The Lawrence Heritage Trust was offered the house for $50,000 by its owners for community use.
The trust plans to restore it but must purchase it from its present owners first.
Trust chairman Roger Cotton said the Heritage Trust applied for a $20,000 grant from the Alexander McMillan Trust.
But yesterday, Mr Cotton said the Alexander McMillan Trust would give $3000 to complete an earthquake assessment report.
The Alexander McMillan Trust would then decide whether or not to accept the report and grant $10,000 in funding, which was less than requested.
In February, trust chairman Roger Cotton said the trust had planned to buy the courthouse by December last year, but making a purchase at that time was not an option, due to funds still being short of the target.
Mr Cotton hoped the trust would be ready to buy the house by the end of March.
He said the trust had raised about $20,000 - $10,000 from the Otago Community Trust, $5000 reimbursement for work done at the property, plus more from an online fundraising page and private donations.
It had applied for $20,000 from the Alexander McMillan Trust and about $3000 from the Tuapeka West Community Trust.
``We're making progress, albeit in little steps,'' Mr Cotton explained yesterday.
The Lawrence Arches, another project by the Heritage Trust, was due to open in May but because of extra gardening work and bad weather, Mr Cotton said that would be delayed until spring, in October or November.
