Help & support
Help to Buy is helping Australians take the step into homeownership, offering options for both first home buyers and those re-entering the market. Eligible applicants will be able to purchase or build a new home with as little as a 2% deposit.
Shared equity ownership
If eligible, the Australian Government contributes 5–30% toward the purchase price for existing homes (up to 40% for new builds or construction). Your combined deposit and the Commonwealth Share must equal at least 20% of the property value.
Australian Government contributes to your purchase
The Australian Government is registered as a second mortgagee over the security and contributes their amount at settlement.
Ongoing Eligibility
You will need to comply with income caps and participation requirements on an ongoing basis.
If you no longer meet the Help to Buy eligibility requirements, we will work with you on a review of your circumstances. You may be required to buy back the Commonwealth Share in full or in part.
See if you meet the Scheme requirements
Speak to a Home Lending Specialist about your application and if you are eligible for Help to Buy, at a time and place that suits you.
Achieve homeownership much sooner and move into your home!
Nura is 28 years old and works as a primary school teacher in Geelong, Victoria. She dreams of buying her first home in the same city where she lives and works.
The market price in Geelong is around $750,000. Nura has managed to save $50,000 for a deposit, and her bank has indicated she can borrow up to $550,000. This leaves her $150,000 short of being able to afford a home.
After checking her eligibility, Nura finds out she qualifies for the Help to Buy Scheme. Through the Help to Buy Scheme, the Australian Government can contribute the 20% shortfall of $150,000, bridging the gap and making it possible for her to purchase her first home.
Thanks to Help to Buy, Nura can achieve her goal of home ownership, something that may not have been possible without Government support.
Be an Australian citizen and at least 18 years of age.
Applicants must not currently own property or land, but they can have owned property previously. Exceptions may apply for eligible single parents.
Must live in the home as a principal place of residence- cannot be an investment property.
Annual taxable income must be $100,000 or less for individual applicants, or $160,000 or less for joint applicants and single parents.
Principal & interest (P&I) repayments required for up to 30 years. Interest-only (IO) allowed during construction.
Property must not exceed the price cap set for your area (details below).
Provide a minimum deposit of 2%. If you're able to buy a home using just your savings and borrowing capacity, you won’t qualify for Help to Buy. However, if you’re nearly there — you've saved as much as you can and just need a little extra — Help to Buy could be the support that helps you make it happen.
*Participating states and territories are currently NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT and NT.
WA and TAS are currently not participating in Help to Buy.
From 5 December, you can apply for Help to Buy.
CommBank and Bank of Australia.
Speak to Home Lending Specialist about applying for Help to Buy.
Help to Buy is offering 10,000 places annually.
We're proud to be working alongside the Australian Government to help more first home buyers realise their property ownership goals sooner.
A one-off payment for eligible first home buyers who purchase or build a residential property to live in. Eligibility isn’t based on financial considerations such as your income.
Save money for your first home using your superannuation fund. Run by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the Scheme helps first home buyers save faster by allowing them to withdraw voluntary super contributions they’ve made to their super.
Get help from Ceba in the CommBank app or connect with a specialist who can message you back. You’ll need CommBank app notifications turned on so you know when you’ve received a reply.
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1. Awarded 'Bank of the Year - First Home Buyers' for 2025 by Canstar in July 2025
2. Awarded 'Bank of the Year - Digital Banking' for 2025 by Canstar in May 2025
The contents of this page are intended to provide general information of an educational nature only, without regard to the financial situation or needs of any reader and must not be relied upon as financial product advice. As the information has been provided without considering your objectives, financial situation or needs, you should, before acting on the information, consider its appropriateness to your circumstances. You should consider the Terms and Conditions and/or Product Disclosure Statement, as well as the Target Market Determination , of any product before deciding whether a product is appropriate for you. You should also consider seeking independent professional legal, tax and financial advice. Applications for finance are subject to credit approval. Fees and charges may be payable.
