Grants and schemes
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First home plus

The First Home Plus Scheme was available for purchases made before 1 January 2012. For the current first home buyers’ scheme, see the First Home Buyers Assistance scheme.

The First Home Plus Scheme (FHPS) provided a concessional rate of transfer duty to first home buyers of both new and existing homes in NSW who:

  • purchased their home between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2011 and
  • had a home or land value below the applicable threshold.

Eligibility requirements

To qualify for the First Home Plus Scheme:

  • the purchase date must have been between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2011
  • you must have been over 18
  • you must be an individual, not a company or trust
  • you must have purchased the whole property, alone or with others, and
  • at least one of the first home buyers must have been an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

You weren't eligible for the First Home Plus Scheme if you or your spouse or de facto partner had previously:

  • owned or co-owned a home in Australia, or
  • received assistance under the FHPS.

Residence requirements

You or one of the other first home buyers must have moved into the new home within 12 months after buying the property, and lived there for at least six continuous months.

If you bought land and built a new home, you must have moved in within 12 months of construction being completed.

You don’t have to meet these requirements if you were a member of the Australian Defence Force when you purchased the property and:

  • you and everyone you bought the home with was on the NSW electoral roll
  • the purchase date was after 21 October 2009.

Buying with others who aren’t eligible

You were still eligible eve if you purchased the property with people who eligible for First Home Plus Scheme, as long as eligible buyers purchased more than 50% of the property. The amount of transfer duty you need to pay will be based on the proportion of the property you own. This is called the First Home Plus One Scheme (FHPOS).

The exception is where your spouse or partner was one of the ineligible buyers. In this case, neither of you are eligible.

Transfer duty

The amount of transfer duty payable was based on how much you paid for your property and whether you purchased an existing home or vacant land.

Existing homes

  • You won’t pay any transfer duty if your home was valued at less than $500,000.
  • For homes valued between $500,000 and $600,000, you only have to pay some transfer duty.
  • To calculate your concession, multiply the purchase price by 0.2249 and subtract $112,450.

We’ve set out some examples below.

Purchase price Usual transfer duty Transfer duty you oweConcession
$500,000 $17,990 $0 100%
$525,000 $19,115 $5,623 29%
$550,000 $20,240 $11,245 56%
$575,000 $21,365 $16,868 79%
$600,000 $22,490 $22,490 0%

Vacant land

You can apply for a transfer duty exemption on vacant land on which you’ve built – or intend to build – your home.

  • You won’t pay any transfer duty for land valued at less than $300,000 at the time of purchase.
  • For land valued between $300,000 and $450,000, you only have to pay some transfer duty.
  • To calculate your concession, multiply the purchase price by 0.1049 and then subtract $31,470.

We’ve set out some examples below.

Purchase price Usual duty First Home Plus dutyConcession
$300,000 $8,990 $0 100%
$340,000 $10,790 $4,196 39%
$380,000 $12,590 $8,392 67%
$420,000 $14,390 $12,588 87%
$450,000 $15,740 $15,740 0%

How to apply

If you’re still eligible for the First Home Plus scheme, you can apply.

  • Download and complete your First Home Plus Application Form.
  • You will find all the information you need in the form, including which supporting documents you need to provide.
  • You can return this directly to us, or apply through your solicitor or conveyancer.