About First Home Guarantee

You could buy your first home sooner

At CommBank, we understand that buying your first home is an important goal. The First Home Guarantee (FHBG) is an Australian Government initiative designed to help eligible first home buyers purchase their first home sooner, with a deposit as low as 5% and without the need for Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI).

What is the First Home Guarantee?

The First Home Guarantee is part of the Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS), administered by Housing Australia. It issues 35,000 guarantees each financial year for eligible loans to home buyers with a deposit of between 5% and 20% of the property value.

What types of properties are eligible?

It must be a ‘residential property’ – this term has a specific meaning under the First Home Guarantee. Speak to your Home Lending Specialist if in doubt. Properties include:

  • Existing houses, townhouses or apartments
  • Off-the-plan townhouses or apartments
  • House and land packages
  • Land with separate contracts to build a house

Note: industrial properties are not eligible for the Guarantee.

Who is eligible?

You can check your eligibility for First Home Guarantee on the Housing Australia website, however, the following conditions will generally apply.

  • Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents who are at least 18 years of age.
  • Applicants must not have previously owned or had an interest in a residential property, either separately or jointly with someone else (this includes residential strata and company title properties, regardless of whether it was an investment or owner-occupied property and whether it was ever lived in) in the past 10 years.
  • Singles with a taxable income of up to $125,000 per annum and couples with a combined taxable income of up to $200,000 per annum may be eligible (taxable income as shown on the Notice of Assessment issued by the Australian Taxation Office).
  • Co-borrowers who are married, in a de facto relationship, siblings, parent/child or friends.
  • Owner Occupied home loans paid on a principal and interest basis (investment properties and Interest Only loans are excluded). If the loan relates both to the purchase of vacant land and to the construction of a house, the loan may still be eligible even if the terms of the construction loan agreement permit Interest Only payments for the partially funded period. 

  • Applicants who have a deposit of between 5% and 20% of the property’s value and contribute the maximum amount of funds available to them.
  • Guarantee can’t be used in conjunction with the Family Home Guarantee or Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee.

Your maximum property purchase price is subject to the suburb and postcode of your new property. You can check the property price threshold for your property’s suburb and postcode using Housing Australia's property price threshold tool.

You can only use the Guarantee once for the settlement of a home. If you were unable to purchase a property in the required time frame, you may be able to make a new place reservation. 

How to apply

There are 35,000 First Home Guarantee places available for the current financial year through participating lenders, including CommBank. Get started today.

Apply online

Book appointment

Check your eligibility

Use the Eligibility Tool on the Housing Australia website to see if you qualify.

Gather your documents

Gather necessary documents, including your Notice of Assessment from the Australian Taxation Office.

Contact a lender

Connect with a Home Lending Specialist at CommBank.

Submit your application

Work with your lender to submit your application and secure your place. They’ll keep you up to date on the progress of your application.

You'll need to purchase your home within 90 days of approval on the Home Guarantee Scheme.

Why choose CommBank?

Ask for a personalised rate on new loans

To find out if you're eligible for further interest rate reductions tailored to you, speak to your Home Lending Specialist or check when you apply online for a new loan.  

Access exclusive offers & discounts​

Unlock fast contract reviews with Home-in, save on nbn and mobile plans with More and, if eligible, be rewarded as part of CommBank Yello, our customer recognition program.

Experience Australia’s best banking app^

Australia's best banking app^ 15 years in row. Access guidance articles, tools and insights with Home Hub using the CommBank App. Track and manage your application from start through to settlement.

Guidance

First home buyer’s guide

Your step-by-step guide to buying property, whether it's a home to live in or an investment for your future.

Buying your first home: where do you start?

We outline six steps worth taking in your home buying journey so you can purchase your first home with confidence.

Saving for a deposit

No matter where you are in Australia, buying a home to live in or as an investment isn’t impossible. We’ll outline the steps so you can turn your dream home into a reality.

Things you should know