Owning your first home is a big part of achieving the ‘Australian Dream’, but it’s not without its challenges. However, by developing healthy savings habits and understanding what government support is available to you, you may be buying your first home before you know it.

Understand the minimum deposit you need to buy a house

As a rule of thumb, your first home deposit needs to be 20% of the property’s purchase price, plus enough to cover other purchase costs such as stamp duty. Try our Home Loan Government Fees Calculator to understand more about the upfront costs of buying a house in your state.

That said, some lenders only require a deposit of as little as a 5% plus costs. Remember though, the smaller your deposit, the bigger your loan. And you’ll have to pay for lenders mortgage insurance.

Speak with a home lending specialist about deposits

Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI)

LMI is a cost you’ll incur whenever you contribute less than a 20% deposit towards the purchase price of your home. It protects your lender if you’re unable to meet your loan repayments and have to sell your home for less than the value of your loan. You’ll be charged a one-off fee which can be paid at settlement or added to your home loan. If you opt for the latter, you’ll incur interest on your repayments.

Understand loan to value ratio (LVR)

LVR is calculated by dividing the loan with the purchase price of the property. For example, if you’re buying a $600,000 house and you have a $480,000 loan, the LVR is 80%.

A lower LVR (and therefore a bigger deposit) will demonstrate to your lender that you’re able to manage your finances well and may support your chances of home loan approval.

Find out how much you can borrow

Have a question? Fill out our Home Loan Enquiry Form and we'll reply within two hours or by the next business day.

Check your eligibility for government assistance schemes

First Home Owners Grant

The First Home Owners Grant offsets the effect of GST on home ownership. It’s a national scheme that’s funded and administered by each state or territory. If you’re eligible, you could receive a one-off grant to assist you with the costs of buying or building your first home.

First Home Super Saver Scheme

The First Home Super Saver Scheme allows you to save for your first home via your superannuation fund. Because super is taxed at a concessional rate, you’ll be able to save a contribution to your deposit faster. Check with your super fund to learn more about this scheme.

5 tips for saving for a house deposit

1. Create a budget

When you’re saving for your first home deposit, budgeting is a useful tool. By understanding where your money goes each month, you’ll know what your expenses are and you may even find ways to reduce your spending. Try our guide to creating a budget and Budget Planner tool to get you on the right track.

When you’re just starting out, don’t be too hard on yourself if you accidentally overspend on something. You might find it useful to start small. That way, you’ll be building healthy money habits as you go.

2. Find ways to cut your expenses

As you develop your budget, you’ll identify expenses that can be cut or reduced. You might be able to:

• reduce your living expenses by finding a cheaper place to rent (if you’re renting) or moving back in with your parents for a period
• reduce your impulse spending, or
• find ways to save money on your grocery bill.

Even small changes can add up to big savings!

3. Reduce your personal debt

If you have debts, you’ll be paying additional interest. Reducing your debt will help you to save a little extra cash, and could help you borrow more when it comes time to purchase your first home.

If you’re meeting your repayments on any existing loans, you may not be adversely impacted when it’s time to apply for a home loan. Comprehensive Credit Reporting takes into account good financial behaviour in your credit report, where previously only negative consumer credit information was included. Lenders, including Suncorp Bank, review this information when assessing loan applications.

4. Get a high-interest savings account

By depositing your savings into a high-interest savings account or term deposit, you’ll earn more interest on your balance when compared to a transaction account.

5. Seek out additional sources of income

Whether you’ve got a side hustle you can capitalise on, or some valuable unused items lying around, cashing in on these could be a useful way of saving extra money towards your home deposit.

Talk to a Suncorp Bank lending expert

Suncorp Bank is proud to support first home buyers in achieving their version of the Australian Dream. But we also understand that buying a home can be overwhelming, particularly if it’s your first.

A Suncorp Bank lending specialist can answer your home loan questions and help every step of the way, from application to settlement. All consultations are 100% obligation-free.

Talk to a home loan expert

Published 14 July 2022