How much deposit do I need to build?

"Deposit" means three different things when you buy land and build. Side by side, it's simple:

• The land deposit. You pay it to the developer when you sign the land contract. It's usually about $5,000, anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on the estate, and at least $5,000 for an infill block. The land contract sets the amount.
• The house deposit. A deposit to secure your home, paid when you sign the Preliminary Plans Agreement (PPA). It comes off the house price.
• Your lender's deposit. Your own share of the whole cost of land and house. This is the one that decides your loan, and your land deposit and house deposit both count towards it.

The rest of the house is paid in stages as it's built, and your bank pays each one from your loan. The stages are the slab, plate height, roof cover, lock-up and practical completion. How much is paid at each stage can vary with your lender, and our broker partner confirms it for your loan.

A lender looks at your deposit as a share of the total cost, along with your income, your debts and how you've saved. A bigger share means less risk for them. If your deposit is small, many lenders charge lenders mortgage insurance. It protects the lender, not you, and it adds to your costs.

Two government-backed options let you start with less, and without that insurance:

• The 5% Deposit Scheme: buy with a 5 per cent deposit if you qualify. No income limit and no cap on places. The price limit is $850,000 in Perth and WA's regional centres, and $600,000 elsewhere in WA.
• The WA Government lender's low deposit loan: from a 2 per cent deposit, within the income and price limits it publishes.

You don't need to work out which fits. Our licensed broker partner looks at your situation and talks you through it. The lender or the scheme makes the final call, not us and not this website.

The First Home Owner Grant: up to $10,000 if you qualify, for a new home. There's no income or assets test. In Perth the land and house together must be worth $800,000 or less (for purchases from 7 May 2026). Lenders count it towards your deposit, and our broker partner lodges it with your loan.

Less stamp duty. When you buy a block and build, duty is normally charged on the land only. First home buyers pay no duty on vacant land up to $450,000, and a reduced rate up to $550,000. For a home the limits are $600,000 and $800,000. These apply to purchases agreed from 7 May 2026. Our settlement agent partner confirms your figure.

There are a few other costs too, like loan fees, rent while you build, and things outside the building contract such as backyard landscaping, a letterbox and a clothesline. We help you add them all up, so nothing surprises you.

Before you look at a single block, we help you work out:

• What you've saved now, and what you can add by the time you want to start.
• Which help you may qualify for: the grant, the lower stamp duty rate, the 5% Deposit Scheme and the WA Government lender's low deposit loan. Our broker partner checks these with you.
• What a lender would offer you, in writing, from our licensed broker partner.
• The total weekly repayments you're willing to pay to own your own home.

How much you can borrow is decided by a licensed broker and the lender, so our broker partner looks at your finance with you. We handle the rest: what the builder needs from you and when, what fits your budget, and keeping the land, the house and the loan lined up.