Your first home,
done properly.
Brand new, in your budget, with every grant and scheme working for you. We turn what you can borrow into the right design, the right builder and the lowest honest landed price, then walk you to the keys.
Last updated 14 June 2026 · figures current as at June 2026, confirm with the relevant authority.
The Property Plug is a Perth building broker that helps first-home buyers build new. In WA in 2026 an eligible first-home buyer can pair the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant with nil stamp duty under the current $500,000 threshold and a 5% deposit through the First Home Guarantee, or a 2% deposit through Keystart. Stacked on a new build, that can mean tens of thousands less upfront. Free to you.
The first-home support available in WA right now.
Five measures, three of them combinable on the same new build. Because The Property Plug only sells new builds, the whole catalogue is eligible for the grant.
| Scheme | Benefit | Headline cap or rule | Deposit angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Home Owner Grant (WA) | $10,000 one-off | Home value under $800,000 (Perth/southern WA) | No income test |
| Transfer (stamp) duty concession | Nil duty under threshold | Nil duty under $500,000, concession to $700,000 (current rate) | New or established home |
| First Home Guarantee (federal) | No LMI | Perth price cap $850,000 | 5% deposit |
| Keystart (WA government lender) | No LMI | Property cap $860,000 | 2% deposit |
| Help to Buy / WA shared equity | Government takes equity share | Income and price caps apply | 2% deposit |
FHOG metro value cap figure is verify-current. First Home Guarantee income caps were removed from 1 October 2025. Help to Buy rollout is state-by-state, verify current status. Confirm every figure with the relevant authority before relying on it.
From saving up to settling in.
Know your number
Work out what you can borrow and which grants you qualify for before you fall for a design. Our finance arm sits in-house, so the loan and the build move together.
Stack your support
Combine the $10,000 grant, the stamp duty concession and a low-deposit scheme into one out-of-pocket figure. Most first-home buyers leave money on the table here.
Match the design and suburb
Pick a new build that fits your block, budget and the grant rules. We publish the real siteworks for 102 Perth suburbs, so the landed price is the price you pay.
Meet your builder, get the keys
We introduce you to your matched builder with a fixed price, then guide you to handover. New home builds run about 12 months.
How much deposit, and will the loan stack up.
The two questions that stop most first-home buyers are deposit and serviceability. In 2026 the deposit barrier is lower than the old 20% rule. The First Home Guarantee allows a 5% deposit with no LMI, and Keystart can go to a 2% deposit with no LMI, subject to income and property caps. Serviceability is what a lender judges you can repay after living costs and existing debts.
Deposit, at a glance
- 20% deposit avoids LMI on a standard loan, but ties up the most cash. On a $450,000 build that is about $90,000.
- 5% deposit (First Home Guarantee) with no LMI and no income cap from 1 October 2025. About $22,500 on a $450,000 build, before grants.
- 2% deposit (Keystart) with no LMI, subject to income caps ($155,000 single, $228,000 family) and a $860,000 property cap. About $9,000 on a $450,000 build.
- Grant as deposit. The $10,000 First Home Owner Grant can contribute to your deposit on a new build.
Serviceability, in plain English
- Income after tax drives the loan size. Lenders assess your repayments at a buffered rate above the actual rate.
- Existing debts (car loans, buy-now-pay-later, credit card limits) reduce borrowing power. Clearing limits before you apply helps.
- Living costs and dependants are factored in via a benchmark, so a realistic budget matters.
- One contact for finance and build. Our finance arm works alongside the build, so a tight serviceability case is structured early, not discovered late.
This is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not credit assistance or a credit quote. Consider whether it is right for you and seek advice. Finance is arranged through Central Lending Solutions, the licensed credit partner The Property Plug works with (Australian Credit Licence or credit representative number [TBC]).
Designs to start with
Our most affordable new-home designs, every one FHOG-eligible because it is a brand-new build. From-prices are the build only, before your suburb's siteworks and before land.
WA · Perth 3 bed 
WA · Perth 4 bed 
WA · Perth 3 bed Affordable Perth suburbs to build in
The landed price is the build plus the suburb's siteworks. These suburbs carry the lowest siteworks on our panel, which keeps the all-in number down. Land is purchased separately.
Calculators built for first-home buyers.
Free, general-information estimators. Start with borrowing power, then stack your incentives.
- Borrowing power calculator - what you may be able to borrow.
- First home incentive estimator - which grants and schemes likely apply, and the indicative total benefit.
- Stamp duty calculator (WA) - uses the current WA first-home thresholds.
- Deposit and LMI calculator - 20% vs 5% vs 2% side by side.
This is general information only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. It is not credit assistance or a credit quote. Consider whether it is right for you and seek advice. Finance is arranged through Central Lending Solutions, the licensed credit partner The Property Plug works with (Australian Credit Licence or credit representative number [TBC]).
How much deposit do I really need to build my first home in WA?
Less than most first-home buyers think. The federal First Home Guarantee lets eligible first-home buyers build with a 5% deposit and no Lenders Mortgage Insurance. WA Keystart can go to a 2% deposit with no LMI, subject to income and property caps. On a $450,000 build, 5% is about $22,500 before grants. Figures current as at June 2026, confirm with the relevant authority.
Can I stack the FHOG, the stamp duty concession and a deposit scheme together?
Generally yes. The $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, the WA transfer duty concession and a federal scheme (First Home Guarantee or Help to Buy) are separate measures that can apply to the same eligible new-build purchase. Keystart and the First Home Guarantee are different lender pathways, so you choose one of those. See our combine first home incentives guide for a worked example. Confirm current rules before relying on any figure.
Do I pay stamp duty on my first home in WA?
Under the first home owner rate in force now, eligible WA first-home buyers pay nil transfer duty on a home valued up to $500,000, with a concession applying up to $700,000 in Perth metro and Peel. On vacant land the exemption runs to $350,000 with a concession to $450,000, which matters for house-and-land where the land is a separate contract. The 2026-27 budget announced higher thresholds (nil to $600,000, land nil to $450,000) that are not yet in effect. Verify the current threshold with RevenueWA.
Is The Property Plug free for first-home buyers?
Yes. We are paid by the builder, never by you. You get independent help choosing a design, builder and finance at no cost to you. We are remunerated by the builder you proceed with, and our advice is the same whichever you choose.
What is the cheapest way to build a first home in Perth right now?
The lowest landed starting point on our panel pairs our cheapest new-home design ($309,218 for the build) with a low-siteworks suburb. In Atwell siteworks start at $20,636, so the home plus siteworks lands from about $329,854 before grants and before land. Land is purchased separately.
Let's get you in the door
Tell us your budget and where you want to build. We come back with what you can do, which grants you stack, and the new builds that fit. Free to you, no obligation.