Shannon and Simon can pay for renos by switching to a better rate – with the help of loanScore

The Block winners Shannon and Simon Vos know a great deal about homes and renovating but admitted they weren’t so savvy when it came to home loans.

Brothers Shannon and Simon Vos won season nine of popular renovation show The Block:Glasshouse back in 2014. While the two know a great deal about homes and renovating, they recently admitted they weren’t so savvy when it came to home loans. (In case you missed their insta story and Facebook video about this, we’ve included them below). The painter (Shannon) and plumber (Simon) recently checked their home loan rates in Australia using UNO’s loanScoreTM tool and found the results pretty surprising. With Shannon moving into a new home, he has big plans to renovate. But as anyone who’s renovated their home before knows, the process can be time-consuming and extremely costly. “I hope you have an absolute mint of savings tucked away, cause renovating ain’t cheap,” his brother Simon quipped. Shannon, like 89% of homeowners, didn’t know the rate on his home loan. When he checked it using UNO’s loanScore tool, he found out that he was actually eligible for a better rate. The money he could save by refinancing could even be put towards his renovations. “I know you’re renovating your home, but you need to renovate your home loan before you start to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible,” said Shannon. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. When you let us know your current home loan rate and details about your loan, loanScore gives you a score out of 100 to indicate how good your current loan is. The higher the score, the better your loan is. If you get a low score, UNO will search for better loans and can show you your potential net savings over 3 years if you choose to switch.

As an Active Home Loan Manager, UNO:

  1. helps you find the right home loan for your situation
  2. monitors your existing loan and let you know whether it’s still the best loan available to you (even if you didn’t get it through us)
  3. helps you renegotiate with your current bank or lender, if your current loan is no good
  4. helps you switch banks, if your current bank or lender won’t come to the party Check out UNO’s loanScore tool to see if you could be getting a better rate – and could be saving money you could be putting towards something else – like renovations. Book a call in with UNO
5 stars for our service reviews from clients

Book Call Now

UNO home loans

Try Plans, by UNO
Mortgage calculators completely reimagined
Get Started
Orange square icon with a black network-like symbol and the words 'Good' in green twice and 'Bad' in red in the bottom right corner on a white background.ANZ logo next to the words 'Possibly' in orange and 'Good' twice in green on a white background.White rectangular shape with rounded, scalloped corners on a transparent background.Logo with blue and purple geometric shield shape on left and three green words 'Good' arranged in a triangular layout on right.A dark blue letter Q with a red and turquoise diagonal arrow inside it, followed by the word 'Possibly' in orange, and the word 'Good' twice in green font on the right side.White rectangular shape with rounded, scalloped corners on a transparent background.Macquarie Bank logo on the left with the word 'Possibly' in orange and 'Good' written twice in green on the right.Suncorp Bank logo with the word Good repeated three times in green text on a white background.Yellow diamond shape with a black folded corner followed by the word 'Good' repeated three times in green text on a white background.
Considering a purchase or refinance?

Try Plans by UNO

Mortgage calculators completely reimagined
Get Started
☎️ 🚫 No cold call promise
Orange square icon with a black network-like symbol and the words 'Good' in green twice and 'Bad' in red in the bottom right corner on a white background.ANZ logo next to the words 'Possibly' in orange and 'Good' twice in green on a white background.White rectangular shape with rounded, scalloped corners on a transparent background.Logo with blue and purple geometric shield shape on left and three green words 'Good' arranged in a triangular layout on right.A dark blue letter Q with a red and turquoise diagonal arrow inside it, followed by the word 'Possibly' in orange, and the word 'Good' twice in green font on the right side.White rectangular shape with rounded, scalloped corners on a transparent background.Macquarie Bank logo on the left with the word 'Possibly' in orange and 'Good' written twice in green on the right.Suncorp Bank logo with the word Good repeated three times in green text on a white background.Yellow diamond shape with a black folded corner followed by the word 'Good' repeated three times in green text on a white background.

Related Articles

TESTIMONIALS

What our customers are saying

Hui Lin JoAnna Hsieh
August 26, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
We couldn’t be happier with the service we received from our broker Jessica Southerwood . From the very beginning, she was professional, knowledgeable, responsive and genuinely committed to helping us secure the right loan. She made the whole process straightforward and stress-free, explained everything clearly, kept us updated throughout and went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of. We felt completely supported from start to finish and would have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending them to anyone looking for a reliable, trustworthy and dedicated broker. Thank you so much for making what can normally be a stressful process such a smooth and positive experience! 🙏
Read more
Stephen Snow
August 18, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
UNO Home Loans is "ridiculously good" at what they do, if there is such a phrase. Very well versed in mortgages, and their level of professionalism, care and overall service is truly outstanding. They kept us well informed during all phases of our mortgage finance journey although they seemed to always be one step ahead! Nick Sharma and the crew, achieved the incredible task of getting us financed when no one else could, and what surprised me most, was at a very, very competitive market rate in comparison to other mortgage specialist or brokers. UNO went above and beyond, and exceeded all of our expectations. I could not have been happier with our outcome, thanks again UNO!
Read more
Tori Bohm
August 17, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Paul was awesome to deal with. Explained the process and took us through the options. Found us a great deal. Super available for my multitude of questions. He comes highly recommended.
Read more
riley
August 6, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
A massive thank you to Nathalie and her team. I've dealt with many brokers who will quickly throw their hands up and walk away if they think even a small issue will impact a deal. Not Nathalie! Not only will share compare different loans, she'll actually dig into the exact lending criteria and will do whatever it takes to achieve your goal. She saved us literally thousands per month on our refinance! Thank you again guys, truly are the best!
Read more
Thomas Hughes
August 3, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike provided excellent end to end assistance and advice with my home loan enabling me to purchase my apartment and went above and beyond. I thoroughly recommend him as home home loan broker
Read more
Mathew
August 3, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Mike Parsons is thorough and conscientious. I recommend him.
Read more
Stephen O'Mara
July 22, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Working with Paul was a fantastic experience from start to finish. He made the entire mortgage process seamless, clear, and stress-free. His expertise and responsiveness were second to none. I highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for a reliable and top-notch mortgage broker
Read more
Tyron Steffens
July 22, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Scott was an absolute weapon, the communication was clear and anytime of the day. If you want the property he’ll get you it, no messing around with him.
Read more
Janelle L
July 16, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Just wanted to take a moment to recommend Tim Lesina for anyone contemplating reverse mortgages. For many of us in our retirement years financial independence is uncharted territory, not to mention downright confusing. I contacted Tim just to enquire how this might work should I go down this path. Tim was so patient and understanding of both my limited understanding and my initial fears. He went above and beyond in factoring out different scenarios, with nothing being too much trouble. Moving forward with my reverse mortgage needs I will definitely be using Tim and cannot recommend him highly enough.
Read more
Mike Vincent
June 29, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a serious property investor, Jake will get your approval sorted. Even if others have told you no, Jake will find a way. Thanks mate. All the best to any prospective clients looking to take the leap — Jake is your guy!
Read more
Jess Ashby
June 26, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Paul and Jiedem were an integral part of us being able to secure our first home. I could not recommend their services enough! They were clear and direct about the process, and thorough when we had any questions.
Read more
Sophie Strawbridge
June 24, 2026
5 stars for our service reviews from clients
Thank you Paul for getting us across the line and into our first home. Paul was professional, approachable and efficient. Couldn't recommend him more, especially if you are a NZer trying to get into the Australian housing market.
Read more