Every scheme, one number
First Home Buyer Calculator - NSW
A Sydney first home buyer at $850,000 needs about $55,700 up front: 5% deposit under the federal scheme (the NSW capital cap is $1,500,000 - the highest in the country), part-concession duty of $9,797, no LMI. Under $800,000 the duty is zero.
- Rates verified
- 2026-08-03
- Source
- Revenue NSW
- Scheme cap
- $1,500,000
Your purchase
Total cash to buy
$55,696.75
With the 5% Deposit Scheme: 5% deposit, no LMI.
- Deposit (5%)
- $42,500
- Transfer duty
- $9,796.75
- Duty concession applied
- saves $22,640.25
- Conveyancing, inspections, loan setup
- $3,400
- LMI avoided via the scheme
- saves ~$27,455
Want duty on its own, across investor, owner-occupier and first-home scales? That's the full NSW transfer duty calculator.
Scheme caps per firsthomebuyers.gov.au; duty and grants from Revenue NSW (source). Eligibility criteria apply to every scheme - confirm before committing. General information only.
Every benefit a NSW first home buyer can claim in 2026
Status chips update live against the price, location and build type set above.
First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme
Zero duty to $800k
Full transfer duty exemption to $800,000 for new and established homes, sliding concession to $1,000,000. Vacant land: exempt to $350,000, concession to $450,000. Live in for 12 months, starting within 12 months of settlement.
Official sourceFirst Home Owner Grant
$10,000
For a new home to $600,000, or $750,000 on a land-plus-build contract or owner-build. New, off-the-plan or substantially renovated homes only - established homes get the duty exemption instead.
Official sourceShared equity in NSW
Federal Help to Buy
The NSW Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper closed to new applicants on 30 June 2024. Shared equity for NSW buyers now runs through the federal Help to Buy scheme - up to 40% of a new home, income caps apply.
Official source5% Deposit Scheme
5% deposit, no LMI
Buy with 5% down and the government guarantees the rest - no lenders mortgage insurance, no income cap, unlimited places. Cap here: $1,500,000.
Official sourceHelp to Buy
Up to 40% shared equity
The government co-buys up to 40% of a new home (30% existing) with a 2% deposit. Income caps $103,000 single / $165,000 couple; 10,000 places a year.
Official sourceFirst Home Super Saver
Up to $50,000 from super
Release up to $15,000 of voluntary super contributions a year ($50,000 total per person, plus earnings) for the deposit, taxed at your marginal rate less a 30% offset.
Official sourceHow the NSW first home buyer stack works
NSW concentrates its first home buyer help in two places: duty relief and the federal deposit guarantee. The First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme wipes transfer duty to $800,000 - worth up to $30,187 - and phases to nothing at $1,000,000. The federal 5% Deposit Scheme carries the highest capital cap in the country at $1,500,000 for Sydney and the major regional centres, which means most of the Sydney first-home market is inside it.
The $10,000 grant is narrower than it looks: new homes only, and the $600,000 purchase cap excludes most of Sydney - it does its real work in regional new estates and land-plus-build packages to $750,000. With the state shared equity pilot closed, the federal Help to Buy scheme (up to 40% equity, income-capped) is the remaining path for buyers who need more than a guarantee.
The deposit is only the entry ticket - if the home ever becomes an investment property, the new-build-vs-established choice also decides its tax treatment under the 2026 negative gearing reform, and the repayment calculator shows what the loan itself costs from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in NSW?
Not up to $800,000 - the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme gives a full exemption for both new and established homes, with a sliding concession between $800,000 and $1,000,000. On an $850,000 purchase the duty is $9,796.75 instead of $32,437. At least one buyer must live in the home for 12 continuous months, starting within 12 months of settlement.
What is the First Home Owner Grant in NSW?
$10,000, and it applies only to new homes: up to $600,000 buying a newly built, off-the-plan or substantially renovated home, or up to $750,000 in total for a land-plus-building contract or owner-build. The caps have been unchanged since 1 July 2017. It stacks with the duty exemption and the federal 5% Deposit Scheme.
What is the 5% deposit scheme cap in Sydney?
$1,500,000 - the highest capital cap in Australia, covering Sydney plus the regional centres named on the official 1 July 2026 fact sheet: Central Coast, Coffs Harbour-Grafton, Illawarra, Mid North Coast, Richmond-Tweed, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie. The rest of NSW is capped at $800,000. There are no income caps and unlimited places since 1 October 2025 - check your suburb with the postcode search tool at firsthomebuyers.gov.au.
Does NSW still have a shared equity scheme?
Not a state one - the NSW Shared Equity Home Buyer Helper pilot closed to new applicants on 30 June 2024. The federal Help to Buy scheme now fills that role for NSW buyers: the government takes up to 40% equity in a new home (30% existing) with a 2% deposit, income caps of $103,000 single and $165,000 couple, and a $1,300,000 Sydney price cap.
Are these figures official?
They are calculated from the published Revenue NSW FY2026-27 duty scale and the official firsthomebuyers.gov.au price caps, current as at the date shown. Every scheme has detailed eligibility rules - confirm with Revenue NSW and your conveyancer before committing.