The Commonwealth’s HomeBuilder Grant was announced on 4 June 2020 and is available in accordance with the First Home and Housing Construction Grants (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2020.
The HomeBuilder Grant of $25,000 is available to eligible owner-occupiers (including first home buyers) who build a new home, substantially renovate an existing home, or buy an off the plan/new home, where the contract is signed between 4 June 2020 and 31 December 2020 inclusive.
HomeBuilder Grants are not taxable.
The HomeBuilder Grant is subject to provisions of the National Partnership Agreement between the South Australian Government and the Commonwealth Government.
The HomeBuilder Grant is $25,000 for building a new home, substantially renovating an existing home, or buying an off the plan/new home. Funding for the HomeBuilder Grant is provided by the Australian Government with an arrangement for the South Australian Government to administer applications and payments for the HomeBuilder Grant.
Subject to the eligibility criteria set out below, only one HomeBuilder Grant is payable for each property, even if the property changes ownership.
If your home was destroyed in the 2019-20 South Australian Bushfires, and you are rebuilding on your existing land, your application will be considered as a substantial renovation.
Property must be located within an area affected by the bushfires in the Local Government Areas of Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island, Mount Barker, Murray Bridge, Mid-Murray, Yorke Peninsula and Kingston District.
| The applicant(s): | All applicants must:
Couples must be a legally married couple, a couple in a registered relationship (as defined in the Relationships Register Act 2016 (SA)), or a de facto couple living in a genuine domestic relationship. More information can be found at the website sa.gov.au/bdm or by contacting 131 882. |
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Applicants may be eligible for the temporary HomeBuilder Grant as well as the South Australian Government’s First Home Owner Grant for the same transaction, if the applicant(s) meet the eligibility criteria for both HomeBuilder Grants. The eligibility criteria can be found on our First Home Owner Grant page
HomeBuilder Grants are provided for properties that are owner-occupied. Investment properties are not eligible. Eligible owner-occupier(s) must be listed on the property’s certificate of title. The HomeBuilder Grant is not intended for properties where a tenant lives at the property owned by somebody else, or where a person lives in a dwelling that they own and that is situated on land owned by someone else (such as in land-lease communities and/or retirement villages).
| The home: | The home must:
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| The contract: |
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| The transaction and market value limits: | Transaction and market value limits apply as set out in the table below. Values are calculated as at the transaction date and are GST inclusive. | |
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| Transaction type | Transaction value limits | |
| Contract to build (house and land package) | Consideration for the full house and land contract must be $750,000 or less. | |
| Contract to build on land you already own | Combined consideration for the building contract and the market value of the land must be $750,000 or less. Where the land you already own is primary production land and the proposed house site (including a reasonable area around the house, often known as curtilage) does not have a separate title, an independent market valuation by a Registered Valuer will be accepted in assessing the market value of the proposed house site land. | |
| Substantial Renovation. See the Eligibility – substantial renovations section below | Consideration for the contract must be between $150,000 and $750,000 inclusive. Market value of the land (including the home) on the date the contract is signed is no more than $1,500,000. Where the home that you are renovating or knocking down and rebuilding is on primary production land and is not on a separate title, an independent market valuation of the land relating to the house site (including the home and a reasonable area around the home, often known as curtilage) by a Registered Valuer will be accepted. | |
| Contract to purchase a new home | Consideration for the contract must be $750,000 or less. | |
| Your property will be valued according to Information Circular No: 102 “Valuations of land, interests in land and land holder interests”. You should also refer to Information Circular No: 104 “Calculation of Market Value - Comprehensive Home Building Contract”, for guidance on how your property will be valued. What happens if there is a change in transaction value? If the value of your transaction changes from the amount you have declared on your application, and the new value causes you to breach the above limits, you must notify RevenueSA within 14 days of the date you become aware of the change. If you have already been paid the HomeBuilder Grant and the transaction value exceeds the above limits, you will be required to pay back the HomeBuilder Grant. | ||
Eligibility – substantial renovations:
| Substantial renovations: | Substantial renovation can be either:
Substantial renovations are taken to mean that the renovation will:
Given these requirements, a substantial renovation does not generally include:
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For consideration, a submission needs to be provided that outlines in detail what your entire renovation involves and a complete cost breakdown of the particular items that are included in the renovation. You must provide a copy of the building contract or quote that specifies the scope of construction work to be performed. Submissions requesting our position on individual items are unable to be considered.
| New build | To qualify for the HomeBuilder Grant, building your home must commence no later than three (3) months after signing the building contract. Building is taken to have commenced when site works including excavation for the approved building works to the top of the base level is complete. Commencement must be supported by evidence such as a statutory declaration from the builder or a mandatory notification form which is used to notify local councils of stages of work. |
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| Substantial renovations | The renovation of your home must commence no later than three (3) months after signing the building contract. Building is taken to have commenced when the works under the renovation contract commence. Commencement must be supported by evidence such as a statutory declaration from the builder or a mandatory notification form which is used to notify local councils of stages of work. |
| Off the plan/ new home | Building of the home must have commenced on or after 4 June 2020 and no later than three (3) months after signing the sales contract. Building is taken to have commenced when site works including excavation for the approved building works to the top of the base level is complete. Commencement must be supported by evidence such as a statutory declaration from the builder or a mandatory notification form which is used to notify local councils of stages of work. |
Yes, once you become aware that you may not be able to meet the three (3) month commencement timeframe due to an unforeseen factor, email your request to homebuildergrant@sa.gov.au, including your reference number if known, and provide the reasons and any documentary evidence as to why construction will not commence within the three (3) month timeframe.
Please see the list on this page that identifies the type of reasons that would be considered an unforeseen factor.
No, building is taken to commence when the site works including excavation for the approved building works to the top of the base level is complete within three (3) months of the building contract being signed by the applicant and the builder.
To qualify for the HomeBuilder Grant, you (and any other applicant to your HomeBuilder Grant application) must retain ownership of the property and occupy it as your principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six (6) months; and
for a new build:
for a substantial renovation:
for the purchase of a new home or an off the plan home:
Principal place of residence has been the subject of case law and is taken to be the place at which you usually eat and sleep the majority of the time and in any case more than at any other place. Leaving personal property at a vacant residence does not meet these conditions.
You must notify RevenueSA and repay the HomeBuilder Grant within 14 days of the date you become aware you cannot meet the residency requirements. Checks that residency requirements have been met are routinely made by RevenueSA.
If you have genuine difficulties or complications in meeting the residency requirements please contact RevenueSA to discuss your situation. Where there are good reasons to do so, the Commissioner has the discretion to:
More information in regard to the HomeBuilder Grant can be found in the following Commonwealth publications:
How to apply
You can complete and lodge your application, including uploading your supporting documents, via the online portal https://www.firsthome.gov.au/homebuilder/sa/
To log into the portal, you will need a current email address. Your email address will allow you to login to the portal and we will use your email address for all our communication with you about your application.
If you are not able to lodge your application online via the portal, please contact RevenueSA by email homebuildergrant@sa.gov.au or call 8226 3750 for a copy of the application form. Once you have completed the form, email it to homebuildergrant@sa.gov.au or post it to:
RevenueSA
GPO Box 1353
Adelaide SA 5001
To avoid delays in processing your application, please ensure all the required documents are included at the time you lodge your application.
For first home buyers, information in regard to how to apply for the First Home Owner Grant can be found on our First Home Owner Grant page.
Applications must be submitted no later than 31 December 2020.
You may authorise a financial institution (that is an approved agent) to send your application form in (by email or post) on your behalf. If your financial institution sends your application in, it remains your responsibility to ensure the information provided is accurate.
We will then communicate with your financial institution regarding your application.
| Evidence required for | Dwelling Category | Eligibility Condition(s) for HomeBuilder | Evidentiary Requirements |
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| Applicant | All |
| Proof of identification:
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| Income | All | Income caps met:
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You must black out (redact) your tax file number(s) before you upload your notice(s) of assessment. |
| Builder | All |
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| Property Value | New build |
| If house and land purchased on or after 4 June 2020:
If land purchased prior to 4 June 2020:
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| Substantial renovations |
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| Off the plan/new homes |
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| Commencement of build | New build |
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| Substantial renovations |
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| Off the plan/new homes |
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RevenueSA will write to applicants advising whether their application has been approved or declined.
If you have not commenced construction when you apply and you meet all of the other eligibility criteria you may be provided conditional approval and will need to provide evidence that construction has commenced within three (3) months of the signing of the contract in order to receive final approval and payment.
The HomeBuilder Grant will only be paid to eligible applicants once RevenueSA is satisfied that you meet all the eligibility criteria.
When the HomeBuilder Grant will be paid will also depend on whether your application relates to a new build, a substantial renovation or an off the plan/new home contract:
| New build | The HomeBuilder Grant will be paid after construction has commenced and evidence is submitted which shows that the first progress payment has been made to the builder |
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| Substantial renovations | The HomeBuilder Grant will be paid after construction has commenced and evidence is submitted showing payments of a least $150,000 of the contract price have been made to the builder |
| Off the plan/ new home | The HomeBuilder Grant will be paid after evidence is submitted showing that the property has been registered in your name on the certificate of title. |
The HomeBuilder Grant will be paid into your nominated financial institution account when all eligibility criteria have been met. This account must be an Australian account (e.g. a savings account, a loan account, a debit account).
You may lodge an objection if your HomeBuilder Grant application is declined and you do not agree with the Commissioner’s decision. Objections must be lodged within 60 days of the date on the letter advising you of the decision. Before lodging an objection, please refer to the Objections and Appeals page.
If you think that you should not have received a HomeBuilder Grant, you must contact RevenueSA to discuss the situation and repay the funds you received. Depending on your circumstances, a payment arrangement may be available to repay the funds.
RevenueSA audits all HomeBuilder Grant applications for compliance with the eligibility and residency criteria. Should RevenueSA contact you during an audit, it is a condition of receiving the HomeBuilder Grant that you must provide all information requested.
You must advise RevenueSA within 14 days if you cease to use the property as your principal place of residence.
You may be required to repay the HomeBuilder Grant, the First Home Owner Grant (if applicable) and any penalties imposed if:
If you have a specific question, not answered on this page, please contact RevenueSA at homebuildergrant@sa.gov.au
