--- title: "Planning To Use EPF For Your First Home? Here’s What You Need To Prepare" url: https://weirdkaya.com/planning-to-use-epf-for-your-first-home-heres-what-you-need-to-prepare/ date: 2026-11-03 modified: 2026-11-03 lang: en author: "Jann Firdaus" description: "Buying your first home means figuring out more than just whether you can afford the monthly instalments. There’s also the down payment and other upfront costs to think about. If..." categories: - "Lifestyle" tags: - "EPF" - "Finance" - "Home" - "house" - "KWSP" - "property" image: https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/Planning-To-Use-EPF-For-Your-First-Home-Heres-What-You-Need-To-Prepare.png word_count: 489 --- # Planning To Use EPF For Your First Home? Here’s What You Need To Prepare ## TL: DR - **EPF Akaun Sejahtera:** Eligible members below age 55 with at least RM500 in Akaun Sejahtera can withdraw savings to finance a residential property in Malaysia. - **Withdrawal Limit Formula:** Buyers with a housing loan can withdraw their entire Akaun Sejahtera balance or the price-loan difference plus 10% of the purchase price, whichever is lower. - **Upfront Down Payment:** EPF states that buyers must pay the initial 10% down payment from their own savings and prepare the Sale and Purchase Agreement for i-Akaun submission. **Buying your first home means figuring out more than just whether you can afford the monthly instalments. There’s also the down payment and other upfront costs to think about.** If you’ve been contributing to EPF, your savings could help with the purchase. However, there are conditions to meet, and you shouldn’t assume the money will be available before you pay your deposit. ## Which EPF account can you withdraw from ![https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/member/house-withdrawal/buy-house](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Malaysian-suburban-home-with-parked-SUV.png)For illustration purposes only. According to [EPF’s Buy House Withdrawal guide](https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/member/house-withdrawal/buy-house), eligible members can use savings from **Akaun Sejahtera** to help finance a residential property in Malaysia. ## Who can apply ![Malaysian housing savings service desk](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Malaysian-housing-savings-service-desk.png)For illustration purposes only. Applicants must generally: - Be below 55. - Have at least RM500 in Akaun Sejahtera. - Be purchasing an eligible residential property. - Have an approved loan from a recognised lender or finance the purchase themselves. You must also have never made a housing withdrawal, or have sold or disposed of the property linked to your previous housing withdrawal. The purchase agreement must be no more than three years old when you apply. ## How much can you withdraw ![ wk ringgit ](https://cdn.weirdkaya.com/media/202607-wk-ringgit-3178.webp) Under [EPF’s withdrawal terms](https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/others/terms-and-conditions), an individual buying with a housing loan can withdraw the lower of: - The purchase price minus the approved loan amount, **plus 10% of the purchase price**; or - Their entire Akaun Sejahtera balance. For example, say you’re buying a **RM300,000 home** with a **RM270,000 loan**. The calculation would be RM30,000 plus RM30,000, giving a limit of **RM60,000**. If your Akaun Sejahtera only contains RM25,000, the maximum would instead be **RM25,000**, subject to approval. For a purchase without a loan, the limit is the purchase price plus 10%, or your Akaun Sejahtera balance, whichever is lower. **The additional 10% is part of the withdrawal calculation, not extra money EPF gives you.** ## You may still need cash for the down payment first This is the part to plan around. In its [housing withdrawal explainer](https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/w/article/epf-housing-withdrawal), EPF explains that buyers using this route to cover the usual 10% down payment first need to pay that amount from their own savings. Check your payment deadlines with your lawyer or developer before relying on the withdrawal to fund an upfront payment. ## What documents should you prepare ![Malaysian couple planning their first home](https://weirdkaya.com/wp-content/uploads/Malaysian-couple-planning-their-first-home.png)For illustration purposes only. Common documents include your Sale and Purchase Agreement, housing loan approval letter and bank account details. Additional documents depend on the transaction. A joint withdrawal with a spouse or eligible family member requires proof of relationship, while a cash purchase has separate supporting requirements. EPF lists both i-Akaun and manual application routes on its [official guide, which includes the document checklist](https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/member/house-withdrawal/buy-house). ## Buying a home and paying an existing loan involve different options EPF also offers separate withdrawals for [monthly housing loan instalments and reducing or settling a housing loan](https://www.kwsp.gov.my/en/member/house-withdrawal). Each has its own conditions. Using EPF can ease the amount you need to fund from other savings, but it also leaves less money in your retirement account to earn future dividends. Work out both your upfront budget and ongoing repayments before deciding how much to withdraw. **[READ ALSO:](https://weirdkaya.com/instead-of-withdrawing-everything-heres-how-to-get-your-epf-monthly/)** https://weirdkaya.com/instead-of-withdrawing-everything-heres-how-to-get-your-epf-monthly/