First Home Buyer Eligibility 2026

How this wizard works

The checker encodes the published 2026 eligibility rules from Housing Australia, Treasury, the ATO and each state revenue office. We run your six answers through seven scheme tests:

• First Home Guarantee (FHG) — federal 5% deposit, no LMI, unlimited places since 1 Oct 2025.
• Help to Buy — federal 2% deposit, government takes a 30%–40% equity stake. Launched 5 Dec 2025.
• Family Home Guarantee — single-parent variant, 2% deposit, no LMI.
• Keystart — WA state-backed lender. 2% deposit, no LMI, WA only.
• State stamp duty concessions — NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT thresholds.
• State First Home Owner Grants (FHOG) — cash grants for new-build purchases by state.
• First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) — federal savings tool, $50K per person lifetime release.

You get back two lists: schemes you qualify for (with the estimated dollar benefit each) and schemes you do not qualify for (with the specific reason why). The headline figure sums the eligible benefits — that's the total potential value of the FHB programs your situation unlocks in 2026.

The math behind each scheme

FHG / Family Home Guarantee: the dollar benefit shown is the approximate LMI you would otherwise pay at a 95% or 98% LVR loan (~2.5%–3% of purchase price, varies by lender). Without the guarantee, that LMI either gets paid upfront or capitalised onto your loan — adding thousands in interest over the life of the mortgage.

Help to Buy: the dollar figure is the government's actual equity contribution — 30% of purchase price for established homes, 40% for new builds. Cash you don't have to borrow. The trade-off: when you sell, the government takes back that same percentage of the sale price (so any capital growth is shared). For a $700K Sydney purchase with 30% government equity, that's ~$210K of "your loan you don't have."

State stamp duty concession: calculated by computing duty payable at your price as both a FHB and a non-FHB, then subtracting — the difference is the actual saving. In NSW for a $700K purchase the FHB exemption saves ~$26K; in VIC for a $580K purchase the FHB exemption saves ~$25K; in WA for a $490K purchase the FHB exemption saves ~$14K.

FHSSS: the benefit shown is the maximum amount you can release per person ($50K lifetime cap). It's a savings tool — not free money — but contributions go in at 15% concessional tax instead of your marginal rate (typically 32.5%–37%), saving you 17.5–22 cents on every dollar saved this way.

What this wizard does NOT do

This is an eligibility check, not a quote engine or financial advice.

• It does not assess your borrowing capacity — for that, use our borrowing power calculator.
• It does not quote your stamp duty in detail — for that, use our stamp duty calculator.
• It does not size your full upfront move-in cost — for that, use the move-in cost calculator.
• It does not factor in HECS debt, dependants, or existing liabilities (which affect borrowing power even when scheme eligibility is met).
• It does not replace specific advice from your mortgage broker or scheme administrator. Caps and rules can change mid-year.

Read deeper on each scheme

• First Home Guarantee + Family Home Guarantee — full eligibility
• Help to Buy vs First Home Guarantee 2026 — side-by-side comparison
• Every state FHB grant + concession — 2026 guide
• First Home Super Saver Scheme — full mechanics
• Keystart WA — full state-lender guide
• FHB stamp duty by state — every concession explained
• What the 12 May 2026 budget changed for FHBs
• Should I buy now or wait until 2027? — decision framework

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if I qualify for the First Home Guarantee in 2026?

The FHG requires Australian citizenship or permanent residency, age 18+, being a first home buyer (or not having owned property in the last 10 years), a deposit of 5–20% of the purchase price, and the property must be your principal place of residence. Since 1 October 2025 there is NO income cap and unlimited places. State property price caps apply — the wizard above checks yours against your state and region.

What are the Help to Buy eligibility rules for 2026?

Help to Buy launched 5 December 2025 and requires Australian citizenship (permanent residents are NOT eligible), age 18+, being a first home buyer, a 2% deposit, owner-occupier intent, and combined income under $100,000 single or $160,000 for couples and single parents. 10,000 places per year × 4 years.

Can I combine multiple first home buyer schemes?

Yes — with one exception. FHG and Help to Buy CANNOT be combined on the same property (mutually exclusive at the lender level). But FHG stacks with FHSSS, state First Home Owner Grants, and state stamp duty concessions. Help to Buy also stacks with FHSSS and most state stamp duty concessions.

What did the 12 May 2026 budget change?

The budget confirmed FHG and Help to Buy stayed in place exactly as designed. Negative gearing is being abolished for new investor purchases of established property from 1 July 2027 — but that does not affect first home buyers directly (NG never applied to your own home). The PPOR CGT exemption was untouched. Full FHB-angle write-up here.

How is this different from the Move-In Cost Calculator?

The Move-In Cost Calculator tells you total dollars you'll spend at and after settlement. This Eligibility Checker tells you which schemes can REDUCE that figure for you. Run this checker first to figure out which schemes apply, then the Move-In Cost Calculator to size your actual budget.

Next step: size your real upfront cost

Now that you know which schemes apply, the Move-In Cost Calculator computes the total dollars you'll actually spend at and after settlement.