Journeys/Melbourne Journey

First Home Buyer Journey in Melbourne

Melbourne's first-home-buyer landscape in 2026: $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, stamp duty exemption to $600K + concession to $750K, and the Homebuyer Fund shared-equity scheme letting eligible buyers enter with a 5% deposit. Here is what actually applies to you and how the paths stack.

Typical cost

$580K - $850K

house + land for entry-point growth-corridor buyers

Typical timeline

4 - 8 months

from decision to signed contract on a specific package

Join the Victoria waitlist Melbourne deposit guide

First home buyer keys handover in Melbourne

What this means in practice

Buyers with a 5-20% deposit

This journey suits you if

Buyers with a 5-20% deposit
Under Homebuyer Fund income caps
Buying to live in, not rent

What goes wrong most

Section 173 restrictions on facade / roof / driveway
GAIC pass-throughs in growth corridors
Underspec site-cost quotes on reactive clay

How it actually unfolds

The steps that move the needle. We sit beside you on each one.

1
Confirm eligibility for stacking
FHOG + stamp duty exemption + Homebuyer Fund can all combine. Check thresholds on sro.vic.gov.au and homebuyerfund.vic.gov.au.
2
Talk to a construction-loan specialist broker
Not every broker handles VIC construction loans well. Look for VIC + Homebuyer Fund experience.
3
Choose corridor + estate carefully
Wyndham, Casey, Melton, Hume offer different infrastructure + Section 173 rules. See our growth-corridor comparison.
4
Read the Section 173 before signing
Facade, driveway, landscape completion, minimum home value - these bind you long after settlement.
5
Verify site-cost cap
Insist on geotech-based site cost quoted upfront. Reactive clay adds $8k-$25k that generic quotes hide.