First home buyer schemes in Australia (2026): which ones can you actually get?

The short answer: there are five main levers for first home buyers in Australia — a low-deposit guarantee (buy with 5%, no LMI), Help to Buy (the government co-owns part of your home, so you need a smaller deposit and loan), the First Home Super Saver Scheme (save your deposit inside super), the First Home Owner Grant (for new builds), and state stamp duty concessions. Most first home buyers qualify for more than one. The hard part isn't eligibility — it's working out which apply to you, in what order. Rules and caps change, so treat this as the map and confirm each against your own situation.

If you've ever tried to work out what help you're actually entitled to, you'll know the feeling: a dozen scheme names, three different answers from three people, and no clear sense of which are for someone like you. Here's the honest map — what each one does, who it suits, and the catch — with every scheme linked to its official source.

1. The Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly the First Home Guarantee)

What it does: lets eligible first home buyers purchase with as little as a 5% deposit and no Lenders' Mortgage Insurance — the government guarantees part of your loan, so the lender doesn't charge LMI. From 1 October 2025 the scheme dropped its place limits and income caps, so many more buyers can use it. Current rules: Housing Australia. We've written this one up in full: the First Home Guarantee, explained.

Who it's for: most first home buyers who can service a loan but haven't saved 20%. It's the lever Priya and Dan reached for when the baby wouldn't wait three years.

Two variations to know:

• Regional buyers get the same guarantee, with price caps set for regional areas — it's not a separate scheme, just a different cap.
• Single parents have their own stream — a 2% deposit (formerly the Family Home Guarantee, now folded into the 5% Deposit Scheme). That's the one Mel used.

The catch: a smaller deposit means a bigger loan and higher repayments, and property price caps apply.

2. Help to Buy (shared equity)

What it does: the government buys a share of your home alongside you — up to 40% of a new home, 30% of an existing one — so you need a smaller deposit (as little as 2%) and a smaller loan. You buy their share back over time as you're able. Details: Housing Australia. We've written this one up in full: Help to Buy, explained.

Who it's for: buyers on modest incomes who can't bridge the deposit-and-loan gap alone — think Nick and Tom, the teachers priced out of the suburbs they teach in. Income caps apply (around $100,000 for singles, $160,000 for couples and single parents).

The catch: it's Australian citizens only — permanent residents aren't eligible for this one (unlike the 5% scheme above). And because the government owns a slice of your home, you share in its future growth. It also launched with only a couple of lenders (more joining through 2026). A real leg-up — not free money.

3. First Home Super Saver Scheme

What it does: lets you save your deposit inside your superannuation and later withdraw those voluntary contributions (plus earnings) to buy your first home. Because super is taxed lightly, you can end up with more than you would saving in an ordinary account. There's a limit on how much you can contribute and withdraw — currently up to $50,000 of voluntary contributions — so confirm the figures with the ATO. We've written this one up in full: the First Home Super Saver, explained.

Who it's for: disciplined savers with steady income and a bit of time — the solo saver like Jordan, stacking money and wanting it work harder.

The catch: it isn't instant. It takes planning and paperwork, and the money stays in super until you're ready to buy.

4. First Home Owner Grant

What it does: a one-off $10,000 grant for buying or building a brand-new home (in Victoria, up to a price cap). It does not apply to established homes. Details: State Revenue Office. We've written this one up in full: the First Home Owner Grant, explained.

Who it's for: first home buyers going new — an off-the-plan apartment or a house-and-land build.

The catch: new builds only — no help if you're buying an established place (which is why it never applied to Priya and Dan's established townhouse).

5. Stamp duty exemption and concession (Victoria)

What it does: eligible first home buyers pay no stamp duty on a home up to $600,000, and a reduced amount on a sliding scale up to $750,000. We've written this one up in full: the $600,000 line that changes everything. Source: State Revenue Office.

Who it's for: any eligible first home buyer in Victoria buying under $750,000 — new or established.

The catch: cross $600,000 and the duty switches on; above $750,000 the first-home concession is gone.

Which ones can you stack?

The part most people miss: these aren't all either/or. An eligible buyer might use the 5% guarantee and the stamp duty exemption and have saved through the super scheme — three levers on a single purchase. Others, like Help to Buy, come with their own income caps and won't suit everyone. The right combination depends on your income, your deposit, the price and type of home, and where you're buying.

Citizen or permanent resident?

For most of these it doesn't matter: permanent residents can use the 5% Deposit Scheme, the First Home Owner Grant and the stamp duty concession the same as citizens, and the First Home Super Saver runs through super, so citizenship isn't a factor at all.

The one exception is Help to Buy — it's open to Australian citizens only. So if you're a permanent resident, that shared-equity option isn't yours (for now), but the low-deposit guarantee and everything else still are. We've written the full picture for new residents here: buying your first home as a permanent resident.

If you're not sure which apply to you

That's exactly the knot Havenli untangles. Tell it your situation and it maps which schemes you're likely to qualify for at a specific price point, what each is worth to you, and the order to use them — in plain terms, with every claim linked to its source. No guessing which of the five is yours. See how Havenli works.

This is general information, not financial, legal or taxation advice. Scheme rules, caps, income thresholds and eligibility change often and depend on your circumstances — always confirm the current details with the official sources linked above, and talk to a licensed professional for advice on your situation.