In short: South Australia rewards first home buyers who build. After PR you can claim the $15,000 First Home Owner Grant on a new home with no price cap, pay no stamp duty on a new home or vacant land, and use the First Home Guarantee with a 5% deposit and no LMI (cap $900,000 in Adelaide, $500,000 in regional SA). Established homes attract ordinary duty.
Key takeaways
- PR ends your foreign-person status: no FIRB, no 7% foreign ownership surcharge, and the established-dwelling ban (to at least 30 June 2029) no longer applies.
- The SA FHOG is $15,000 for a new home, with the price cap removed in 2024.
- First home buyers pay no stamp duty on a new home or vacant land to build on. Established homes are charged ordinary duty at the time of writing.
- The Guarantee caps are $900,000 for Adelaide and $500,000 for the rest of the state.
- A new build means a construction loan with progress payments, which lenders assess differently from a standard purchase.
Adelaide has one of the fastest-growing Nepali communities in Australia. State nomination under the 190 and 491 visas, nursing and aged-care demand, and lower living costs have drawn families who first landed in Sydney or Melbourne. The state's incentives are heavily tilted toward new homes, which suits the house-and-land estates in Adelaide's north and south where many Nepali families are settling. Here is what applies from the day your PR is granted.
SA's first home buyer schemes at a glance
| Scheme | Rule at the time of writing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First Home Guarantee | 5% deposit, no LMI, no income cap; cap $900,000 Adelaide, $500,000 rest of SA | Citizens and PRs; owner-occupiers; no property owned in Australia in the last 10 years |
| First Home Owner Grant | $15,000 for a new home; no price cap | New homes and house-and-land builds |
| Stamp duty, new home or vacant land | Nil for first home buyers | Residence conditions apply |
| Stamp duty, established home | Ordinary rates | No first-home concession at the time of writing |
| Foreign ownership surcharge | 7% | Foreign persons only; PRs exempt |
| Established-dwelling ban | Foreign persons blocked until at least 30 June 2029 | Not applicable to PRs or spouses of citizens and PRs |
Check the state rules at RevenueSA and the Guarantee at Housing Australia.
Worked example: a $650,000 house-and-land package in Adelaide's north
A Nepali family with two incomes (an aged-care worker and a mechanic), PR granted in June, signs a land contract for $280,000 and a build contract for $370,000 in one of the northern growth estates, a total of $650,000.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Land plus build | $650,000 |
| Deposit (5%) | $32,500 |
| First Home Owner Grant | $15,000 (paid at the first construction drawdown with most lenders) |
| Loan | $617,500 |
| Stamp duty | $0 (new home, first home buyer) |
| LMI | $0 (Guarantee) |
| Conveyancing, registration, soil and site costs not in the build contract | Roughly $3,000 to $6,000 |
| Monthly repayment on the full loan, for illustration at 6.00% p.a. over 30 years | About $3,702 |
During the build, interest is charged only on the amount drawn, so the first few months cost far less than $3,702, but the family is still paying rent. Most lenders let the $15,000 grant count toward the deposit, provided the rest is genuine savings. Compare the same budget spent on an established home: a $650,000 existing house in Adelaide's north-east would attract ordinary stamp duty and no grant, adding tens of thousands of dollars to the upfront cost. Run both through the upfront costs calculator and read our construction loan progress payments guide before you sign a build contract.
Where Nepali families live in Adelaide
The northern suburbs (around Salisbury, Mawson Lakes and the newer estates further north) and the inner north-east have the largest concentrations, with the southern growth areas following. Nepali grocers, momo and thakali restaurants and South Asian supermarkets are found along the northern shopping strips and in the city fringe near the universities. Hindu temples and Buddhist centres in Adelaide host Dashain, Tihar and Teej, and the SA Nepali associations run cultural nights, football and cricket tournaments and Nepali school on weekends. Because so many Adelaide Nepali families arrived through state nomination, there is a strong informal network for those still on 190 and 491 pathways.
Regional SA (Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, the Riverland) has 491 families and prices that often fit under the $500,000 regional Guarantee cap. Our Adelaide and South Australia pages carry area notes.
Lender and document notes for new PR holders in SA
- Status. Passport and PR grant notice; the lender checks VEVO. From that point mainstream lenders assess you exactly as they would a citizen.
- Construction loans. A house-and-land purchase needs a fixed-price build contract, council-approved plans and a builder the lender accepts. The lender values the finished home, not the land plus contract, so choose upgrades carefully.
- Income. Aged care and disability support shift income with penalties is common; lenders count between 80% and 100% of it depending on history. Second jobs in cleaning or delivery driving need six to twelve months to be counted.
- Genuine savings. 5% held for three months with most lenders. The grant can supplement, not replace, genuine savings.
- Source of funds. Nepal Rastra Bank does not permit capital to leave Nepal for buying property abroad, and a lender must see a lawful, documented source. Plan on Australian savings, gifts from family in Australia with a gift letter, or NRN-compliant funds, and take legal advice on anything else.
- Credit file. Keep Australian phone, utility and buy-now-pay-later accounts paid on time for six months before applying; your Nepali history is invisible here.
- Buffer. All lenders test at your rate plus 3 percentage points, and regular remittances in your statements are counted as living expenses.
See the house-and-land packages and construction loans pages, the documents checklist, and our guide to genuine savings.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any duty concession for established homes in SA?
At the time of writing, no. South Australia's first home buyer duty relief is limited to new homes and vacant land. If you buy an established house you pay ordinary stamp duty, which on a $650,000 purchase is a substantial sum. That is why so many Nepali families in Adelaide build: the grant and the duty relief together can be worth well over $40,000 on a mid-priced home.
Can I use the Guarantee for a house-and-land build?
Yes, provided the total of land and build is under the cap ($900,000 in Adelaide, $500,000 regionally) and the lender is on the Housing Australia panel. The 5% deposit is measured against the total. Both contracts should be in place when the lender reserves your Guarantee place.
I am on a 190 visa waiting for PR. Should I wait or buy new now?
On a 190 visa you already hold PR, so you can buy immediately. If you are on a 491 (temporary), you can buy a new home or land with FIRB approval and the 7% surcharge, but not an established home, and you cannot use the Guarantee. Many families sign a land contract on a 491 and settle after their 191 is granted; get advice on timing before you sign.
Does the $15,000 grant count as my deposit?
Partly. Most lenders will count the grant toward your contribution on a construction loan, but they still want genuine savings of around 5% of the price held for three months. A gift from family in Australia can fill the gap with a gift letter. Your broker can tell you which lenders are flexible on this.
Talk to GNT Finance
GNT Finance is licensed to arrange loans in South Australia and works with Adelaide and regional families by phone, video and e-signature, in English, Nepali or Hindi. Construction lending and new-PR files are areas we handle every week. Book a free consultation or call 0426 403 703; our home-loan service is at no cost to you in most cases. Comparing states? See Australia-wide, Sydney and Victoria.
This is general information, not migration, legal, tax or credit advice. Migration rules change often — confirm with a registered migration agent (MARA) or the Department of Home Affairs. Grant, duty and Guarantee figures are as at the time of writing; confirm them with RevenueSA and Housing Australia.
Written by Gorakh Timilsina
Founder, CEO & Senior Mortgage Consultant at GNT Finance. Gorakh started as a broker assistant, spent years as a senior credit officer assessing loan applications, and now helps Melbourne families get the right loan approved. English, Nepali and Hindi spoken.