First home owner grants and schemes


Buying Your First Home?


There has never been more government support available to first home buyers, and the rules changed a lot in late 2025. This page gives you a clear summary of every federal and NSW scheme you could be eligible for, what each one offers, and how they work together. If you would like help working out which ones fit your situation, that is exactly what we are here for.

Federal Government Schemes


There are five federal schemes worth knowing about.

You cannot use all of them at once, so the goal is to find the right combination for you.

Then there are the state schemes, which we also detail for NSW below.

1. First Home Guarantee Scheme (also called the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme)

This is the big one, and it became much more generous on 1 October 2025.

You buy your first home with as little as a 5% deposit and pay no Lenders Mortgage Insurance, because the government guarantees the gap between your deposit and 20%. Normally a deposit under 20% means paying LMI, which can add thousands to your costs, so this is a genuine saving.

The two changes from October 2025 that matter most:

No income caps. The old limits of $125,000 for singles and $200,000 for couples are gone. Your income no longer rules you out.

No limit on places. There used to be a yearly cap of 35,000 spots. That cap has been removed, so you are not racing anyone for a place.

The key facts:

  • Minimum deposit: 5%

  • LMI: none

  • Income Limit: none

  • Who can apply: Australian citizens and permanent residents, aged 18 and over

  • Home ownership: First home buyers, or people who have not owned property in Australia in the past 10 years

  • The property: Must be one you will live in, and must be under the price cap for your area (see the table further down)

2. Family Home Guarantee Scheme (also called the 2% Deposit Scheme)

For eligible single parents and single legal guardians with at least one dependent child. You can buy with as little as a 2% deposit and pay no LMI, and you do not have to be a first home buyer to qualify.

One important point: unlike the First Home Guarantee, the Family Home Guarantee still has an income cap of $125,000 a year. We can check where you sit.

• Minimum deposit: 2%

• LMI: none

• Income limit: $125,000

• Who it is for: single parents and single legal guardians with a dependent child

3. Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee

For first home buyers purchasing in regional areas.

You buy with a 5% deposit and pay no LMI, similar to the First Home Guarantee but designed for buyers outside the major cities. You can check whether a suburb qualifies using the Housing Australia regional checker, and we can do this with you.

• Minimum deposit: 5%

• LMI: none

• Who it is for: first home buyers in eligible regional areas

4. Help To Buy (Shared Equity Scheme)

This is a newer scheme that opened on 5 December 2025. It works differently to the others. Instead of guaranteeing your deposit, the government becomes a part owner of your home alongside you. That lowers the amount you need to borrow, which means smaller repayments.

How it works:

  • You contribute as little as a 2% deposit.

  • The government contributes up to 40% of the price for a new home, or up to 30% for an existing home.

  • You pay no LMI, and no rent or interest on the government’s share.

  • When you sell, the government gets its share of the sale price back, including its portion of any increase in value. You can also buy the government’s share back over time.


The eligibility rules are tighter than the First Home Guarantee, so it suits some buyers and not others:

  • Minimum deposit: 2%

  • Income limit: $103,000 for a single applicant, or $165,000 for a couple or single parent (these limits increased on 1 July 2026 and are indexed each year)

  • Who can apply: Australian citizens only, aged 18 and over (permanent residents are not eligible for this scheme)

  • Property ownership: you cannot currently own any other property, in Australia or overseas

  • Places: limited to 10,000 a year, offered through selected lenders (Commonwealth Bank and Bank Australia were the first, with more joining during 2026)

Two things worth knowing. Help to Buy uses slightly different property price caps to the 5% Deposit Scheme in some areas (for example, the Sydney cap is $1,300,000 under Help to Buy compared with $1,500,000 under the 5% Deposit Scheme). And Help to Buy does not remove stamp duty, which is a separate state cost. We can walk you through that when the time comes.

5. First Home Super Saver Scheme

This one helps you save your deposit faster by using your super, where savings are generally taxed more favourably than in a normal bank account.

You make extra voluntary contributions to your super, then withdraw them (plus some earnings) to put toward your first home.

• You can count up to $15,000 of voluntary contributions per financial year.

• You can withdraw up to $50,000 in total across all years (up to $100,000 for a couple, since the limit is per person).

• Only voluntary contributions count. The compulsory super your employer pays does not.

One tip that catches people out: you must request your release from the ATO before you sign a contract of sale, and the process takes time (often around two to three weeks). So if you are planning to use this scheme, start the release process early. We will remind you when the time is right.

What are the maximum property price caps?

Your home has to be under the price cap for your area to use the First Home Guarantee. The caps are set by Housing Australia and were increased in October 2025.

State Government Schemes


On top of the federal schemes, NSW has its own support for first home buyers. There are two main ones.

First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (stamp duty savings)

Stamp duty (also called transfer duty) is one of the biggest upfront costs of buying, so this scheme can save you a lot. Eligible first home buyers pay:

  • No stamp duty on a home valued up to $800,000

  • A reduced amount on a home valued between $800,000 and $1,000,000

  • No stamp duty on vacant land up to $350,000, and a reduced amount between $350,000 and $450,000

  • To qualify, you (and your spouse or partner) must never have owned residential property in Australia before, and you must move in within 12 months and live there for at least 12 continuous months.

First Home Owner Grant (New Homes)

A $10,000 grant when you buy or build a brand new home (one that has not been lived in before, bought off the plan, or substantially renovated).

  • $600,000 is the value limit if you are buying a newly built home.

  • $750,000 is the combined limit if you are buying land and building, counting the land plus the building contract.

Can I combine the Federal and State schemes?


This is one of the most useful things to understand, and it is where good advice pays off.

You can generally combine a federal guarantee with the NSW schemes. For example, you might use the First Home Guarantee for your 5% deposit and no LMI, and also claim the First Home Buyer Assistance Scheme (stamp duty savings).

You cannot combine Help to Buy with the First Home Guarantee. These are two different paths, so you choose the one that leaves you better off.

Working out the best combination for your income, deposit and the type of property you want is exactly the kind of thing we do every day. It is easy to leave money on the table if you get the order wrong.

How We Can Help


Not every lender offers every scheme, and the ones that do have different policies. As mortgage brokers with access to more than 30 lenders, we match you to a lender that both suits your situation and can access the scheme you qualify for. We also handle the paperwork and timing so nothing gets missed.

START TODAY

To start your first home owner journey, hit the ‘start today’ button below.

We can’t wait to meet you and help you with your loan.

When helping you with your loan, we want you to know:

1. Data integrity and your privacy is very important to us, so we use encrypted platforms + two-factor authentication methods to keep your financial information safe.

2. When finding the best possible deal for you, we’re accessing 30+ lenders.

3. Your experience is most important and jargon has no place for us here so when we’re helping you, it will be done with full transparency, empathy, and care.

Scheme rules, income limits and property price caps are current as at July 2026 and can change. This page is general information only and is not financial advice. Speak with our team for advice specific to your situation.