The Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme, launched in December 2025, is now openly accepting applications. For those hoping to buy a home, Help to Buy may help bridge the gap between what you’ve saved, and what you need to buy. Essentially, the program is helping Australians to get into their own property, sooner.
The best place to find all the details is the Help to Buy website, but for your convenience, here’s a summary.
Who can access the Help to Buy Scheme?
- Australian citizens only
- Must be 18 years old
- Must not own other property, with some exceptions for single parents
How does the Help to Buy Scheme work?
- You save a minimum 2% deposit
- Government contributes up to 30% for existing homes or 40% for newly built homes, towards the purchase price
- You repay the Government back later.
Additional criteria
- Owner-occupier only
- 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
Anything else to know?
- 10,000 places available each year
- Use for a new or existing home inlucidng house, townhouse, duplex or apartment, or to purchase a vacant block of land for the construction of a new home or a property that’s being demolished and rebuilt
- Not currently offered in Tasmania.
Government drivers for the Help to Buy Scheme
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, ‘So often … Australians have done all the right things – worked hard, saved up, made sacrifices, but a deposit for a home is still out of reach. Our Government will step up and assist, opening the door of home ownership to tens of thousands of Australians’.
Housing Minister, Julie Collins, adds, ‘This is a critical element of our Government’s broad and ambitious housing agenda to help address Australia’s housing challenges. We’ll keep delivering to ensure more Australians have a safe and affordable place to call home’.
More info via the Governments Help to Buy media release.
Think you could be a candidate for the Help to Buy scheme?
Check your eligibility, and reach out to us if you’d like to move forward. We’re an online Australian mortgage broker servicing Australia-wide.
