Question 1

Do first home buyers pay stamp duty in Victoria?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the purchase price. Eligible Victorian first home buyers pay no land transfer duty on purchases up to $600,000, and a sliding-scale concession applies between $600,001 and $750,000. Above $750,000, full duty is payable at the general rate. The exemption and concession apply only where every purchaser meets the eligibility criteria, the property will be your principal place of residence and you move in within 12 months and live there for at least 12 continuous months. We confirm eligibility before you sign and lodge the application with the State Revenue Office at settlement.

Question 2

What grants are available to first home buyers in Victoria?

Accepted Answer

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) is a $10,000 grant for eligible buyers of a new home valued up to $750,000 — a property that has not been previously sold or occupied as a residence. Established homes do not qualify for the FHOG, but you may still qualify for the stamp duty exemption or concession. Grants and concessions are separate programs with separate eligibility tests; we confirm which apply to your matter and lodge each application correctly.

Question 3

When should I engage a conveyancer as a first home buyer?

Accepted Answer

Before you sign anything. The single most important moment in a property purchase is the pre-signing review of the contract and Section 32. Once you sign — and certainly once cooling-off ends — you are bound. We review the contract, identify special-condition risks, confirm finance and inspection clauses are properly drafted, and check your stamp duty and grant eligibility before you commit, not after.

Question 4

What is a Section 32?

Accepted Answer

A Section 32, or vendor statement, is the disclosure document a Victorian vendor must give a purchaser before signing. It must include the title, registered dealings, mortgages, easements and covenants, zoning and planning information, rates and outgoings, owners corporation certificates, and notices from authorities. Reviewing it properly is how first home buyers avoid the most expensive mistake — buying a property with an undisclosed planning overlay, owners corporation special levy or building order.

Question 5

Can I buy at auction as a first home buyer?

Accepted Answer

Yes — but auction purchases are unconditional. There is no cooling-off period and no opportunity to add a finance or building-inspection clause once the hammer falls. Before you bid, we review the contract and Section 32, confirm finance pre-approval is genuinely in place, and check that any conditions you need (settlement period, deposit, nominee rights) are negotiated with the agent in writing before auction day.

Question 6

What happens at settlement?

Accepted Answer

Settlement is conducted electronically through PEXA. On the day, your lawyer, the vendor's lawyer, your lender and the vendor's lender meet in a digital workspace. Your loan funds are drawn, the deposit and adjustments for rates and water are calculated, the balance is paid to the vendor and the transfer is lodged with the land registry — all in a single coordinated step. You do not need to attend. We confirm the moment settlement is complete and you collect keys from the agent.

First Home Buyers

What Victorian first home buyers actually pay.

Full exemption

Sliding concession

$10,000 grant (FHOG)

A complete first-purchase, on a fixed fee.

Contract & Section 32 review

Stamp duty & grant eligibility

Finance clause monitoring

Searches and adjustments

PEXA settlement

Lawyer supervision

Quote to keys, in one workspace.

Quote and engagement

Contract reviewed

Eligibility confirmed

Finance & conditions

Pre-settlement

Settle and collect keys

Get a quote with First Home Owner Grant and concession checks included.

What goes wrong for first home buyers — and how we prevent it.

Signing before legal review

Assuming auction conditions can be negotiated later

Missing concession eligibility by a single criterion

Letting a finance clause lapse

Often combined with first home purchases.

Buying Property

Contract Review & Section 32

Property Settlements

Stamp Duty Calculator

Background from the Information Centre.

Section 32: what every buyer should check.

Buying at auction — without surprises.

Settlement day, explained.

First home buyers, answered.

Get a first home buyer quote.