More support than you think. Less complicated than it sounds.

Five state and federal schemes designed to help first home buyers in South Australia get into a home of their own. Up to $15,000 in grants, stamp duty waived on most new builds, deposits as low as 2% with the right scheme. Everything explained in plain English on this page, verified against the official sources.

What buying your first home actually feels like.

“The deposit feels impossible. Prices keep moving. Every article online says something different about what you’re entitled to. And by the time you’ve figured one scheme out, you’re worried you’ve missed something else.”

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Most first home buyers in Australia feel the same way at some point in the process. The good news is, the system actually does have support built into it specifically for you, and quite a lot of it. Five separate schemes, two from the South Australian government, three from the federal government, all of which can stack together to make a first home achievable on a normal income.

The bad news is that nobody explains them in one place, in plain English, in a way that helps you figure out which apply to your situation. So that’s what this page is. Every scheme available to first home buyers in South Australia, what it gives you, who’s eligible, and how to claim it. Verified against the official government sources, current as of June 2026.

We’ll also tell you which Madhu homes fit which schemes, because some of our homes are positioned specifically in price ranges that maximise scheme eligibility for first home buyers. That’s the practical part. Read the schemes first, then see the homes.

Every scheme. One format.

Five schemes are available to first home buyers in South Australia. Two come from the SA state government, three from the federal government. Each one has its own eligibility rules, dollar amounts, and process. The good news is that they generally stack together, so that you can claim more than one if you qualify.

Each card below explains the scheme in the same five parts: what it is, what you get, who’s eligible, how to claim it, and which official source we verified it against. Want to jump straight to a specific scheme? The names below link directly to the card.

First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)

One-off cash grant

$15,000

A $15,000 one-off cash payment from the South Australian government for first home buyers building or buying a brand new home. Since 6 June 2024, there is no property value cap on this grant, meaning it applies regardless of the home’s price as long as the home is new and unoccupied. The grant is paid at settlement and goes directly toward your purchase.

$15,000

First home buyers buying or building a brand new home in South Australia. You and your partner must not have owned a home in Australia before. Must be over 18 and an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Live in the home as your principal place of residence for at least 6 continuous months, starting within 12 months of completion or settlement. Apply through your conveyancer or directly via RevenueSA.

Only new and unoccupied homes qualify. Existing homes do not. Off-the-plan purchases generally qualify. The grant is not subject to income tax.

Stamp Duty Exemption

Transfer duty waiver

$21,000+

South Australia waives stamp duty entirely for first home buyers on eligible new homes valued up to $650,000, with a partial concession sliding scale up to $700,000. The exemption also applies to vacant land you intend to build on. Stamp duty on a $650,000 home would normally cost around $21,000 to $24,000, so this is the single largest dollar saving in the scheme stack for most first home buyers.

$21,000+

First home buyers purchasing a new home valued up to $650,000 (full exemption) or $650,000 to $700,000 (partial concession). Also applies to vacant land purchased with intent to build, with separate thresholds.

Applied automatically through your conveyancer at settlement. You don’t apply separately. The eligibility is assessed when transfer duty is calculated on the property.

New builds only. The $650K to $700K range gives a sliding partial concession, not zero. Actual saving depends on the property price, so the $21,000+ figure is a starting estimate, not a fixed amount.

5% Deposit Guarantee Scheme

Government-backed deposit support

5%

A federal scheme that lets eligible first home buyers buy a home with a 5% deposit instead of the usual 20%, without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The federal government guarantees the difference, so the lender takes on no extra risk and the buyer skips the LMI cost (which can run $10,000 to $30,000+ on a typical first home). Single parents qualify with as little as a 2% deposit through a related scheme. Unlimited places, no income cap.

5%

Australian citizens and permanent residents who are first home buyers. Property price cap is $900,000 for Adelaide metro and SA regional centres. Other parts of SA have a lower $500,000 cap. Single parents qualify with 2% deposit through a separate stream.

Apply through a participating lender (most major banks and many smaller lenders participate). The lender handles the application with Housing Australia behind the scenes. Your mortgage broker can walk you through which lenders offer it.

Saves the LMI cost but you still pay interest on the larger loan. The 5% deposit means a higher loan-to-value ratio, which means a larger total interest cost over the life of the loan. Worth weighing against waiting to save a bigger deposit.

Help to Buy (Shared Equity)

Government co-buys the home

40%

The federal government co-buys up to 40% of a new home (or 30% of an established home) with you, meaning you only need to fund the remaining 60% to 70%. You can start with a 2% deposit. The government recovers its share when you sell the home, when you can afford to buy them out, or at the end of the loan term. Launched 5 December 2025, available in South Australia. Open to first home buyers and to previous homeowners returning to the market.

40%

Australian citizens and permanent residents. Income caps apply (around $90,000 for singles, $120,000 for couples, as of 2026, check current thresholds). Open to first home buyers and to previous homeowners returning to the market. Available in SA.

Apply through a participating lender. The government’s equity share is recorded on the title. When you sell, you repay the government’s percentage based on the sale price (so they share in upside, but also in downside).

The government’s share grows with the home’s value, so capital gains are shared. You can buy them out earlier in 5% increments if you can afford to. This is the newest and most flexible of the federal schemes, but check the income caps carefully.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

Save inside super, withdraw for home

$50,000

Allows first home buyers to save up to $50,000 (plus associated earnings) inside their superannuation fund, taxed at 15% instead of their marginal tax rate, and withdraw it tax-free when they’re ready to buy. Because super contributions are taxed lower than ordinary income, this scheme effectively boosts the speed of your savings. Can be used alongside the other federal schemes. Also open to people buying with a partner, sibling, or friend.

$50,000

First home buyers over 18 who have never owned property in Australia. The $50,000 limit is per person, so a couple buying together can each contribute and withdraw $50,000 for a combined $100,000.

Make voluntary contributions to your super (your employer’s default contributions don’t count). When ready to buy, apply to the ATO to release the funds. They calculate the tax-advantaged release amount. Process takes 15 to 25 business days.

Best used by people in higher tax brackets, the tax saving is bigger. Concessional (pre-tax) contributions count up to $15,000 per year toward the limit. You can mix concessional and non-concessional contributions. Some salary sacrifice is the most common path.

The schemes stack together.

Most people read about one scheme, calculate that saving, and stop there. The bigger insight is that the schemes were designed to work together. A first home buyer who qualifies for all five can compound savings across grants, stamp duty waivers, lower deposits, shared equity, and tax-advantaged savings, often reducing their effective entry cost by $40,000 to $100,000+ depending on circumstances.

Here’s a realistic stacking example for an Adelaide first home buyer purchasing a $620,000 new home. Numbers are illustrative based on June 2026 scheme rules. Your situation will differ, so use this to understand the shape, not as a quote.

Illustrative stack · $620,000 new home in Adelaide

A couple, both first home buyers, both on average incomes. Brand new home in Adelaide’s western corridor. This shows how the schemes layer on top of each other.

01

FHOG grant. The $15,000 one-off SA state grant for new builds. Paid at settlement, no income cap.

+$15,000

02

Stamp duty waived. The home is under the $650,000 threshold, so full stamp duty exemption applies. A typical $620K stamp duty bill of around $20,000 to $22,000 disappears.

+$15,000

+~$21,000

03

5% deposit guarantee. Deposit of $31,000 (5% of $620K) instead of $124,000 (20%). LMI of roughly $18,000 to $25,000 also avoided.

+$15,000

+~$20,000

04

First Home Super Saver Scheme. Each partner contributed $30,000 to super over 3 years through salary sacrifice. Tax savings on those contributions, around $7,000 to $10,000 combined.

+$15,000

+~$9,000

05

FHelp to Buy not used in this example. The couple is buying outright rather than into shared equity. If their income was lower or their deposit smaller, this scheme could replace or supplement the 5% deposit scheme.

~$65,000

What we do for first home buyers.

Reading about the schemes is useful. Acting on them when you’re actually buying a home is where most first home buyers get stuck, paperwork, eligibility checks, timing the application against the settlement, knowing what your broker needs versus what your conveyancer handles. Here’s how Madhu makes that part easier when you’re buying one of our homes.

We walk you through eligibility.

When you register interest in a Madhu home, our sales team (led by Kris at KC Property) sits with you, looks at your situation, and tells you which of the five schemes you’re likely to qualify for. Not a generic checklist, an honest read for you specifically. We will also tell you which ones you don’t qualify for, so you don’t waste time chasing them.

Our prices are scheme-aware.

Some Madhu homes are deliberately positioned in price ranges that maximise stamp duty exemption eligibility (under $650K) or fit the federal deposit scheme caps ($900K for Adelaide). Where it makes sense for the project, we structure pricing so first home buyers don’t fall just above a threshold that would cost them tens of thousands.

We coordinate with your team.

Your broker handles the loan and the federal schemes. Your conveyancer handles the state grants and the stamp duty side. We coordinate timing between them so applications don’t fall through gaps. If you don’t have a broker or conveyancer yet, we can introduce you to people we work with regularly who understand these schemes.

The homes this page is for.

Two Madhu homes are currently in play for first home buyers in Adelaide’s western corridor. Each one has different scheme eligibility depending on its price, title type, and stage. Click through to the project detail page for pricing, floor plans, and to register interest. Brisbane projects are coming in 2026 and 2027 and will appear here once they’re live.

12a Percy Street, Seaton

A single Torrens-title home in Seaton, currently being built and available for purchase. Pricing sits in the upper range, so stamp duty exemption does not apply to this specific property, but the 5% deposit scheme, FHOG, FHSSS, and Help to Buy may still apply depending on your situation. Our sales team will tell you exactly which schemes are in play for Percy Street pricing.

40 West Lakes Boulevard

The next development in Madhu’s Adelaide pipeline, currently in planning phase. Pricing not yet locked in, but the project will be deliberately positioned to maximise first home buyer scheme eligibility wherever possible. Register interest now to be told first when Stage 1 sales open and to get early information on scheme eligibility for the specific home configuration.

Common questions.

Seven questions we hear from first home buyers most often. If your question isn’t here, the answer is most likely “it depends on your situation, talk to our sales team and they’ll walk you through it.” The FAQ below covers the questions where we can give a useful general answer.

Can I use more than one scheme at the same time?

Yes, in most cases. The five schemes were designed to stack together, not compete. Most first home buyers can claim FHOG, stamp duty exemption, and one of the federal deposit schemes simultaneously. The First Home Super Saver scheme stacks separately on top because it’s a savings vehicle rather than a purchase grant. The only schemes that conflict are the 5% deposit scheme and Help to Buy, you generally pick one or the other based on your circumstances.

Do I qualify if I’m buying with my partner who already owns property?

For most state and federal first home buyer schemes, both partners must be first home buyers. If one of you has owned property before, you generally won’t qualify for the FHOG or the SA stamp duty exemption. Help to Buy is the exception, it’s open to previous homeowners returning to the market. The First Home Super Saver Scheme is also assessed individually, so the first home buyer partner could still use their own super contributions.

How long does the FHOG take to be paid?

The First Home Owner Grant is paid at settlement, the same day you legally take ownership of the home. Your conveyancer applies for it on your behalf as part of the settlement process. The $15,000 typically goes straight into the funds settled at the property transfer, reducing the cash you need to bring to settlement.

What counts as a “new home” for the FHOG and stamp duty exemption?

A new home is one that has not been previously occupied or sold as a residence. This includes off-the-plan apartments and houses, house-and-land packages, and homes built on vacant land you’ve purchased. It does NOT include established homes that have been lived in before, even if extensively renovated. The Madhu homes (Percy Street, West Lakes, future projects) all qualify as new builds.

Is the FHOG taxed as income?

No. The First Home Owner Grant is not subject to income tax. It’s also not counted as part of your assessable income for Centrelink or any other government benefit calculation. It’s a clean $15,000.

Do I have to live in the home, or can I rent it out?

For the FHOG, yes, you must live in the home as your principal place of residence for at least 6 continuous months, starting within 12 months of settlement. The federal schemes have similar residency requirements. If you don’t meet the residency requirement, you may have to repay the grant. The schemes are designed to help people buy a home to live in, not to subsidise investment property.

Do these schemes apply in Queensland too?

The federal schemes (5% deposit, Help to Buy, First Home Super Saver) apply nationally, so they work in Queensland with different property price caps. The state schemes are different, Queensland has its own FHOG ($30,000 for new builds, higher than SA’s) and its own stamp duty concessions for first home buyers, with different rules. This page focuses on the SA schemes because Madhu’s current projects are in Adelaide. When the Brisbane projects launch, we’ll add a Queensland section or a separate Queensland page.

Now you know what’s available. Let’s talk about what fits you.

You’ve seen the schemes, the dollar amounts, and how they stack together. The next step is figuring out which of them actually apply to your situation, and which Madhu home would let you claim the most of them. That’s a 30-minute conversation with our team, no obligation, no pressure.

The information on this page is general information only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Scheme eligibility and dollar amounts depend on your individual circumstances and can change without notice. Confirm details directly with RevenueSA (revenuesa.sa.gov.au), the Australian Taxation Office (ato.gov.au), or firsthomebuyers.gov.au, and speak to a licensed accountant or mortgage broker about your specific situation before relying on any scheme.