First Home Buyers Guide in WA: From Offer to Keys

Buying your first home in Western Australia is one of the biggest milestones you’ll achieve- but it’s normal for it to feel like a maze. Between finance approvals, legal documents, figuring out government grants, and counting down to settlement day, there’s a lot to navigate.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. This guide breaks down the entire journey into simple, plain-English steps, so you know exactly what to expect.

Understanding Who Does What

What Your Conveyancer Does for You

What You’re Responsible For as the Buyer

Even with a conveyancer managing the process, there are still key tasks that fall to you.

A. Get Your Finance Locked In

• Apply for formal loan approval as soon as your offer is accepted.
• When your lender sends you the mortgage documents, sign and return them quickly — settlement can’t be booked until this is done.
• Keep your conveyancer informed about your approval date so we can meet the finance condition on time.

B. Accessing First-Home Buyer Benefits (FHOG & FHOR)

In Western Australia, there’s one application for both the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) and the First Home Owner Rate of Duty (FHOR).
When you apply for the FHOG, RevenueWA automatically assesses your eligibility for the duty concession (FHOR) — you’ll receive both, one, or neither, depending on your situation.

Here’s how it works:

• Your lender or broker usually lodges the FHOG application with RevenueWA as part of your loan documents.
• If you’re not using a lender, your conveyancer can help you lodge it directly with RevenueWA.
• Once lodged, let your settlement agent know so the FHOR (duty concession) can be applied correctly at settlement.

Eligibility snapshot (as of November 2025):

• Grant: $10,000 for buying or building a new home.
• Duty concession: available for both new and established homes if your dutiable value is under the threshold:
  • No duty up to $500,000.
  • Discounted duty up to $700,000 (Metro/Peel) or $750,000 (regional WA).
  • Vacant land: no duty up to $350,000, discounted up to $450,000.
• Value caps for FHOG: $750,000 (south of the 26th parallel) or $1 million (north).
• You must live in the home for at least six continuous months within twelve months of completion.

For full eligibility details, visit the official
🔗 RevenueWA First Home Owner Grant and Rate of Duty information page.
You can also estimate how much duty you might pay using the
🔗 RevenueWA Stamp Duty Calculator.

C. Arrange Building Insurance (Starting Settlement Day)

Under the WA Joint Form of General Conditions, the property remains at the seller’s risk until settlement (unless an early-possession agreement is signed).
You should arrange your building insurance before settlement, with coverage taking effect from the day of settlement.
Your lender will usually ask for a certificate of currency before they release funds, but the policy itself should take effect on the settlement date.

If something happens to the property before settlement- for example, storm or accident damage — it remains the seller’s responsibility to repair or remedy it before settlement.

D. Organise Utilities and Connections

After settlement, you’ll need to set up:

• Electricity and gas (if applicable)
• Internet and phone services
• Mail redirection and insurance updates
• (Water Corporation automatically handles the account transfer into your name once the settlement is registered.)

Your conveyancer handles rate adjustments for council and water at settlement, but you’ll manage the ongoing accounts after.

E. Complete Your Final Inspection

You’re entitled to a final inspection within five business days before settlement.
This confirms the property is in the same condition as when you bought it.
Your real estate agent will arrange this — we’ll make sure the timing lines up with settlement.

F. The Final Step: Plan Your Move!

Until we confirm that the settlement is 100% complete your real estate agent can not release the keys. If for any reason settlement is delayed, we will let you know ahead of time, and work with you to come up with a plan- which may include negotiating early possession depending on the circumstances.

Your WA Property Journey: Key Milestones

Common Pitfalls for First-Home Buyers in WA (and How to Avoid Them)

A great settlement means avoiding common mistakes. Here are the pitfalls we see most often, and our simple advice on how to skip them:

• No cooling-off period: Remember, WA does not have an automatic cooling-off period. Once that contract is signed, you are legally committed unless a specific exit clause was added.
• Finance Deadline Risk: Missing your finance deadline gives the seller the right to cancel the contract. Our advice? Apply early and stay in touch with your broker and conveyancer.
• FHOG/FHOR: Be aware that the FHOG application covers both the $10,000 grant and the duty discount, but eligibility for one doesn’t automatically guarantee you receive the other. Check the RevenueWA thresholds carefully.
• Insurance Timing: While you must arrange building insurance before settlement, the policy needs to be effective on settlement day, not earlier.
• The VOI Hang-Up: ID verification (VOI) is mandatory and must be completed before settlement. Delaying the Scantek process or an in-person check can bring the entire timeline to a halt.
• Inheriting Bills: Without careful rate adjustments, you could accidentally inherit the seller’s outstanding council and water charges. We ensure that this doesn’t happen.

A good conveyancer catches these issues early and keeps your settlement on track.

Why Choose Federation Settlements

We’ve been proudly helping West Australians navigate property purchases for over 40 years.
Our process combines decades of experience and attention to detail with the use of modern tools like electronic settlements (PEXA) and digital signing. The result? A truly stress-free and secure settlement every time.

Whether it’s your first apartment or your first family home, we make sure you feel supported and confident every step of the way.