Your intended use matters
Being a first-time buyer does not automatically entitle you to a grant or a stamp-duty exemption. First-home assistance generally requires a home to live in, alongside other eligibility conditions. A purchase intended solely as a rental needs a different budget.
Check each scheme separately. Qualification for one does not prove qualification for the others.
Renting it out from the start
The federal 5% Deposit Scheme excludes investment properties. Queensland's first home owner grant also cannot be used to purchase an investment property. Check the scheme for the property location rather than assuming all states use the same test.
Budget for the duty and lending costs that actually apply to an investment purchase. Do not enter a grant simply because this is the first property on your title.
Living there first, then renting it out
List every benefit used and its separate occupancy obligations. In NSW, relevant first-home duty assistance requires moving in within 12 months and living there for at least 12 continuous months. The federal deposit guarantee has ongoing owner-occupier obligations.
Before moving out, check the lender and scheme requirements. Also recalculate the budget for the period without rent. See renting out a first home after assistance.
Does a previous investment rule out all future help?
Not necessarily. Queensland's grant rules allow some applicants with investment-only ownership since July 2000 to qualify for a later home to live in. Other benefits have different previous-ownership tests, including tests involving a partner.
Prepare two honest budgets
If you are deciding whether to live in a property or rent it out, make a purchase budget for each use. Include only confirmed assistance, and keep the owner-occupied period out of the rental-income calculation.
Official sources: Housing Australia, Revenue NSW and Queensland Revenue Office.