If you apply for a home loan, particularly if the loan is for more than 80 per cent of a property’s value, you’ll more than likely have to prove to lenders that you have a satisfactory amount of savings. This is to demonstrate your ability to funnel a portion of your income into repayments. Although it can differ, in most cases lenders generally look for consistent additions to savings over a period of at least three months and preferably a year or more. This means that the following are not considered genuine savings: a cash gift an inheritance casino/other gambling winnings proceeds of the sale of a non-investment asset government grants and other finance offered as incentives