Shared equity buyback calculator
If the government co-owns part of your home through Help to Buy or a state shared-equity scheme, see what it costs to buy that share back today — and why it climbs as your home grows in value, because the government is repaid a slice of that growing value.
Estimate only — general information, not advice. This prices the government's share as a flat percentage of the value you enter. Real buyback terms vary by scheme — minimum steps, the valuation method, fees, dollar caps on the government's share, and whether interest or a share of improvements applies. Confirm the binding figure with your scheme administrator. Propact does not provide financial, legal or tax advice.
How a shared-equity buyback is priced
Shared-equity schemes lower the deposit and loan you need by having the government co-own a percentage of your home. That percentage doesn't shrink as you pay your mortgage — it stays fixed until you buy it back or sell.
When you do, you repay the government its percentage of the home's current value — not the dollars it first put in. So the buyback price moves with the market: a 25% government share of an $800,000 home is worth $200,000 today.
The cost of waiting
Because the government's share tracks the valuation, capital growth quietly works against you on the part you don't yet own. Every year the home appreciates, the same buyback gets more expensive.
Propact makes that visible: inside your dashboard it projects the buyback forward at a growth rate you choose, so you can weigh buying back sooner — when it's cheaper — against whatever else that money could do.
Shared equity buyback — common questions
How does a government shared-equity buyback work?
Under a shared-equity scheme the government co-owns a percentage of your home in exchange for a smaller deposit and loan. When you buy that share back — or sell — you repay the government that same percentage of the property's current market value, not the dollar amount it originally contributed. So if the government owns 25% and your home is worth $800,000, its share is worth $200,000.
Why does waiting to buy back cost more?
Because the government's share is a percentage of the current value, every year your home grows in value the same buyback gets more expensive. Buying back 10% of an $800,000 home costs $80,000 today; if the home grows 5% a year, that same 10% costs around $102,000 in five years. Propact projects this 'cost of waiting' inside your dashboard so you can weigh buying back sooner against other uses of your money.
Which schemes does this cover?
It covers the shared-equity schemes where the government takes a real equity stake: the Commonwealth Help to Buy scheme, the Victorian Homebuyer Fund (closed to new entrants but still held by existing participants), Queensland Boost to Buy, SA HomeStart Shared Equity, WA Keystart Shared Ownership and Tasmania MyHome. Guarantee schemes like the First Home Guarantee are not included here because the government holds no equity to buy back — it only guarantees part of your loan.
Are there minimum buyback amounts?
Often, yes. Several schemes only let you 'staircase' in set steps — for example, the Victorian Homebuyer Fund required buying back at least 5 percentage points (and at least $10,000) at a time, and WA Keystart buys back in 5% chunks. Propact flags when your entry is below a known minimum, but always confirm the current step, valuation method and any fees with your scheme administrator.
Is this buyback estimate accurate?
It's an educational estimate. It prices the government's share as a flat percentage of the value you enter. Real terms vary: how the property is valued, fees, dollar caps on the government's share, and whether any interest or share of improvements applies. Confirm the binding figure with your scheme administrator before relying on it.
On a government scheme?
Propact tracks your government share alongside your equity, contributions and a fair buyout — whether you own solo or with someone — so you always know where you stand.
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