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Applying for the HomeBuilder grant

HomeBuilder provides individuals and couples with a grant towards building or buying a new home or substantially renovating an existing home that they will own and occupy.

The grant amount is:

• $25,000 for contracts signed between 4 June and 31 December 2020
• $15,000 for contracts signed between 1 January and 31 March 2021.

Applications for the grant closed on 14 April 2021. If you applied online on time, you have until 30 April 2023 to provide all supporting documents.

Eligibility

These criteria apply to all persons, whether applying as an individual or as part of a couple.

• You must not have previously received a HomeBuilder grant in any state or territory of Australia.
• You must be at least 18 years of age. (Companies and trusts cannot apply.)
• You must be an Australian citizen at the time you apply.
• Your 2018–19 or 2019-20 annual taxable income must be below:
  • $125,000 for an individual
    or
  • $200,000 for a couple.
• You will be the registered owner on the title.
• The home will be your principal place of residence after completion or settlement.
• The contract is signed between 4 June 2020 and 31 March 2021 to:
  • buy an off-the plan or new home valued at $750,000 or less (including GST) and construction had not started before 4 June 2020
    or
  • build a new home where the build amount and the value of the land (including any existing structures) is $750,000 or less (including GST)
    or
  • substantially renovate an existing home, where
    • renovations cost between $150,000 and $750,000 (including GST)
      and
    • value of property (home and land before renovation) is less than $1.5 million.

Examples

In these examples, the individuals need to meet all eligibility criteria and application deadlines.

Example—not an Australian citizen

Nikau holds a New Zealand passport and is living in Queensland permanently on a special category visa.

Nikau will not be eligible for the grant because he is not an Australian citizen.

Example—both not Australian citizens

Mandeep and Sunita are buying a new home together. Mandeep is an Australian citizen and Sunita is a permanent resident under a special category visa.

Mandeep and Sunita will not be eligible for the grant because, as a couple, they are not both Australian citizens.

Example—not a couple

Two brothers, Alfredo and Mario, have inherited the family home. They are engaging a builder to renovate the home before moving back in.

They are not eligible for the grant because they are not a couple.

Example—sole owner

Jolanta, who is married to Thanh, is buying an apartment solely in her name. Jolanta’s taxable income for 2018–19 is $140,000 and for 2019–20 is $120,000.

Jolanta is eligible for the grant because she is applying as an individual and her income was below $125,000 in 2019-20. (It must be below the threshold in either 2018-19 or 2019-20).

Check your application

Find out how to update or check the status of your application for:

• buying a home
• building a home
• renovating a home.

More information

• You might also be eligible for:
  • First home owner grant
  • Regional home building boost grant.
• Read the meanings of definitions used in the HomeBuilder grant.
• Read the administrative direction that establishes the basis for the HomeBuilder grant.
• Find out about transfer duty home concessions.