New ‘Home Layby Plan’ targets first-home deposit hurdle

A new initiative launching in early 2026 aims to help first-home buyers build a deposit by using a “lay-by” style co-investment model that taps into property capital growth rather than traditional savings alone.

The launch comes as housing affordability sits near record lows, with median-income buyers able to afford only a small share of homes and facing years of saving to reach a standard deposit. Separate research shows servicing a new mortgage can absorb close to half of median household income, with many buyers needing close to a decade or more to save a 20% deposit.

Developed by Saviour Financial Services, the Home Layby Plan allows small groups of four or five participants to contribute modest weekly amounts – starting from about $50 a week for some buyers – into a unit trust that purchases an investment property geared to a 50%–60% loan-to-value ratio.

Each participant becomes a unitholder and can later sell their unit, ideally after the property value has risen, and use the proceeds as a deposit for their own home. Parents can also invest on behalf of their children, offering an alternative to going guarantor on a loan.