Australia has established a countrywide, tax-free system called the HomeBuilder Grant to support the housing development industry that has been adversely affected by COVID-19. This will offer qualifying individuals and couples a $15,000 grant in 2021 to aid with home construction and renovation projects.
Homebuilder Grant Application
Couples and individuals who own and inhabit the property can use the funding from HomeBuilder Grant to construct, purchase, or renovate portions of their home. The applicants are expected to be registered for the program on the HomeBuilder online registration site before the advertised deadline. Applicants that did not apply online before the end of April 14, 2021, may need to wait for future rounds of the program where applicable. Even though the deadline for funding applications has passed, the government has added a year to the deadline for development to start.
HomeBuilder Grant Application Guidelines
Every individual whose identity is or will appear on the certified documents will be treated as an applicant for the grant. The only eligible candidates for the HomeBuilder Grant are Australian citizens over 18 years of age, companies or trusts are not eligible under the guidelines. You may apply for the HomeBuilder Grant once you have entered into an eligible HomeBuilder contract and have all supporting documentation. When more than one individual is mentioned on the title deed, they must submit a joint application.
Before applying for the HomeBuilder Grant, make sure that you understand all the responsibilities of having your application granted. Getting a grant is a major responsibility and you must follow through will all the required guidelines to ensure that your application is approved.
Here are some of the things you need to remember when applying for a HomeGuilder Grant:
- Read the Fine Print
There are several guidelines you need to follow as an applicant. The HomeBuilder Grant requirements include comprehensive qualifying details, and the documentary evidence candidates must submit.
- Submitting Your Documents
Before the submission deadline, registrants who had begun their registration through the online platform might finish it and add their supporting papers as they became accessible. At the latest, the upload deadline for all relevant papers is April 30, 2023.
Carefully review the accompanying documentation guideline on the web portal before submitting your supplementary papers to ensure that you have included all relevant paperwork. This will guarantee that your registration is done soon and that no one has to contact you regarding any papers that are either lacking or insufficient.
- 18-month Start Date for Development
The terms of a National Partnership Agreement set up by the Australian Government, which includes requirements you should achieve to be eligible for the fund, formulate the Australian HomeBuilder Grant. One of the requirements is that the development of your anticipated building project, home or significant improvements to your current residence should start at least 18 months before the signing of your agreement.
When submitting your application on the HomeBuilder portal, you must present proof that your reconstruction or development has started if you haven’t already.
The paperwork you require is determined by the agreement you have accepted. You could use a certificate from your contractor stating the start date of development for newly built agreements. Send the first payment for the work that started on your building for extensive remodelling projects. You require a declaration by your contractor or developers guaranteeing the launch date of development for contracts our of the plan.
- Modify your request and verify its progress.
Once you have provided the necessary papers and uploaded the request for consideration, it might take up to two months to finish it due to the volume and complexities of the applications. Once a decision is made, the department will notify you of the outcomes. Please make sure that you have given us all the necessary paperwork. You may log in to the HomeBuilder online portal to check on the progress of your application.
What do the different statuses mean?
Incomplete: You’ve commenced your application, but some details are lacking. You have to validate your registration and complete all the necessary fields.
Documents required: You must submit additional documentation by April 30, 2023. Logging into the portal will allow you to see what documentation papers are pending and will need to be uploaded. You may upload other papers under section Other.
Submitted for processing: All of your paperwork has been uploaded for verification; no more steps are needed on your part. Before an examiner is assigned to your petition and contacts you, it may take weeks or months.
Lodged: Your registration has been filed and is waiting to be reviewed. (In most circumstances, this may take a couple of weeks.)
Requests for grants are processed in chronological order according to the date of submission. You don’t have to get in touch with the department to determine the current state of your registration after it reaches the “lodged” stage. If a decision has been reached, the department will notify you.
Remember that the HomeBuilder Grants are only available to Australian citizens. The scheme was introduced by the government in 2020 to assist Australians in purchasing new homes or renovating current homes as a crucial component to increasing affordable housing as well as boosting the building industry in the midst of Covid-19 downturn. In 2020, qualified candidates received a $25,000 grant for new constructions or home improvements.
For more information on grants and assistance programs, please speak to one of our representatives today.
