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

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 up to $750,000.

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) with a purchase price of $750,000 or less
Owner-built homes where the total value of land plus building contract is $750,000 or less
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 gives first home buyers significant stamp duty relief, one of the more generous regimes in Australia relative to property prices.

Purchase price	Duty payable
Up to $450,000	$0 (full exemption)
$450,001 to $600,000	Concession (scaled, progressively reduced)
Over $600,000	Full transfer duty applies

On a $400,000 purchase, typical for outer Perth, an eligible first home buyer pays $0 in transfer duty. Standard duty on $400,000 would be roughly $13,433. Use our Stamp Duty Calculator for your exact figures.

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)

Federal schemes available in WA

First Home Guarantee (FHBG): 5% deposit, no LMI. Income limits $125K single / $200K couple. Property price cap $600,000 Perth and $450,000 regional WA.
Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee: For buyers purchasing in regional WA, areas like Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, and the Pilbara. You must have lived in the area for 12+ months.
Family Home Guarantee: 2% deposit for single parents, income limit $125K. Perth price cap $600,000.
Help to Buy (shared equity): Up to 40% government equity on new homes / 30% on existing.

Note: WA's $600,000 Perth cap is lower than east-coast capitals, reflecting WA's historically more affordable market. With Perth's rapid price growth since 2021, this cap has become a limitation in some inner and middle-ring suburbs. Always verify the current cap before relying on it.

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

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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 $450,000 in WA but only up to $800,000 in NSW?

Each state sets its own threshold. WA's $450,000 threshold reflects its historically lower median prices, though Perth's recent growth has narrowed the gap. The concession scales up to $600,000 (above which standard duty applies), so plenty of FHB-targeted Perth purchases still get a partial concession.

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

Yes, on a new home under all the relevant caps. A $400,000 new home in outer Perth could give you the federal FHBG (5% deposit, no LMI), the $10,000 FHOG, and a full stamp duty exemption, a combined saving of roughly $25,000 to $30,000 over a standard purchase.

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.