What is Help to Buy?
The Australian Government Help to Buy scheme is a brand-new shared-equity home-buying initiative designed to make home ownership more achievable — especially if you’ve saved what you can but are still struggling with deposit and borrowing gaps. It officially opened in Western Australia for applications in December 2025 and is available across all states and territories except Tasmania for now.
This means qualified home buyers can access significant government support without paying rent on the government’s share of the home.
How Help to Buy Works
Here’s how the Help to Buy scheme can help you get into your home sooner:
- Buy a home with as little as a 2% deposit.
- The government contributes up to:
- 30% of the purchase price for an existing home
- 40% for a newly built home
- You only need to take out a home loan with a Participating Lender.
Because the government’s contribution reduces the amount you need to borrow, the scheme can reduce your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) and may help you avoid expensive Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).
Eligibility
To qualify for this scheme, you must be:
✔️ At least 18 years old
✔️ An Australian citizen
✔️ Planning to live in the home as your principal residence (investment properties are not eligible)
✔️ Earning under the income thresholds: $100,000 (individual) or $160,000 (couples/single parents)
You also need:
✔️ To have saved at least 2% of the purchase price as a deposit
✔️ To not currently own property in Australia or overseas (with some exceptions)
This makes the scheme particularly useful for first-home buyers and those returning to home ownership.
What Types of Homes Can You Buy?
Help to Buy supports most residential property types, including:
- Houses
- Townhouses, units, apartments
- Vacant land to build a new home (with a signed building contract)
Where you want to buy matters — there are location-based price caps which we will check with you.
What Happens Next — Applying & What to Expect
As your broker we will:
✔️ check your eligibility
✔️ lodge the application for you
✔️ answer any questions relating to your property search
Once approved, you get up to 90 days to find your home and finalise the purchase.
Help to Buy Benefits
✨ Buy Sooner — Government support bridges the gap between what you’ve saved and what you can afford.
✨ Lower upfront costs — Less deposit required can mean fewer obstacles to getting a mortgage.
✨ Avoid LMI — A bigger government contribution can reduce or remove LMI costs.
✨ Flexibility — You own the home and can buy out the government’s share over time or on sale.
Need Help Navigating Help to Buy? We’re Here for You
Navigating a shared-equity scheme can feel overwhelming — especially with eligibility rules, property price caps, and different lender checklists. At FiNext Mortgage Brokers we can help you:
🔹 understand if you qualify
🔹 compare lenders
🔹 prepare your application
🔹 explore alternatives if Help to Buy isn’t the best fit
📞 Contact us today for a free consultation — we have offices in Forrestfield, West Leederville, Byford and Bunbury or anywhere in Australia via phone or video call.
