First Home Finance — your subsidy, estimated.
First Home Finance (formerly FLISP) is a once-off government housing subsidy for first-time buyers earning R3,501–R22,000 a month. Enter your household income to check your eligibility and see roughly how much you could qualify for.
Check your subsidy
Subsidy by income bracket
| Monthly income (gross) | FLISP subsidy |
|---|
Who qualifies
All of the following must apply. First Home Finance is assessed on your situation at the time you apply.
- Combined gross household income between R3,501 and R22,000 per month
- South African citizen, or hold a valid permanent residency permit
- At least 18 years old and legally competent to contract
- Married or cohabiting, or single with financial dependants (single applicants without dependants do not qualify)
- Have never owned residential property before
- Have never received a government housing subsidy before
- Have an approved home loan, or approval in principle, from an accredited South African bank or lender
- The property will be your primary residence
How to apply
First Home Finance is applied for through your bank or bond originator — not directly through Biemann Properties.
- Get a home loan approved
Apply for a bond with an accredited South African bank. A written approval, or approval in principle, is required before applying for the subsidy.
- Complete the application form
Available from the Department of Human Settlements, your bank, or a bond originator such as ooba or BetterBond.
- Gather your documents
ID, proof of income, marriage certificate or cohabitation affidavit, offer to purchase, and your bond approval letter.
- Submit through your bank
Most major banks process First Home Finance applications on behalf of their clients. Processing typically takes around 7 working days once complete.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The subsidy can serve as your deposit, helping you qualify for a larger bond. In practice you apply for a bond first, and once approved, the subsidy is applied to reduce the outstanding balance. You will still need cash for transaction costs such as transfer duty and bond registration, which the subsidy does not cover.
No. First Home Finance is applied to reduce the bond amount only. Transfer duty, transfer attorney fees, bond registration fees and the bank's initiation fee are paid separately, typically budgeted at around 8–12% of the property price.
The subsidy is assessed at the point of application. If your income rises afterwards, you do not need to repay it — it is not means-tested on an ongoing basis. Providing false income information to qualify, however, can lead to penalties.
Both. First Home Finance can be used for an existing property on the resale market or a new development from a registered developer, as long as it will be your primary residence and you have an approved home loan.
There is no official price cap in the regulations. In practice the subsidy has the most impact on properties roughly in the R350,000–R650,000 range, since that aligns with the bond amounts banks typically approve for households in the qualifying income band.
Your bank or bond originator is usually the first point of contact, since they submit the application on your behalf. You can also contact the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) directly. No bank, agent or originator is permitted to charge a fee to "unlock" or process your First Home Finance application — report any such request to the NHFC.
Important information about this calculator
This tool provides an indicative estimate only, based on publicly available First Home Finance (FLISP) subsidy bands for the 2025/2026 period. Subsidy amounts, income thresholds and qualifying criteria are set and may be revised by the Department of Human Settlements and the National Housing Finance Corporation (NHFC) — always confirm your eligibility and exact subsidy amount directly with the NHFC, your bank, or a registered bond originator before making any decisions.
Biemann Properties (Pty) Ltd is not the NHFC, a financial advisor, or a credit provider, and does not process First Home Finance applications. This calculator does not constitute financial advice. Bond repayment figures use the bond term, deposit and interest rate you enter and are illustrative only — your actual repayment will depend on your lender's assessment, your credit profile, and prevailing interest rates at the time of your application.