Your equity is the difference between the value of your home and what you owe on your home.
Think of your equity as the money you would have leftover if you sold your home, and repaid your home loan.
Disclaimer: This calculator is to be used as a guide to help you better understand your options. We have not assessed what options are suitable for your needs or if you meet other lending criteria that would allow you to access your equity. Any repayments quoted above are calculated using your current home loan balance over a term of 30 years. We strongly recommend that you make additional repayments and pay your loan off sooner. If you borrow over 80% of the property value, then you may pay an LMI premium.
The property equity calculator simply deducts your home loan amount from the estimated value of your home.
Calculate my equity equation: property value – loan amount = equity
For example, if your home is worth $500,000 and you owe $200,000, then the calculation would look like this:
$500,000 – $200,000 = $300,000 in equity
Not sure how much your property is worth? We have written a guide to help you estimate the value of your home.
Why is equity so important?
The equity in your home is important! It is usually the biggest asset you have. You should aim to repay your home loan before you retire.
People who have little equity in their property when they reach retirement age may be forced to either downsize their home or continue working to repay the debt.
Accessing your equity
You can access your equity with a home equity loan. This may be subject to equity release restrictions, also known as cash out restrictions.
The funds released can then be used for any worthwhile purpose, including renovating your home, investing in property or consolidating debts.
Please call us on 1300 889 743 or enquire online and one of our mortgage brokers can assist you in accessing your equity.
Increase your equity!
This is why you should try and minimise unnecessary spending and aim to pay off your home loan as soon as possible. This will also decrease the interest that you pay and save you money as well as increase your equity.
If you are an experienced investor, then you can use your equity to help you gear your investments in shares or property to maximise your returns.
