Every first home buyer grant and scheme available in Australia in 2025-26 — including the newly unlimited First Home Guarantee, Help to Buy (launched December 2025), the First Home Super Saver Scheme, and what each state's FHOG currently pays.
Australia has multiple overlapping schemes to help first home buyers — federal government programs, state government grants, and super-related savings tools. Understanding which schemes you qualify for and how they interact is one of the most valuable pieces of planning you can do before starting your property search.
The landscape has changed significantly in late 2025 and early 2026. The First Home Guarantee now has unlimited places (as of October 2025). Help to Buy — a shared equity scheme that reduces the size of mortgage you need — launched in December 2025. And Queensland's $30,000 FHOG for new builds expires 30 June 2026, reverting to $15,000 after that date.
The First Home Guarantee (formerly the First Home Loan Deposit Scheme) is the single most impactful federal scheme for most first home buyers. It allows eligible buyers to purchase with a 5% deposit without paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The federal government guarantees the remaining 15% to the lender, eliminating the need for LMI which can otherwise cost $10,000–$35,000+ on a small deposit.
Before October 2025, the First Home Guarantee had annual place limits (previously 35,000 places per year) and income caps. From October 2025, both restrictions were removed — there are now unlimited places and no income caps. This effectively makes the scheme available to any eligible first home buyer, not just those who applied early in the financial year.
| Location | Property Price Cap |
|---|---|
| NSW — capital city / regional centre | $1,000,000 |
| NSW — rest of state | $750,000 |
| VIC — capital city / regional centre | $800,000 |
| VIC — rest of state | $650,000 |
| QLD — capital city / regional centre | $700,000 |
| QLD — rest of state | $550,000 |
| WA — capital city | $600,000 |
| SA — capital city | $600,000 |
See how much you can borrow with a 5% deposit using our free calculator.
Open Borrowing Power Calculator →Help to Buy is Australia's new federal shared equity scheme, launched in December 2025 after years of parliamentary debate. It is the most significant new first home buyer program in over a decade.
Under Help to Buy, the federal government co-purchases the property with you, contributing:
This means you only need a deposit and mortgage on the remaining 60–70% of the price. For a $700,000 existing home, the government contributes up to $210,000 (30%), leaving you to finance only $490,000 — dramatically reducing your required deposit and monthly repayments.
In return, the government owns an equity stake in your property proportional to their contribution. When you sell, you share the capital gain (or loss) with the government in proportion to their stake. You can buy out the government's stake at any time as your equity grows, eventually moving to 100% ownership.
The First Home Super Saver Scheme allows you to make voluntary contributions to your superannuation fund and later withdraw them (plus associated earnings) as a house deposit. The tax advantage comes from the fact that super contributions are taxed at 15% — significantly less than most people's marginal income tax rate.
The FHSS scheme is most valuable for people in higher tax brackets. At a 30% marginal rate, making $15,000 in voluntary super contributions rather than saving in a regular savings account saves approximately $2,625 in tax that year. Over the maximum $50,000 total, the tax saving can be $10,000+.
However, there are limitations: withdrawals take time to process (allow 25 business days), the scheme adds complexity, and your funds are locked inside super until you formally apply to release them. It works best as a deliberate, pre-planned strategy rather than a retrospective one.
| State | Grant Amount | Property Type | Price Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | $10,000 | New builds only | $600,000 (new builds) |
| VIC | $10,000 | New builds (regional $20,000) | $750,000 |
| QLD | $30,000 (until 30 Jun 2026) then $15,000 | New builds only | $750,000 |
| WA | $10,000 | New builds only | $750,000 |
| SA | $15,000 | New builds only | $650,000 |
| TAS | $10,000 | New builds | $750,000 |
| ACT | No FHOG (uses concession scheme instead) | — | — |
| NT | $10,000 | New builds | $650,000 |
Yes — in many cases, schemes can be combined and stacked together. For example:
Help to Buy and the First Home Guarantee are generally not combinable — you access one or the other, not both. Your mortgage broker can advise on the optimal combination for your specific situation and state.
Can I use the First Home Guarantee to buy an investment property?
No. The First Home Guarantee requires you to live in the property as your principal place of residence. You cannot use it to purchase an investment property. You must move into the property within a reasonable time after purchase and live there for at least 12 months.
How do I apply for the First Home Guarantee?
You apply through a participating lender (not directly with Housing Australia). When you apply for a home loan, your lender can process the First Home Guarantee application as part of the loan application process. The list of participating lenders is available on the Housing Australia website at housingaustralia.gov.au.
Is Help to Buy available yet?
Yes — Help to Buy launched in December 2025. Applications are processed through participating lenders. Given the income caps ($90,000 single / $120,000 couples combined) the scheme is targeted at lower-to-middle income first home buyers. Check the Housing Australia website for current participating lenders and property price caps by location.
What is the Family Home Guarantee?
The Family Home Guarantee is a separate scheme allowing eligible single parents with at least one dependent child to purchase with a 2% deposit without paying LMI. It is not limited to first home buyers — you may have previously owned property. Income cap is $125,000 per year. Apply through a participating lender.
Do first home buyer grants affect how much I can borrow?
The FHOG counts as genuine savings in some lenders' assessments, potentially contributing to your deposit. It does not directly increase your borrowing capacity, which is assessed based on your income and expenses. The First Home Guarantee does not increase what you can borrow — it reduces the deposit threshold and eliminates LMI on a small deposit.
Illustrative. The total repayment is unchanged; only the split between interest and principal moves, which is why early extra repayments remove disproportionate interest.