Port Augusta
SAUpper Spencer Gulf
$340,000
31.8% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($500,000)
- Deposit needed
- $6,800
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$1,569
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Plan - Tool 04
What can I afford?
Interactive first home buyer suburb explorer with scheme-boosted capacity overlay.
Your borrowing power
Not sure? The Borrowing Power calculator gives an estimate from your income and debts.
How you'd buy
Scheme
A 2% deposit. The government owns 30% of an existing home.
Property type
Where you're looking
Region
Scheme price caps apply once you pick a state.
Estimated maximum purchase price
$735k
What $500k of borrowing could reach with Help to Buy on an existing home, before stamp duty and other buying costs. An estimate based on these inputs; a lender makes the final call.
- Deposit needed
- $14,706
- You own / government owns
- 70% / 30%
- Suburbs within reach across Australia
- 81 of 145
Help to Buy rules can change
Help to Buy caps and ownership mechanics are subject to final regulations. Confirm current eligibility with Housing Australia before signing a contract.
What each scheme could reach
The same $500k of borrowing under each option.
Suburbs to explore
Median prices against your estimate. Green is within it, gold is within 10% over, terracotta is further out.
81 within your estimate, 21 near the limit, 145 suburbs in total (showing 1 to 12).
Within estimate
Ararat
VICCentral Highlands
$420,000
20% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($650,000)
- Deposit needed
- $8,400
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$1,939
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Whyalla
SAUpper Spencer Gulf
$429,000
10% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($500,000)
- Deposit needed
- $8,580
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$1,980
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Emerald
QLDCentral QLD
$445,000
26.1% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($700,000)
- Deposit needed
- $8,900
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,054
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Gillen, Alice Springs
NTCentral Australia
$455,000
5.2% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($600,000)
- Deposit needed
- $9,100
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,100
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Kalgoorlie
WAGoldfields
$470,000
34.7% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($600,000)
- Deposit needed
- $9,400
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,169
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Ravenswood
TASLaunceston
$470,000
25.3% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($550,000)
- Deposit needed
- $9,400
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,169
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Shepparton
VICGoulburn Valley
$506,500
13.8% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($650,000)
- Deposit needed
- $10,130
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,338
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
West Gladstone
QLDCentral QLD
$515,000
14.4% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($700,000)
- Deposit needed
- $10,300
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,377
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Upper Burnie
TASNorth West TAS
$530,000
17.8% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($550,000)
- Deposit needed
- $10,600
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,446
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Primrose Sands
TASSouth East TAS
$530,000
7.8% fall over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($700,000)
- Deposit needed
- $10,600
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,446
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Bowen
QLDNorth QLD
$532,500
13.9% growth over the past year
Within Help to Buy cap ($700,000)
- Deposit needed
- $10,650
- Monthly repayment (7.2%, 30 yrs)
- ~$2,458
Max price: no scheme $625k, 5% $526k, Help to Buy $735k
Grants and savings that may stack
State grants and duty concessions can often sit on top of one federal scheme.
Estimates for a $600,000 existing property, a sample price below your $735,294 estimate. Grants and duty concessions may be lower at higher prices.
- Help to Buy equity contribution
- $180,000
- First Home Owner GrantExisting homes are not eligible
- $0
- Stamp duty saving (estimate)
- $12,850
- LMI waiver saving (estimate)
- $19,950
- Total combined support
- $212,800
Most suburb prices are the median sold price of 3-bedroom houses over the past 12 months, and growth is the change on the 12 months before. A few suburbs with too few recent sales still show earlier figures. Repayment estimates use a 7.2% variable rate over 30 years and leave out fees, insurance and rate changes. Data as of September 2026.
Keep going
Tools people usually open after What can I afford?
Borrowing PowerHow much you can borrow, and how government schemes extend your capacity.Can I Afford This Property?NewFound a listing? Enter its price with your income and savings to see upfront costs, the loan needed, repayments and which schemes could apply.Scheme ComparisonHelp to Buy vs 5% Deposit side by side with long-run wealth impact.Grant StackerEvery federal and state grant, concession and scheme you may be eligible for.School Zone PremiumSame house, different school zone. Is the premium worth it vs paying private fees?Strata Fee EstimatorPredict the quarterly body corporate fees on an apartment before you make an offer, from building features.Price Cap CheckerSee the maximum property price for Help to Buy and the 5% Deposit Scheme, side by side, for your state and location.Stamp Duty CalculatorPer-state estimate with FHB concessions auto-applied, foreign surcharges, total upfront.
Frequently asked questions
You enter your estimated borrowing power and choose a government scheme, and the tool converts those inputs into a maximum purchase price. It then overlays that price against median suburb figures from around Australia so you can see which areas may be within reach. Results are estimates based on the figures you enter - they do not account for your full financial situation, and a lender will make the final call on how much you can borrow.
The calculation depends on the scheme you choose. With no scheme, a 20% deposit is assumed, so your borrowing power represents 80% of the purchase price. With the 5% Deposit Scheme, your borrowing covers 95% of the price. Under Help to Buy, the government contributes equity (30% for existing homes, 40% for new builds) and you need only a 2% deposit, which is why the same borrowing power stretches to a higher price. State-based price caps can also limit the result when you filter by a specific state and region.
The First Home Guarantee (5% Deposit Scheme) lets eligible first home buyers purchase with as little as a 5% deposit and waive lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), which can otherwise add thousands to your loan. Single parents and legal guardians may be eligible for a 2% deposit pathway under the same scheme. Because you borrow more (95% of the purchase price rather than 80%), your loan is larger, so repayments would generally be higher than if you had saved a full 20% deposit - a trade-off worth modelling with a mortgage calculator before committing.
Help to Buy is a federal shared-equity scheme where the government co-owns a share of your property - 30% for an existing home or 40% for a new build - in exchange for requiring only a 2% deposit from you. Because the government holds equity, your loan is much smaller than it would otherwise be, which is how the same borrowing power can reach a significantly higher purchase price. Income limits apply - currently $103,000 or less for a single buyer or $165,000 or less for couples, depending on your circumstances - and the relevant authority (Housing Australia) makes the final eligibility determination. Caps on the purchase price also apply by state and whether you are in a capital city or regional area.
Government schemes set different price caps for capital cities and regional areas. For example, the First Home Guarantee currently caps purchases at $1,500,000 in NSW metro areas but $800,000 in the rest of NSW - a big difference for the same borrowing power. The tool applies the correct cap for whichever region tier you select so the maximum price shown stays within what the scheme actually allows in that location.
No - federal first-home schemes cannot be combined on the same purchase. You can use one or the other, but not both. State-based grants (like the First Home Owner Grant) and stamp duty concessions can often stack on top of a single federal scheme, so a federal scheme does not necessarily rule out state assistance. The Grant Stacker section of this tool shows what state grants may be available alongside your chosen scheme.
This tool gives you a rough sense of your price range and which suburbs could be within reach - it is a starting point, not a final answer. Your actual borrowing power depends on your full income picture, existing debts, credit history, and which lender you approach, so getting a pre-approval from a lender or speaking with a mortgage broker is the natural next step. A conveyancer or solicitor can explain what the contract and settlement process looks like once you have a shortlist of areas in mind.
Data verified September 2026
For illustration only. This tool does not constitute personal financial advice. Grant amounts, caps, and eligibility rules may change. Federal scheme caps shown are for capital city/regional centres and may differ for other areas. Always verify with your state revenue office and Housing Australia, and consider seeking independent financial advice before making decisions.