First Home Buyer Guide WA: $10K Grant, Stamp Duty & Schemes (2026)

Key takeaways

WA's First Home Owner Grant is $10,000 on new homes only, valued up to $800,000 in Perth and the south of the state, or $1,000,000 north of the 26th parallel.
For agreements from 7 May 2026, first home buyers pay no transfer duty up to $600,000 and $16.15 per $100 above that to $800,000, on new and established homes.
On a $550,000 first home an eligible buyer pays $0 transfer duty, saving $20,140.
Keystart is WA's state-owned low-deposit lender, with deposits as low as 2% and no LMI for eligible buyers, unique to WA.
Federal schemes work in WA. The 5% Deposit Scheme has had no income test or limit on places since 1 October 2025; its price cap is $850,000 in Greater Perth and $600,000 elsewhere.
WA has no statutory cooling-off period on residential private treaty sales, so pre-contract due diligence matters more.

In this guide8 sections

WA has no statutory cooling-off period on residential private treaty sales, so a buying plan has to be finished before the offer is signed: finance, building inspection and conditions written in, not negotiated afterwards.

Verify with WA Revenue and Keystart

Grant amounts, thresholds, and Keystart eligibility rules change. Verify current details with the WA Department of Finance (Revenue) and Keystart before signing a contract.

First Home Owner Grant WA

Western Australia offers a $10,000 First Home Owner Grant for eligible first home buyers purchasing or building new homes. WA’s market has seen strong growth since 2021, making the FHOG a meaningful contributor for buyers targeting new builds.

$10,000

The WA First Home Owner Grant on new homes valued up to $800,000 in Perth and the south of the state.

Established homes do not qualify

Eligibility requirements

At least one applicant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
All applicants must be 18 years or older
No applicant can have previously owned residential property in Australia on or after 1 July 2000 (or received the FHOG on an earlier purchase)
At least one applicant must occupy the home as their principal place of residence for at least 6 months within 12 months of settlement or completion

Eligible properties

New homes (never previously sold as residential) valued at $800,000 or less south of the 26th parallel, including Perth, or $1,000,000 or less north of it (transactions from 7 May 2026; the southern cap was $750,000 before)
Owner-built homes and land plus a building contract, under the same caps
Substantially renovated homes (significant renovation of an existing dwelling)
Established (second-hand) homes do not qualify for the WA FHOG

How to apply

Lodge through the Office of State Revenue (OSR) or your lending institution at the time of loan application. For purchases, apply within 12 months of settlement. For construction, apply within 12 months of the first drawing of the loan.

Stamp duty (transfer duty) exemption and concession

Western Australia’s first home owner rate of duty applies to new and established homes. The rates below apply to agreements from 7 May 2026; the date of the agreement decides, not settlement.

Purchase price	Duty payable
Up to $600,000	$0
$600,001 to $800,000	$16.15 per $100 above $600,000
Over $800,000	Full transfer duty

On a $550,000 purchase, typical for outer Perth, an eligible first home buyer pays $0 in transfer duty, where anyone else would pay $20,140. At $700,000 a first home buyer pays $16,150 instead of $27,265. Use our Stamp Duty Calculator for your exact figures; it applies the rate for the agreement date you enter.

Vacant land to build your first home pays no duty up to $450,000 and $20.14 per $100 above that to $550,000. For agreements from 21 March 2025 to 6 May 2026, homes were duty free to $500,000, with the concession running to $700,000 in Perth and Peel and $750,000 elsewhere.

Eligibility for the concession

The property must be your first home in Australia
You must occupy it as your principal place of residence within 12 months of settlement
Both new and established homes qualify (unlike the FHOG)
Since 7 May 2026 the grant’s value cap no longer limits the duty concession

Figures checked against RevenueWA’s first home owner rate fact sheet on 14 October 2026.

Federal schemes available in WA

5% Deposit Scheme (the expanded First Home Guarantee): buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI. Since 1 October 2025 there’s no income test and no limit on places. The price cap is $850,000 in Greater Perth and $600,000 in the rest of Western Australia. See our 5% Deposit Scheme guide.
Single parents and legal guardians (Family Home Guarantee): a 2% deposit, the same price caps and no income test. You don’t have to be a first home buyer, but any other home you own must be sold within 4 weeks of settling.
Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee: closed. No new guarantees have been issued since 1 October 2025; regional buyers use the 5% Deposit Scheme at their area’s price cap.
Help to Buy (shared equity): the government contributes up to 40% of a new home or 30% of an existing one, with a 2% minimum deposit and no LMI. For 2026–27 the income limits are $103,000 (single) and $165,000 (joint or single parent). The price cap is $850,000 in Perth and $600,000 elsewhere in the state. It can’t be combined with the 5% Deposit Scheme. See Help to Buy in Western Australia.
First Home Super Saver scheme (FHSS): save part of your deposit in super with voluntary contributions, up to $15,000 a year and $50,000 in total per person, then withdraw 85% of before-tax contributions and all after-tax ones, plus deemed earnings (7.51% a year for October–December 2026). Salary sacrifice is taxed at 15% going in, and the release at your marginal rate less a 30% offset. There’s no price cap, and it combines with the other schemes. See the FHSS guide or run your numbers in the FHSS calculator.

The 5% Deposit Scheme cap is $850,000 in Greater Perth and $600,000 in the rest of WA, below Sydney's $1,500,000 and Brisbane's $1,000,000. With Perth's price growth since 2021, the cap can bind in some inner and middle-ring suburbs, so check it before you make an offer.

WA-specific schemes and resources

Keystart Home Loans: WA Government home loan provider specifically for low-to-moderate income earners who can’t qualify for a standard bank loan. Keystart offers low-deposit home loans (as low as 2% in some cases) without LMI. Income limits apply. Unique to WA, and a major advantage for eligible buyers. Apply at keystart.com.au.
SharedStart (Keystart): Shared equity option through Keystart where the State Government takes a small equity co-investment, reducing the loan size and required deposit.
Aboriginal Home Ownership Program: Specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander first home buyers. Check the Department of Communities WA for details.

Median property prices for first home buyers

Perth has had strong growth since 2021 but remains more affordable than Sydney and Melbourne:

Outer Perth (northern corridor): Joondalup, Wanneroo, Butler, house medians $530K to $680K
Outer Perth (southern corridor): Rockingham, Mandurah, Armadale, house medians $450K to $600K
Middle ring suburbs: Midland, Swan, Bayswater, house medians $600K to $780K
Regional WA: Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, house medians $350K to $500K, Bunbury seeing strong growth

Explore WA suburb profiles for current data.

The WA buying process

WA has notable differences from eastern states:

No statutory cooling-off period: Unlike NSW, VIC, and QLD, WA has no statutory cooling-off period on residential private treaty sales. Once contracts are exchanged and conditions waived or fulfilled, you’re committed. Pre-contract due diligence matters even more.
Offer and Acceptance: WA uses an Offer and Acceptance form. The buyer makes a written offer; if the seller accepts, the signed document becomes a binding contract. Conditions (finance, building inspection, etc.) are negotiated and included in the offer.
Joint Form of General Conditions: The offer references general conditions maintained by REIWA and the Law Society of WA.
Auctions: Less common than eastern states. Private treaty dominates.
Settlement: Typically 30 to 60 days; via PEXA.

For the full step-by-step process, see Buying Property in Australia.

Key WA contacts

WA Department of Finance, Revenue, FHOG, stamp duty, FHB concessions: wa.gov.au
Keystart Home Loans, WA Government low-deposit home loans: keystart.com.au
Housing Australia, First Home Guarantee and federal schemes: housingaustralia.gov.au
REIWA, Real Estate Institute of WA, market data and buying resources: reiwa.com.au

Next step

Make a first home plan

Your next three steps for your state, with the grant, stamp duty and federal scheme checks in order, and a checklist before you start looking.

Make a first home plan Stamp duty calculator Borrowing power calculator

Common questions

What is Keystart and is it really only available in WA?

Keystart is a WA Government-owned home loan provider for buyers who can't qualify for a standard bank loan. It offers loans with deposits as low as 2% and no LMI, with income caps that vary by region and household size. It's unique to WA, has no equivalent in other states, and is one of the most powerful tools for first home buyers in Perth or regional WA who don't have a 20% deposit.

Does WA really have no cooling-off period?

Correct, WA has no statutory cooling-off period on residential private treaty sales. Once the Offer and Acceptance is signed and conditions are waived or fulfilled, you're committed. This is the biggest procedural difference from eastern states. Building inspection, finance, and settlement conditions need to be properly negotiated into the offer before signing, not afterwards.

Can I get the WA FHOG on an established home?

No. The grant only applies to new homes (never previously sold as residential), substantially renovated homes, and owner-built new homes. Established homes don't qualify. However, the stamp duty exemption is available on both new and established homes.

Why is stamp duty $0 up to $600,000 in WA but up to $800,000 in NSW?

Each state sets its own threshold. WA raised its threshold from $500,000 to $600,000 for agreements from 7 May 2026, and above it charges $16.15 per $100 up to $800,000. So a $700,000 first home pays $16,150 instead of $27,265. The date of the agreement decides which rate applies, not settlement.

Can I combine the FHBG, FHOG, and stamp duty exemption in WA?

Yes, on a new home under all the relevant caps. A $500,000 new home in outer Perth could get the federal 5% Deposit Scheme (5% deposit, no LMI), the $10,000 grant and no transfer duty: $27,765 in grant and duty saved, before the LMI saving.

What's the Offer and Acceptance form?

WA uses an Offer and Acceptance contract. The buyer makes a written offer (with conditions), and if the seller accepts, that signed document becomes the binding contract. There's no separate exchange step like NSW. The Joint Form of General Conditions (maintained by REIWA and the Law Society of WA) is referenced from the offer.