible for the first home owner grant if you are building on vacant land or if you doing a knock down and re-build project are if all other criteria are met (including the criteria regarding previous property ownership).

Knock down and re-build project

This includes where you:

  • plan to knock down an existing home and rebuild a new home
  • subdivide land, or plan to subdivide land with an existing home, and your new home is going to be built on one piece of the land.

If you entered into your contract on or after 13 February 2025:

  • you will not be eligible for the first home owner grant as you will not meet the previous property ownership criteria.

If you entered into your contract before 13 February 2025:

  • you may be eligible for the first home owner grant if all other criteria are met.

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Properties not eligible for the first home owner grant

The first home owner grant is not available for:

  • the purchase of an established home
  • the purchase or construction of an investment property or holiday home
  • the purchase or construction of a property that is above the property value cap (for contracts entered into before 6 June 2024)
  • the purchase of vacant land
  • the purchase or construction of movable dwellings such as tents, caravans or any other portable devices used for habitation
  • the purchase or construction of non-habitable structures such as sheds, garages, or barns.

Established home

An established home is a property that has already been built and has previously been occupied or sold as a place or residence. The first home owner grant is not available on the purchase of an established home.

Investment property or holiday home

The first home owner grant is not available for the purchase or construction of property intended to be used solely as an investment property or holiday home.

All applicants are required to occupy their property as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of least 6 months, commencing within 12 months from settlement (for the purchase of a new home, off-the plan apartment or substantially renovated home) or within 12 months from when the building becomes ready for occupation (for comprehensive home building contracts and owner builders).

After the residence requirement has been met, there are no restrictions on the use of the property relating to the first home owner grant.

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Property value cap

Property value caps apply depending on the date you enter or entered into your contract.

For contracts entered into, or owner builders that commenced construction, on or after 6 June 2024:

  • No property cap applies.  There is no limit to the market value Link to definition of the eligible property.

For contracts entered into, or owner builders that commenced construction, between 15 June 2023 and 5 June 2024:

  • The grant is only available for eligible properties with a market value Link to definition of $650,000 or less.

For contracts entered into, or owner builders that commenced construction, between 17 September 2010 and 14 June 2023:

  • The first home owner grant is only available for eligible properties with a market value Link to definition of $575,000 or less.

Vacant land

The first home owner grant does not apply to vacant land.

However, once you enter into a contract to build a new home, you may be eligible for the first home owner grant.

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