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Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme

Making home ownership achievable for more Australians
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The Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme is a shared equity scheme that lets you buy a home with a 2% deposit while the government contributes up to 40% of the property purchase price

If you’ve saved what you can but are still a little short of being able to buy a home that meets your needs, Help to Buy may be able to bridge the gap.

Whether you're a first-time buyer or someone returning to home ownership, Help to Buy offers support to secure a place to call home. With 10,000 places available each financial year, Help to Buy is helping thousands of Australians make the step into home ownership.

We’ve been approved as a Help to Buy Scheme Participating Lender to offer you this option.

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Customer Owned Bank of the Year First Home Buyer QLD (2023 - 2026)

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Outstanding Value - Variable Home Lender (2025 - 2026)

How the Scheme works

Help to Buy is a shared equity Scheme where the Australian Government contributes towards the purchase price of your home. 

Under Help to Buy you will need to:

  • Save a minimum 2% deposit
  • Obtain a home loan from a Participating Lender.

The Australian Government will:

  • Contribute up to 30% (existing homes) or up to 40% (new homes) toward the purchase price.

This will allow you to buy a home sooner by:

  • Bridging the gap between your deposit, what you can borrow and the price of a home that suits your needs
  • Giving you more buying power
  • Removing the need to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI), potentially saving you thousands of dollars.

When you buy a home through Help to Buy, you will own the home but share some of the value with the Government. As the Australian Government has contributed to purchasing the property, the Government will proportionally share any gains or losses made when you sell your home or when you buy out the Commonwealth contribution.

Help to Buy example

Sarah finds her dream home valued at $600,000 award badge

Sarah finds her dream home valued at $600,000

Sarah contributes the minimum 2% deposit amount required by the Scheme = $12,000 award badge

Sarah contributes the minimum 2% deposit amount required by the Scheme = $12,000

As a pre-existing build, the Federal Government contributes up to 30% of the property price = $180,000 award badge

As a pre-existing build, the Federal Government contributes up to 30% of the property price = $180,000

Queensland Country Bank holds the remaining home loan balance of $408,000 award badge

Queensland Country Bank holds the remaining home loan balance of $408,000

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Eligibility

Scheme criteria

Home buyers need to meet eligibility criteria to qualify for Help to Buy. These include:

  • Minimum age - must be at least 18 years old
  • Deposit - minimum 2% of the home purchase price
  • Citizenship - all applicants must be Australian citizens
  • Single and joint applicants - you can apply to the Scheme either alone or together with one other person, provided you both meet the eligibility criteria
  • Income^ - must have an annual taxable income at or below $103,000 for individual applicants or $165,000 for single parents and joint applicants, as shown on the ATO Notice of Assessment (NOA) for the previous financial year (FY26)
  • Owner-occupier - you must live in the home as your principal place of residence whilst a participant of the scheme (investment properties are not eligible and renting out any part of the property is not allowed)
  • Property ownership - cannot own or beneficially own any property in Australia or overseas. There are exceptions for single parents who own property jointly with someone else and want to buy out the other person's share or intend to sell their existing ownership
  • Other Australian Government assistance - cannot receive help from other schemes, including shared equity schemes, loans or guarantees provided by States or Territories to support the purchase. However, you can still benefit from stamp duty concessions, grants and other exemptions.

Use the Help to Buy Eligibility tool for a quick check of the main eligibility criteria to help you understand if you are eligible.

Please note that other eligibility criteria applies and ongoing eligibility requirements apply. Please refer to our FAQ section for further details.

^ Income and other thresholds are wage indexed annually. Please refer to the income and threshold updates for further information.

Important tools and resources

Property Price Caps

Each participating state and territory has its own property price caps, which sets the maximum purchase price for homes eligible under Help to Buy.

For further details, please refer to the Help to Buy Property Price Caps published by the Australian Government on the First Home Buyers website.

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Maximum Purchase Price

The Australian Government's Maximum Purchase Price Calculator estimates the price of a home you may be able to buy through Help to Buy, based upon: your deposit, an estimated loan from a Participating Lender, the maximum Commonwealth contribution and the applicable State or Territory price caps.

Alternatively, you can also use our Borrowing Power Calculator to help you estimate your borrowing capacity.

Income and threshold updates (FY 2026-27)

At the beginning of each financial year, certain amounts for the Help to Buy Scheme are updated through indexation, in accordance with processes set out in the Scheme documents.

Please refer to the Help To Buy Income and Threshold Updates stipulated by the Australian Government for Financial Year 2027.

Key documents

For detailed eligibility criteria and important information about the scheme, please review the documents below:

PDF document Help to Buy Customer Guide
PDF document Help to Buy Fact Sheet
PDF document Help to Buy General Terms
PDF document Target Market Determination (TMD)

FAQs‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎

How can I check whether I’m eligible for the Help to Buy Scheme?

To check whether you meet the main eligibility criteria, please use the Australian Government’s Help to Buy Eligibility Tool.

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How do I apply for Help to Buy?

The simplest way to begin the process is to:

One of our Lending Specialists will be able to guide you through the process. They will assess your eligibility for a home loan and whether Help to Buy is an option for you.

Applications cannot be submitted directly to Housing Australia. You must be approved for a home loan from us before you can submit your application to Housing Australia for a place in the Help to Buy Scheme. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to facilitate Help to Buy home loan applications via our Online Application Form at this current time. All Help to Buy enquiries should be submitted using the contact options listed above.

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How many applicants are allowed under the Help to Buy scheme?

A maximum of two applicants are allowed under the Help to Buy scheme. 

If you are applying as a single, single parent or single legal guardian and your personal circumstances change, please contact us at the earliest opportunity to discuss any impact on your participation in the Help to Buy Scheme.

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Do applicants have to be Australian citizens?

At time of application, all applicants must be Australian citizens.

If you are applying for citizenship, you won't be able to apply for Help to Buy until you have been issued your citizenship certificate.

Participants must remain Australian citizens for as long as they remain in the Scheme.

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Does the Scheme impact the interest rate of a home loan?

No. Participating in the Scheme does not increase or adjust the interest rate of your home loan product. Your rate is based on the home loan that you choose with Queensland Country. Interest rates are subject to change.

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The information provided on this page is general in nature and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Eligibility for government grants and schemes may vary based on individual circumstances and location. The Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme eligibility criteria apply. We recommend visiting the official government websites listed to verify your eligibility and obtain the most up-to-date details.

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