For buying my first homeFree calculator

Help to Buy calculator: are you eligible, and what would you repay?

Check your income and price against the 2026–27 Help to Buy limits for your state, see the government's share, your loan and repayments, and compare the same home under the 5% Deposit Scheme.

Updated October 2026·Free, no sign-up

You

Applying as

Taxable income

From your latest ATO notice of assessment. The 2026–27 limit is $103,000.

The home

State or territory

Where in the state

Regional centres: Geelong.

New or existing home

Purchase price

Your deposit

At least 2% of the price. The lender may ask for more if you can afford it.

Government share (% of the price)

Between 5% and 30%. The lender and Housing Australia set the final figure.

Your loan and the future

Interest rate (% a year)

An example rate. Use your lender's quote.

Price growth (% a year)

An assumption for the sale line, not a forecast.

Years until you sell

Your Help to Buy figures

Income under the $103,000 limit
Price under the $950,000 cap
Deposit of at least 2%
Deposit plus government share of at least 20%

Government share (30%): $210,000
Your deposit (2%): $14,000
Your home loan: $476,000
Monthly repayment (30 years at 6.5%): $3,009
Stamp duty with the Victoria first home buyer concession: $24,713
You look eligible on these figures: Yes

An estimate, not an approval. You also need to be an Australian citizen aged 18 or over, not own property now, and live in the home. Lenders check that you couldn’t buy without the scheme.

Help to Buy or the 5% Deposit Scheme?

You can’t use both. The same $700,000 home each way:

	Help to Buy	5% Deposit Scheme
Deposit	$14,000	$35,000
Government share	$210,000	None, a guarantee only
Home loan	$476,000	$665,000
Monthly repayment	$3,009	$4,203
Sell after 10 years for $1,036,171: to the government	$310,851	$0

Help to Buy repayments are $1,194 a month lower. In exchange the government keeps 30% of the home’s value until you buy it back, in steps of at least 5% of the value at the time. The 5% Deposit Scheme has no income test and its own price caps. How the two compare

Next step

Talk to someone who works with Help to Buy

Help to Buy only runs through a handful of lenders, and the government share is set when you apply. Tell us where you’re buying and we’ll introduce one vetted specialist for your situation. Free, no commitment.

What to do next

Pair this with…

Help to Buy scheme

How shared equity works, the rules and what happens at sale.

First Home Guarantee

Buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI.

Stamp duty

What stamp duty actually costs in your state.

Help to Buy price caps by state

The home must cost no more than the cap for its area. The capital-city cap also applies in the regional centres listed. Caps haven’t changed since the scheme started and aren’t indexed.

State	Capital city and regional centres	Rest of state
New South Wales	$1,300,000 (Sydney; Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Central Coast, Mid-North Coast, Coffs Harbour–Grafton, Richmond–Tweed)	$800,000
Victoria	$950,000 (Melbourne; Geelong)	$650,000
Queensland	$1,000,000 (Brisbane; Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast)	$700,000
Western Australia	$850,000 (Perth)	$600,000
South Australia	$900,000 (Adelaide)	$500,000
Tasmania	$700,000 (Hobart)	$550,000
ACT	$1,000,000 (Canberra)	n/a
Northern Territory	$600,000 (Darwin)	$600,000

Source: Housing Australia: Help to Buy property price caps and the Help to Buy Program Directions 2025, checked 7 October 2026.

Income limits for 2026–27

Single: $103,000 taxable income
Couple applying together: $165,000 combined
Single parent: $165,000

Income is your taxable income on your most recent ATO notice of assessment, with no allowance for one-off bonuses. The limits rose on 1 July 2026 and are indexed every 1 July.

How each figure is worked out

Government share is the percentage you choose, between 5% and 30% for an existing home or up to 40% for a new one. In practice the lender and Housing Australia set it from what you can afford.
Your loan is the price less your deposit and the government’s share, repaid over 30 years at the rate you enter.
Eligibility checks your income against the limit, the price against the cap, a 2% minimum deposit, and that your deposit plus the share reaches 20%, which is why there’s no lenders mortgage insurance.
Stamp duty applies your state’s first home buyer concession on an established home, from the same tables as our stamp duty calculator. New-home concessions vary, so the calculator doesn’t estimate them.
At sale, the government receives its percentage of the home’s value at the time, assuming you haven’t bought any back.

What the calculator can't check

Citizenship, owning property now, living in the home and the lender’s test that you couldn’t buy without the scheme. Read the Help to Buy guide for the full rules, and check with a participating lender before you rely on a figure.

Take the full guide with you.

The complete guide to buying property in Australia: what you can really spend, the 2026 schemes state by state, how not to overpay, and how the selling side plays you. Free PDF, personalised to your situation, in your inbox in 60 seconds.

Get the free buying guide

Common questions

How do you calculate Help to Buy?

Take the price, subtract your deposit (at least 2%) and the government's share (up to 30% of an existing home or 40% of a new one), and what's left is your home loan. On a $700,000 existing home with a $14,000 deposit and a 30% share, the government puts in $210,000 and you borrow $476,000: about $3,009 a month over 30 years at 6.5%.

What does it mean if the government owns 30% of your house?

The home is in your name, but the government's contribution of 30% of the price is secured by a second mortgage and is repaid as 30% of the home's value, not a fixed amount. You pay no rent or interest on it. When you sell, it receives 30% of the sale price or a valuation, whichever is higher, so it shares any growth. You can buy its share back in steps of at least 5% of the home's value at the time.

Am I eligible for Help to Buy?

For 2026–27, your taxable income must be $103,000 or less as a single, or $165,000 or less for a couple or a single parent. You must be an Australian citizen aged 18 or over, not own any property now, live in the home, and buy under your area's price cap. Lenders also check that you couldn't buy without the scheme.

How much deposit do I need for a $700,000 house with Help to Buy?

At least 2%, which is $14,000 on a $700,000 home. Under the 5% Deposit Scheme it would be $35,000, and with a normal loan and no lenders mortgage insurance, $140,000. You'll also need money for stamp duty (first home buyer concessions apply with Help to Buy), legal costs and the loan fees.

Can I use Help to Buy with the 5% Deposit Scheme?

No. Help to Buy can't be combined with the Home Guarantee Scheme, which includes the 5% Deposit Scheme, or with any other shared equity scheme. It can be combined with a first home owner grant, stamp duty concessions and the First Home Super Saver Scheme.