You have savings. The government has three very different ways to help. Enter what you've saved and your income, and see, side by side, how much house each scheme unlocks, how much the government effectively puts in, your loan and repayment, and which Adelaide suburbs come into reach. Updates as you type.
In income mode we estimate your maximum loan using ATO 2024-25 tax, the 2% Medicare levy, HECS, the HEM living-expense benchmark, your existing debts (3% of credit-card limits plus other monthly repayments) and the APRA 3% serviceability buffer (the same framework as our Borrowing Power tool). We then layer each government scheme on top of your savings to work out the maximum purchase price, the government's contribution, your loan and your repayment. Indicative only. SA Property Central is not a lender or broker, confirm eligibility and figures with your bank or a licensed broker.
Enter your savings and income to compare the first home buyer schemes
Get a sharper maximum-loan figure with credit cards, other debts and declared expenses, then drop it into the manual mode here.
Open the tool →Stamp duty, LTO fees, conveyancer, LMI, inspections, the cash you need on top of your deposit before settlement.
Open the tool →Once a scheme sets your loan, model the repayments weekly, fortnightly and monthly, and see what extra repayments save.
Open the tool →FHOG, stamp duty concessions and the schemes explained, with worked examples for new builds and established homes.
Read the guide →It depends on the scheme, and they work very differently. The SA First Home Owner Grant is a $15,000 cash payment for buying or building a new home, and new homes pay $0 stamp duty (a saving worth tens of thousands). The federal Help to Buy scheme contributes an equity share of up to 40% of a new home's price (30% for established), which you repay when you sell. The First Home Guarantee gives no cash but lets you buy with a 5% deposit and skip Lenders Mortgage Insurance. Many buyers stack the grant with the guarantee on a new build.
Yes. Under the First Home Guarantee you can buy with as little as a 5% deposit and avoid Lenders Mortgage Insurance, because the government guarantees up to 15% of the loan. From 1 October 2025 the scheme removed income limits and place caps, and lifted the Adelaide property price cap to $900,000. The Help to Buy shared equity scheme goes further, you need only a 2% deposit, but the government takes an equity share in the home.
From 1 October 2025 the First Home Guarantee price cap for Adelaide and the rest of SA is $900,000 (up from $600,000). Help to Buy has a lower Adelaide cap of $700,000. The FHOG and $0 stamp duty for new homes have no value cap. These caps are the maximum purchase price the scheme supports, not a deposit figure.
The federal government co-buys the home with you, contributing up to 40% of the price for a new home or 30% for an established home, for that share of ownership. You provide a deposit as low as 2% and take a smaller mortgage on the remaining share, so repayments are lower. You repay the government's share, including its share of any capital growth, when you sell or buy it back. Income caps apply ($100,000 single, $160,000 couples and single parents) and places are limited each year.
For contracts signed on or after 6 June 2024, eligible SA first home buyers pay $0 stamp duty on a new home, off-the-plan apartment, house-and-land package or vacant land to build on, with no value cap. Buying an established home is different: normal stamp duty applies (a concession may apply at lower price points). This is why building or buying new is often far cheaper overall for an SA first home buyer.
Often yes. A common stack on a new build is the $15,000 grant + $0 stamp duty + the First Home Guarantee (5% deposit, no LMI). Help to Buy is generally used on its own rather than alongside the guarantee, because both change your loan structure. Always confirm the current rules and your eligibility with your lender or broker, scheme terms change.
No. SA Property Central is not a lender, broker or credit provider, and this is an information tool only. Scheme rules, caps and eligibility change and have fine print this tool simplifies. Always confirm with Housing Australia, RevenueSA, your bank or a licensed broker before relying on any figure.