First Home Buyer Eligibility Checker Australia 2026

Every Australian first home buyer scheme checked against your situation in one quiz: the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly First Home Guarantee), Help to Buy, FHSSS, Keystart, state First Home Owner Grants and state stamp duty concessions. The headline figure is the total dollar value of every scheme you qualify for. Free, no broker call required.

7Schemes checked
2 minSix quick questions
$0No broker required
Check your eligibility See every grant

Built by Anish Puri, Founder and Editor of NestPath · Updated

A young Australian family working through their paperwork checklist at the kitchen bench

Answer six quick questions below to see every scheme you qualify for, ranked by dollar value.

Last reviewed 3 July 2026 against Housing Australia, Treasury, ATO and each state revenue office.

Tell us about your situation

Six quick questions. Nothing is saved, this runs entirely in your browser.

6.7% of your target purchase price

Based on your answers

$382,937

total potential benefit across 4 schemes you qualify for

4 schemes you can use
3 you cannot

Schemes you qualify for

Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme (formerly First Home Guarantee)$30,000

Saves about $30,000 in LMI you would otherwise pay. 5% deposit, no LMI, you own 100% of the home. Unlimited places + no income cap since 1 October 2025 (the scheme formerly known as the First Home Guarantee).

Learn more about 5% Deposit Scheme
Help to Buy (2% deposit + 30% government equity)$225,000

Government contributes about $225,000 (30% equity) at settlement. You only mortgage your share. Trade-off: when you sell, the government takes back the same percentage of the sale price.

Learn more about Help to Buy
NSW First Home Buyer Stamp Duty Concession$27,937

Saves $27,937 in state stamp duty (vs paying full duty as a non-FHB).

Learn more about Stamp Duty
First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS)$100,000

Save up to $100,000 for your deposit inside super at concessional tax rates ($15K/year per person, $50K lifetime cap per person; 2 eligible savers in your household).

Learn more about FHSSS

Now turn this into an approval, for free

A vetted NestPath broker can confirm which of these schemes you actually qualify for and structure your loan to claim them. Free to you, the lender pays the broker, not you.

Match me with a free broker

No obligation. We only recommend brokers we'd trust ourselves.

Schemes that don't apply (yet)

Family Home Guarantee (2% deposit, single parents)

Family Home Guarantee is single parents with at least one dependent only.

Read about FHomeG
Keystart (WA only)

Keystart is a Western Australia-only state-backed lender.

Read about Keystart
NSW First Home Owner Grant

NSW FHOG applies to new builds only.

Read about FHOG

What Australian first home buyers commonly ask

Recurring themes from the r/AusFinance, r/AusHousing and Whirlpool finance forums in May 2026, paraphrased so we answer the question pattern, not any individual user's post.

"I'm a permanent resident, can I still use Help to Buy?" → No, citizen-only since launch. The 5% Deposit Scheme is your alternative and accepts PRs.
"Does Centrelink income count toward the Help to Buy cap?" → Yes. The $103K single / $165K couples and single parents cap is your taxable income on your most recent Notice of Assessment.
"Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme and Help to Buy together?" → No. Lender-level mutual exclusion. But both stack with FHSSS, state FHOGs and state stamp duty concessions.
"Will my home loan rate be higher because of the 5% Deposit Scheme?" → No. You get the same variable rate as a 20%-deposit borrower at the same lender. The scheme replaces LMI; it does not lift your interest rate.
"If I qualify for Help to Buy, do I have to use it?" → No. You can still use the 5% Deposit Scheme. Help to Buy gives a lower monthly repayment but you share future capital growth with the government.
"Is the QLD $30K FHOG bonus still available?" → Yes. It has been extended into the 2026-27 year, still the largest FHOG in the country. Confirm the current status with the QLD Revenue Office before you rely on it.

Estimates only. This wizard encodes the published 2026 eligibility rules from housingaustralia.gov.au, treasury.gov.au, ato.gov.au and each state revenue office. Caps and rules can change mid-year, verify your specific situation with a mortgage broker, scheme administrator, or licensed financial adviser before committing. Last reviewed 3 July 2026. Not financial advice.

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% to 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, which is 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 (about 4% 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, which is 30% of purchase price for established homes and 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 about $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 about $26K; in VIC for a $580K purchase the FHB exemption saves about $30K; in WA for a $490K purchase the FHB exemption saves about $17K.

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 30% to 37%), saving you roughly 15 to 24 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

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.

Open the Move-In Cost Calculator

First Home Buyer Eligibility: Frequently Asked Questions

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

The First Home Guarantee (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% to 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: NSW $1.5M, Melbourne/Brisbane $950K/$1M, Perth $850K, Adelaide $900K, Hobart $700K, Canberra $1M (capital city / regional centres). The eligibility checker above runs all rules against your specific situation.

What are the Help to Buy eligibility rules for 2026?

Help to Buy launched nationwide on 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 $103,000 single or $165,000 for couples and single parents (2026-27 caps, indexed each July). Capital city property caps: Sydney $1.3M, Melbourne $950K, Brisbane $1M, Perth $850K (state legislation pending), Adelaide $900K, Hobart $700K (state legislation pending), Canberra $1M, Darwin $600K. 10,000 places per year over four years.

Can I combine multiple first home buyer schemes?

Yes, with one important exception: the First Home Guarantee (FHG) and Help to Buy (HtB) cannot be combined on the same property, because they are mutually exclusive at the lender level. But FHG can stack with: First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS), state First Home Owner Grants, and state stamp duty concessions. Help to Buy can also stack with FHSSS and most state stamp duty concessions. A typical NSW FHB couple using FHG + FHSSS + state stamp duty exemption can save $35,000 to $60,000 vs the no-scheme path.

What state-based FHB grants and concessions exist in 2026?

NSW: $10K First Home Owner Grant (new builds under $750K) + stamp duty exemption under $800K (concession to $1M). VIC: $10K FHOG (new builds statewide) + stamp duty exemption under $600K. QLD: $30K bonus FHOG, extended into the 2026-27 year; stamp duty exemption under $700K. WA: $10K FHOG + stamp duty exemption under $500K; Keystart state-backed lender for low-deposit loans. SA: $15K FHOG (new builds, no value cap). TAS: $20K FHOG for new homes from 1 July 2026; the full stamp duty exemption on established homes ended 30 June 2026. ACT: no FHOG, but stamp duty for first home buyers was abolished entirely from 1 July 2026, with no income test or price cap. NT: $50K HomeGrown grant for new homes. The eligibility checker computes your specific entitlement.

How much First Home Super Saver Scheme money can I release?

Up to $50,000 per person, contributed at up to $15,000 per financial year via voluntary super contributions at concessional tax rates (15% vs your marginal rate). Couples can each contribute and release, stacking to a $100,000 first-home deposit advantage. The release must be used within 12 months and applied to your first home purchase. Your super fund must be the one you contributed through, so switch your default fund before starting if you want different fund features.

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 restricted for investor purchases of established property exchanged after 12 May 2026, with losses ring-fenced and a carve-out for new builds, 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 the total upfront dollars you'll spend at and after settlement (stamp duty + utilities + appliances + connection fees). The Eligibility Checker tells you which schemes can REDUCE that upfront figure for you: FHG removes LMI, Help to Buy reduces the loan principal, state stamp duty concessions remove the duty line, FHOGs are cash grants, FHSSS is a savings tool. Use the Eligibility Checker first to figure out which schemes you can use, then the Move-In Cost Calculator to size your actual move-in budget.