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- 36 Marine Parade, Southport QLD 4215
- 0414 646 513
- Free Of Charge Service!
- Free Of Charge Service!
When you’re trying to buy your first home in Queensland, three acronyms keep popping up: FHOG, FHSS, and FHG. They sound similar, but they do completely different things. Knowing which one actually helps your situation can save you tens of thousands of dollars.
What it is: The First Home Owner Grant gives you $30,000 cash at settlement when you buy or build a new home in Queensland.
The requirements:
Who it helps: First home buyers purchasing or building new homes in growth areas where packages (now rarely) still sit under $750k places like Logan, Ipswich, Springfield, Deebing Heights, and Walloon.
Who it doesn’t help: Anyone buying established homes (regardless of price), or anyone buying new homes over $750,000.
The reality: House and land packages in SEQ typically range from $600,000 to $1.2 million. The median sits around $803,000, which means finding packages under the $750k FHOG cap requires looking in specific growth corridors and moving quickly as prices continue climbing.
What it is: The First Home Super Saver Scheme lets you salary sacrifice money into your super, then withdraw it later to buy your first home. You save faster because super contributions are taxed at 15% instead of your normal income tax rate.
The limits:
How much you save: If you earn $85,000/year (32.5% tax bracket), saving $15,000 normally costs you ~$22,200 in pre-tax income. Through FHSS, it costs ~$17,650. That’s $4,550 saved in tax per year.
Who it helps: Anyone with 1-3 years before buying, stable income to salary sacrifice regularly, and discipline to follow the ATO process. Works for both new and established homes at any price.
Who it doesn’t help: People buying within 6 months (not enough time), irregular income earners, or those who already have their deposit saved.
The advantage: If you and a partner both max out FHSS over 3 years, you’re looking at roughly $90,000 in contributions plus earnings – enough for 5% deposit on an $850,000 property.
What it is: The government guarantees part of your home loan, which means lenders will let you buy with just 5% deposit instead of 20%, and you don’t pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
The savings: On an $800,000 property, you need $40,000 deposit instead of $160,000. Plus, you avoid paying around $22,000 in LMI.
The rules (as of October 2025):
Who it helps: Anyone who can service a loan but can’t save 20% deposit quickly. Particularly helpful if you’re paying high rent and watching prices climb.
Who it doesn’t help: People who already have 20% deposit saved.
The timeline advantage: At $550/week rent, you’re paying $28,600 per year. The difference between saving 5% versus 20% is often 3-5 years – that’s $85,000-$140,000 in rent you’d avoid by buying sooner.
Here’s the simplest way to think about these three schemes:
Cash boost (but only for new homes under $750k)
Savings accelerator (works for any property type, any price)
Timeline compressor (lets you buy with 5% instead of 20%)
Sarah: $750,000 new build in Logan
Marcus: $850,000 new build in Ipswich
Emma: $780,000 established townhouse
The difference between Sarah and Emma is $29,000 in government support, despite similar prices.
You can use all three. FHOG gives you $30k cash, FHSS helps build the 5% deposit faster, and First Home Guarantee lets you proceed with just 5%. Stack them properly and you're looking at $70,000+ in total government support.
FHOG doesn't apply, but FHSS and First Home Guarantee still work. You'll also save $25,000-$30,000 in stamp duty (Queensland offers full stamp duty exemption on new homes with no price cap).
FHOG doesn't apply. Focus on FHSS to build deposit faster, and First Home Guarantee to buy with 5%. You'll pay stamp duty (partial concession up to $800k), but you can still avoid LMI.
Less than 12 months to buy: Focus on First Home Guarantee. You don’t have time for FHSS. Save what you can, aim for 5% deposit.
1-3 years to buy: Start FHSS immediately. When ready, combine with First Home Guarantee.
Budget under $750k: Hunt for new builds to capture FHOG. Use FHSS + First Home Guarantee. Maximum support scenario.
Budget $750k-$900k: FHOG doesn’t apply. Focus on FHSS + First Home Guarantee. Prioritize new builds to save $25k-$30k in stamp duty.
Set on established homes: FHOG is gone, but FHSS and First Home Guarantee still help. Budget for stamp duty costs.
These three schemes solve different problems:
FHOG gives you cash but only for new homes under $750k. If you qualify, it’s $30,000 you shouldn’t leave on the table.
FHSS accelerates your savings through tax efficiency. Start early and you’ll build $30k-$50k+ faster than regular savings.
First Home Guarantee compresses your timeline by letting you buy with 5% instead of 20%. If deposit size is your barrier, this removes it.
The key is understanding which ones actually apply to your situation. Don’t waste time chasing FHOG if you’re buying at $850k. Don’t ignore FHSS just because you haven’t started yet. And don’t think you need 20% deposit when the guarantee lets you move with 5%.
Pick your property first based on what you can afford and where you want to live. Then stack whichever schemes actually fit that reality.