Disclaimer: The ‘How much can I borrow?’ calculator takes your income and expenditure and provides an accurate indication of how much you can afford to borrow.It combines the exact method used by the serviceability calculators of three banks to find out whether you’d be eligible for a home loan.
This calculator is designed to help you work out how much different banks will allow you to borrow when applying for a home loan.
Although it uses the exact same method as those lenders, you should always consider your own personal circumstances when deciding how much you should borrow.
How can I increase my borrowing power?
If you can’t borrow as much as you would like then you should consider changing your circumstances so you can qualify for a larger loan.
- Cancel your credit cards.
- Switch your current loans to interest only (acceptable to some lenders).
- Fix the rate on your current loans (acceptable to some lenders).
- Choose a lender that can include overtime, bonus and other income.
- Choose a lender that allows you to borrow more.
Assessing your borrowing power is closely linked to the living expenses you declare in the lender’s fact find.
More than ever, the focus has been on how banks compare your living expenses to the Household Expenditure Method (HEM) benchmark.
Speak to our mortgage brokers by calling 1300 889 743 or fill in our free assessment form to find out which banks can lend you the most.
Should I borrow to my limit?
In most cases, it doesn’t make sense to borrow to your limit. If life throws you a curve ball then you’ll be unable to recover.
Having a healthy cashflow as well as some funds on standby will help you to ride out many of the small problems in life.
You should look ahead and consider if you will have children or if your housing needs or income will change. Borrow a suitable amount for your future income and expenses.
It’s ok to borrow closer to your limit if you are at the beginning of your career, have a regularly increasing income and are not planning to have children right away. This can allow you to buy the home that will suit you for many years to come without requiring you to sell and buy a new property in a few years time.
How can we help?
Our mortgage brokers are accredited with all major lenders such as ANZ, Bankwest, Commonwealth Bank (CBA), National Australia Bank, St George, Westpac (WBC) and many more. We also have access to their serviceability calculators which means we can calculate your borrowing power before submitting a home loan application.
Call us on 1300 889 743 or fill in our free assessment form and we’ll work with you to get you the amount that you need.
