About OwnHome

An award-winning pathway to homeownership.

Why we do what we do
We know that when it comes to getting on the property ladder, it can feel like the odds are stacked against you - because they kind of are! At OwnHome, our mission is to remove the biggest barrier to homeownership for Aussies today: the deposit.

Here's the facts:

The median house deposit is huge
In Sydney, we’re talking over $258K* for just the deposit. But you also need money set aside for stamp duty and taxes, pushing you into the $300K+ savings range.
*CoreLogic Home Value Index June 2023, based on Sydney median house prices and 20% deposit.
Hourglass illustration
Saving for a deposit is taking a decade
It would take the average saver, earning $100k+ annually, 9.99 years* to save for a deposit. Gone are the days of working for a few years to buy your first home - complete with a garden and a white picket fence.
*CoreLogic Home Value Index and Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker, based on average combined capital house price
Chart showing wage growth vs. property price growth
House prices have been outstripping wages for years
Housing prices are 30% higher than where they would be if in line with wage growth. In fact, since 2014, Sydney property price growth has increasingly outpaced wages*. So yes, boomers like to say the interest rate on their home loan was 17%. But it has never been harder than today.
*Australian Bureau of Statistics
Home tied to a coin illustration
Homeownership is tied to wealth
Australians over the age of 65 who own their home have a median net worth of $960,000. In stark contrast, the median net worth of similar households that still rent was just $40,800. So, homeowners over 65 are worth over 23 times more than renters of the same age*.
*Australian Bureau of Statistics
Bank of mum and dad illustration
Housing is becoming hereditary
Chances are, your friends who’ve bought did so with direct financial support from their parents. 2 in 3 first homebuyers get help from the Bank of Mum and Dad*.
*Digital Finance Analytics
Pick your capital city 
A 20% deposit on the median house is
$258,706
If you cut out some of your little guilty spends, you could have your deposit in:
Uber Eats when you’re too 
lazy to cook
72
years
Streaming subs you 
forgot about
1,347
years
A glass of chardy
155
years
Gym classes you skipped
359
years
Plants you’ve let die
1294
years
Books you’ll never read
1,725
years
Your weekly cheeky punt
100
years
Your daily oat flat white
199
years
See assumptions
TL;DR your avocado toast isn’t the problem
It’s almost impossible to save your way to a median house deposit. No matter what you might have heard, your avocado toast and lattes are not the problem.  

A word from our founders

Hey there,

OwnHome was born when we realised how damn hard it was for us and our siblings to buy a home. Why? The amount of money that is required for a 20% housing deposit in Australia these days.

We quickly discovered that we were not alone. Like us, millions of Australians with good, steady careers and incomes still cannot cover the cost of a home deposit.

And it’s not because we’re not financially responsible or good savers. The amount of money required for a 20% deposit has skyrocketed, while wage growth has been extremely slow. 

This means that, for people in our position, it now takes, on average, over ten years to save for a home deposit on personal income alone. By comparison, in 1970, the average working Australian could expect to purchase a home after just two years of full-time employment.

So how does anyone buy a house today? Well, more than 60% of first-home buyers in Australia have access to ‘the Bank of Mum and Dad’ to help fund their initial home loan deposit. 

But what about the 4.5 million Australians - like us and our siblings - who don't have access to intergenerational wealth? It’s even harder to get a foot on the property ladder.

As house prices keep increasing, saving that 20% deposit that the banks want just seems less and less attainable. We felt like the longer we saved, the further away the finish line got. And that isn’t fair. 

Like many people, we were stuck renting when we wanted to own our homes and access the long-term benefits and security that come with it.

So, we set out with the goal to create a new and accessible pathway to homeownership - without the requirement of hundreds of thousands of dollars upfront. 

The response we’ve received has been incredible—over $13B+ worth of applications in a year, a community of trusted customers, and the backing of Australia’s leading home loan lenders and investors: CommBank’s X15, Square Peg, Hostplus and more.

We're building an experienced, hopeful and determined team dedicated to making Australian homeownership more accessible.

This is our life’s mission. Because everyone should have the opportunity to build a life they love in the safety and security of their own home.

We're glad you're here,
James & Tim

P.S. We can’t wait to see you put up that sold sticker!

10x Growth
Australian home values rose almost 10 times faster than wages in 2021—meaning it's harder to save for a home.
9 Years
For the median priced home in Australia, it can take well over a decade to save for a 20% deposit + stamp duty.
20x Growth
The average wealth of homeowners is 20x greater vs. renters at 65.
Our investors
We're proud to have the trust and backing of world-leading investors.

Our values

Anti-fragile
If there is one thing that is certain, it’s that the world is uncertain. We take the long hard road, over the short easy road.
Authenticity
No tricks. No catches. No hidden fees. Just a simple path to homeownership.
Customer first
Homeownership is tricky, but we’re in your corner every step of the way. We get to know you and your unique situation.
Relationships > transactions
This is a relationship, not a transaction. You’re not a number at OwnHome. You’re a person.
Lead with trust
Your home is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your life. We strive to earn and keep your trust.
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