*NEW* 2026 - Help to Buy Scheme
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
The Australian Government’s Help to Buy scheme is now open, giving more Australians the chance to step into home ownership sooner. With just a minimum 2% deposit, eligible buyers can access support from the Government, which contributes up to 30% of the purchase price for existing homes or 40% for newly built homes.
This shared equity initiative helps bridge the gap between what you can borrow and the home that meets your needs, making your savings go further. With 10,000 places available each year, Help to Buy is designed to support first-time buyers and those returning to the market, offering a pathway to secure a place to call home while sharing future gains or losses with the Government. The maximum purchase price in the Canberra is $1,000,000. Income Limits apply.
What is the Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme?
The Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme (Help to Buy) is an Australian Government shared equity scheme. This means that the Australian Government pays a percentage of your home’s purchase price for you, by way of a loan. In exchange, the Australian Government takes a corresponding share in your home. Your name will be on the property title, you own the home and live in it, but the Australian Government holds a financial interest that grows or shrinks with your home’s property value over time. A shared equity arrangement isn’t like a normal home loan. Once you’ve purchased your home, you won’t need to make monthly repayments to the Australian Government. You can choose to buy back the Australian Government's share in increments or as a whole; either voluntarily over time or as required as your financial position improves. Each buy back repayment is a step towards you fully owning your own home. You also don’t pay any rent or interest to the Australian Government while you are living in your home.
When you eventually sell the property or buy back all the Australian Government’s share, the Australian Government receives the value of its share at that point in time.
How does Help to Buy work?
Under Help to Buy, the Australian Government supports you into homeownership where:
Who is eligible?
Home buyers need to meet the range of eligibility criteria to qualify for Help to Buy. These include;
Deposit – minimum 2% of the home purchase price
Single and joint applicants – apply to the Scheme either alone or together with one other person, provided you both meet the eligibility criteria.
Income – must have an annual taxable income at or below $100,000 for individual applicants or $160,000 for single parents and joint applicants, as shown on the ATO Notice of Assessment (NOA) for the previous financial year. These income thresholds will be indexed on 1 July annually and updated figures will be published on First Home Buyer's website at firsthomebuyers.gov.au.
Owner-occupier – must live in the home as your principal place of residence whilst a part of the Help to Buy Scheme (investment properties are not eligible).
Property ownership – cannot currently own any property in Australia or overseas. There are exceptions for single parents who own property jointly with someone else and want to buy out the other person's share or intend to sell their existing ownership.
Other Australian Government assistance – cannot receive help from other schemes, including shared equity schemes, loans or guarantees provided by States or Territories to support the purchase. However, you can still benefit from stamp duty concessions, grants and other exemptions.
Citizenship – must be Australian citizens.
Minimum age – must be at least 18 years old.
What type of home is eligible?
Help to Buy is designed to support you in finding a home that is right for you. To be eligible, the property must be in a participating Australian State or Territory and meet key criteria.
You can use Help to Buy to purchase:
A new or existing home, including house, townhouse, apartment, unit or duplex
A vacant block of land for the construction of a new home or a property that's being demolished and rebuilt, provided you've signed a comprehensive building contract with an eligible builder.
You will also need to secure a loan from a Participating Lender and your purchase price can’t exceed the price caps for the area it is located in.
Insuring your home is a requirement of the Help to Buy Scheme, so you need to consider how your insurance premiums will affect the affordability of your home.
It’s important to note that while Housing Australia may deem a property eligible under Help to Buy, some Participating Lenders may have their own restrictions on certain property types. Always check with your Participating Lender to ensure the property you’re considering is supported under both the Help to Buy Scheme policies and the Participating Lender’s policies.
Property price caps for Help to Buy
