ACCESSING THE EQUITY IN YOUR HOME
- BCV
Looking to invest in property? Perhaps you’re thinking about renovating your bathroom or kitchen. Maybe you’re considering a bucket list holiday or the car of your dreams. These are just a few reasons you might want to access the equity in your home.
Whatever the reason, releasing equity from your home could be a savvy way to help bring those dreams to life.
What is equity?
Equity is the market value of your property minus what you owe on your home loan. It’s roughly the amount you’d receive if you were to sell your property and pay off your mortgage. What some people don’t realise is you might be able to tap into these funds without selling your property.
How do you calculate equity?
Let’s say your home is worth $500,000 and you have $200,000 outstanding on your mortgage. That means you have approximately $300,000 in equity.
How can you increase equity?
There are several ways that equity in your property can change – either through improvements you’ve made, market fluctuations, or extra payments.
Additional contributions
If you keep paying off your loan, you’ll continue to gain equity over time. You can build equity (and pay less interest each month) by making additional repayments each month or through making a lump sum payment.
Renovations
Making improvements to your property can often increase its market value, which in turn could increase the equity in your property.
Market changes
Equity may increase if the market value of your property naturally increases over time.
Capitalising on the equity in your home
You can take advantage of your home equity in several ways:
Buying an investment property
One option could be to refinance your current home loan and use the equity to buy an investment property. The rent you receive could help pay off your home loan, give you funds to invest further, and you may even enjoy capital gains over time.
Renovating your home
Looking to improve your existing home? Accessing your equity could help turn those renovation goals into a reality. When done properly, renovations can increase the value of your property.
Accessing cash out
Whether you’re looking to pay off some outstanding debts, fund your dream holiday or purchase a new car or caravan – the power of your equity can be impressive!
Tips on how to use equity in your home
You can either refinance your existing mortgage, access cash through redraw, or borrow against your equity.
Redraw
Redraw is when you withdraw any extra repayments you’ve made over and above the minimum payments.
Additional Advance
Keen to borrow more on top of your original mortgage? An Additional Advance could help but be aware that it could be at a different interest rate.
Mortgage Refinancing
You could also refinance your existing mortgage to access current market rates or other loan options you may be eligible for.
Think about the risks
Whether you’re looking to invest in property or consolidate debts – there are some potential risks with accessing equity. It’s important to consider the value of your home, your credit history, and your ability to meet your repayments before you borrow against your home. Also consider any discharge or exit fees if you’re moving lenders.
