QLD $700k first home: Live in it vs Investment
Same price, same FHB tick — purpose alone can turn a $0 duty path into full standard duty in Queensland. This is the classic self-sabotage combo on buyer forms.
Engine 2026-07-ftc. Educational estimate — not a Revenue Office assessment or credit advice.
Briefing
Queensland is one of the few everyday purchase paths where purpose is not cosmetic. Home concession rates can sit below the standard investment schedule, so the same price and the same first-home tick can produce two completely different duty bills when Live in it flips to Investment.
Buyers often tick First home buyer Yes because the phrase feels true, then leave purpose on Investment because they “might rent it for a year.” That combination is how people invent a $0 duty story that the revenue office will not support. If you will occupy, start on Live in it. If you will rent, model investment rates and stop calling it a first-home duty strategy.
The 5% Deposit Scheme is also owner-occupier. Investment purpose kills the scheme path even when first-home status is otherwise clean. Run purpose, then scheme, then deposit percent — in that order.
Before auction, flip purpose on your real maximum bid and write both duty figures in your notes. If the gap is large, purpose is the deal. Give your broker and conveyancer the same occupancy story. Mismatched files create delayed settlements.
Established versus new can still change grant outcomes after purpose is settled. A duty concession and a grant are separate. Budget established purchases with grant = $0 unless confirmed for your contract date.
Use this page as the forced comparison, then open the Queensland learn hub for the full decision sequence and the QLD first-home buyer calculator for custom inputs.
The decision
Will you live in this property as your home, or is it genuinely an investment?
- QLD home concession / FHB duty paths need Live in it — FHB alone is not enough
- Investment + FHB does not unlock the homebuyer duty exemption
- 5% Deposit Scheme is owner-occupier only — investment kills it
- The duty gap on the same price can be large enough to break settlement cash
- Your broker and conveyancer need the same purpose story
What to tick
- State: QLD
- Price: $700,000
- First home buyer: Yes
- Property: Established
- Compare purpose: Live in it vs Investment
Engine comparison
Live in it + FHB
Eligible QLD FHB established path inside the modelled ≤$700k exemption band. Purpose matches the concession claim you would ask a conveyancer to lodge.
- Stamp duty
- $0
- Deposit
- $140,000 (20%)
- LVR
- 80.0%
- LMI flag
- Not flagged
- Funds to complete
- $140,462
QLD FHB full exemption on established homes (≤ $700k)
Within 5% Scheme cap ($1,000,000) for QLD metro / regional centre — no LMI under Scheme
Investment + FHB
Same FHB tick, but investment purpose uses standard QLD duty — FHB alone is not enough. This is the false-comfort combination buyers tick when they want both “first home” branding and rental plans.
- Stamp duty
- $24,525
- Deposit
- $140,000 (20%)
- LVR
- 80.0%
- LMI flag
- Not flagged
- Funds to complete
- $164,987
5% Deposit Scheme: owner-occupied only (not investment)
Takeaway
In Queensland, purpose is a cash decision. If you will occupy, start on Live in it before you celebrate a first-home tick. If it will be rented, model investment rates and do not pretend the FHB duty exemption still applies. Flip purpose on your real offer price before auction day — not after you are emotionally committed.