Grants for non-first time buyers: A state-by-state guide

Everyone likes to hear about the first home owner grants that regularly change and can strongly affect interest in the market. However, there are a number of less-discussed grants that affect other, non-first time buyers.

Here are the lesser known grants  by state and territory.

We noted that some are not on this list. If you know of any concessions or grants within these areas, email jduke@propertyobserver.com.au and we will get them added to the list.

Property Observer notes that most states and territories do offer other grants for pensioners, farmers and for those in difficult situations, many of which are not mentioned here. Charitable bodies, and prime production land, are also offered numerous concessions. For further information on these grants, the relevant Treasury or Office of State Revenue website should provide more details.

For those looking for first time buyer grants, you can see them listed here in our national guide.

If you want to read how to apply for one of these first timer grants, then we have a how to article detailing the necessary steps.

ACT

There is an opportunity for those looking to buy new residential home or residential vacant land in the form of charging stamp duty at a concessional rate. Called the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, it is available until 30 June 2014.

Applicants are required to satisfy a current and previous property ownership test, which requires purchasers to have not hold, or held, an interest in property over the past two years.

There is also a gross income test, that requires those applying (including their partners) to not earn more than a certain amount to be eligible. For those without dependents, this amount sits at $160,000 total gross income, gradually increasing per child until a five child cap at $176,650.

For a new or substantially renovated home, the duty charged looks like the following:

For properties worth $435,000 or less, the charge is $20.

For those worth more than this amount, but less than $535,000, the charge is $20 plus $18.85 for every $100 over $435,000.

After $535,000, no concession is available.

For vacant residential land:

For land worth $260,000 or less, the charge is $20.

For land worth more this amount, but less than $290,000, the charge is $20 plus $25.75 for each $100 over $260,000.

After $290,000, no concession is available.

Northern Territory

HomeBuild Access is a slightly different opportunity for some home buyers, offering a loan product instead of a flat grant. It comes in two variants, either a Low Deposit Loan or a Subsidised Interest Rate Loan, and they must be for new builds.

The former requires you to get a loan with TIO, the only approved financier, for 80% of the purchase price. The Territory Government then loans you 17.5%, leaving you 2.5% to come up with. There is also an Off The Plan Deposit Loan available.

The interest rate loan offers help with repayments for the first five years of the loan, as well as a Fee Assistance Loan of $10,000 to help with associated buying costs, including white goods, and is primarily, although not completely, available to first home buyers.

The price limit on one to two-bedroom homes is $475,000, and three-bedroom plus homes are capped to $550,000.

There are, however, strict eligibility requirements to achieve either of these products, including that you must not currently own other residential property, and have demonstrated satisfactory rental repayments (or loan repayments on previously owned homes). You must also have held employment for 12 months.

Income limits may also apply.

A Principal Place of Residence Rebate is also available on new build homes, which can take up to $7,000 off of your stamp duty bill. You must live in the property for a specified period of time upon completion.

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New South Wales

In New South Wales there is a push towards regional relocation – with two grants on offer. One is the Skilled Regional Relocation Incentive, which includes two $5,000 payments.

The other is the Regional Relocation Home Buyers Grant, which is $7,000 paid within 21 days from the receipt of an application. To achieve this grant, you must have purchased a regional property between 1 July 2011 and 1 July 2015, and either use or intend to use it as your principal place of residence.

It must not exceed $600,000 in value – or $450,000 for vacant land.

You must commence living in the property within 12 months from completion of purchase and, if you have purchased vacant land, you must commence construction within six months and live in it within 12 months of the data of purchase.

You must have owned and occupied a metropolitan home as your principal place of residence in the 12 months prior to purchasing the regional property – and it must have been sold in the 12 months after the regional purchase as well.

From May this year, relocations may include properties that are 50 kilometres from the metropolitan home, and that are not in the same LGA or in an adjacent LGA.

The New Home Grant Scheme is also available to non-first timers. This is available to investors and owner occupiers.

Introduced on 1 July 2012, it provides a $5,000 boost to new homes, off the plan purchases and vacant land on which news homes will be built.

The scheme provides a grant of $5,000 towards the purchase of new homes, homes off the plan and vacant land on which a new home will be built. There’s a limit of $650,000 on the value of a new home, and $450,000 in the value of the vacant land.

It is paid as credit against the duty required. There are no restrictions on the number of times you can apply for this grant.

South Australia

The Housing Construction Grant for those purchasing or building a new home to a value of $450,000 was a bonus of up to $8,500 – which can be used in addition to the FHOG for those who are first timers – however this is now no longer applicable (since December last year) unless you entered into the contract between October 2012 and December 2013.

Those buying a new or substantially refurbished apartment may, however, still be eligible for the OTP or Off-the-plan Stamp Duty Concession. RevenueSA says that this is also available in addition to the FHOG, and is an amount up to $21,330 – capped to the stamp duty available on a $500,000 apartment.

Where an apartment is worth that amount or less, no stamp duty is payable. Over that price, and the total concession is available, plus you will need to pay any extra funds.

This is available until 30 June 2014, after which time a “partial concession” becomes available from 1 July 2014 to 20 June 2016.

It only applies to properties within certain areas (see the defined boundaries on the RevenueSA site here https://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/grants-and-concessions/off-the-plan-concesson).

Victoria

The Victorian government offers a concession to those purchasing off the plan property, that has been around since 2008.

It also applies to house and land packages and refurbished lots, and allows a deduction from the contract price of the cost of construction or refurbishment, meaning that duty is only payable on the improved value of the land, the non-deductible costs and the completed construction or refurbishment.

Do you know of any other offered grants, concessions or government assistance? Email jduke@propertyobserver.com.au