“What size mortgage can I get?” These 4 questions reveal how much you can borrow

About to take the plunge on a home loan? This handy guide helps you prepare an application without destroying your credit score

About to take the plunge on a home loan? This handy guide helps you prepare an application without destroying your credit score

You’re ready to buy your first home or investment property. You’ve worked hard and you’ve saved. But, to turn that dream into reality, you need a loan… and you’re wondering how much you can borrow. You also hear about the General Manager of APRA, Heidi Richards’ statement in 2016: “Mortgage lending at four times gross income is relatively common, at one-third of all new housing loans. Lending at six times or more of gross income is much smaller but still material – nearly 10 per cent.” So, given her statement, you’d expect to borrow around five times your gross income. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. The nature and type of your income is important, too. As does your credit score and expenses. Fortunately, there are a few little known tips you can use to tilt the odds in your favour.

1. How much is your deposit?

Generally speaking, the bigger the deposit you can put down, the better – especially if the deposit is over 20% of the property’s value. Here’s what you might pay each month on a $500,000 property based on different deposit amounts. The larger your deposit, the lower your repayments for a certain loan size will be. This assumes a 30 year principal and interest loan, repaid monthly, at a 4% interest rate. It doesn’t automatically mean lenders offer you a larger loan. But what most people don’t know is it gives you more power to negotiate a better deal with lenders. It also lowers your the size of your loan and, therefore, reduces your repayment amounts so the loan is easier to pay off.

2. What is your income?

Expecting a raise soon? Many lenders accept a letter from your employer confirming a raise is on the cards. When you’re ready, see for yourself: Start using this incredibly accurate borrowing power calculator to discover how each of these factors can change how much lenders are likely to offer you. Be warned, though: Not all income is treated equally. If you are self-employed, some lenders will see you as higher risk. The same applies for casual or contract work. Bank hopping – bouncing from bank to bank until you’re approved – can hurt your credit history. So speak to a qualified expert who can shortlist lenders that are friendlier to your circumstances before applying. Two incomes are usually better than one. If your partner earns a similar income, it could double your borrowing capacity. But be sure to check your partner’s credit history first. Lenders may see you as a higher risk and reduce the loan amount they’re willing to lend if you or your partner have a poor history. (Bonus tip: Got a job offer from somewhere else? Some lenders accept a letter from your new employer, too).

3. What are your expenses?

It’s time to cut the fat! Yes, go ahead and eliminate expenses where you can because banks take a good, hard look at your credit cards, loans, school fees and other bills. They’ll use this information to assess how much to lend. So add up all your expenses. Good news: If you’re buying a home to live in, you can leave off your current rent as that payment will evaporate. Next, put your expenses, income and ideal purchase price into a mortgage calculator. This gives you a decent thumbnail of where you stand. After that, you can email us at customer.care@uno.com.au. How much can I borrow?Use UNO's calculator to estimate your borrowing capacity. Calculate Now

4. How often should I make home loan repayments?

Determine how much you can borrow before filling out loan applications. As you already know, too much bank-hopping can damage your credit rating and restrict your chances of getting any loan at all. So don’t make that mistake. You can email us at customer.care@uno.com.au. as soon you as can or use a mortgage calculator. As you may know, you can nominate a fixed repayment amount on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis. Just as long as it’s higher than the minimum contracted loan repayment, lenders can offer flexibility. Depending on your situation, we usually recommend our clients make more repayments in a year. That’s because it saves you money over the longer term and you pay off your loan sooner. Bonus tip: You should also consider a pre-approval for your loan before purchasing. Most people don’t know, but pre-approvals are fast, easy to get and give you comfort in knowing how much you can afford. Plus, you need a pre-approval loan to bid at auction. Many investors and homeowners make the mistake of doing the groundwork to locate their perfect property, only to miss out when they discover can’t bid on auction day because they didn’t properly organise their paperwork. Book in a quick call with our customer care team.Book a call in with UNO

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Philip Smith
December 20, 2024
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Mike Parsons provided my wife and I outstanding service for our home loan. I have never dealt with someone who is so helpful and goes the extra mile and provides such excellent service the way Mike did. Highly recommend Mike as your broker for all investment/home loans you won’t be disappointed.
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Neil Venkataramiah
December 20, 2024
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Mike Parsons: Working with Mike was amazing. My wife and I were a couple from Sydney that had a 7 year stint overseas. On moving back, our loan had gone from Interest Only to Principal and Interest. The challenge: to get 2 recently re-patriated Aussies on an Interest Only loan. With only 1 year of Oz financials. And with income from an overseas company. We had equity in our property, but the ability to service was the issue. A very tough brief. Step in Mike. He contacted all his lenders, knowing that this was a unique situation. He never let up and followed through with calls and whatsapps at every stage of the process. We simply could not have got our Interest Only loan if it wasn’t for Mike. I highly recommend Mike for any loan or re-finance that you’re looking at. His attention to detail and ability to find creative solutions is second to none. And most importantly - he's a good guy that will guide you through the whole process in what can be a stressful time. Steph and Neil
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December 19, 2024
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Highly recommend Mike - great service, very responsive and helped us through the whole process from product selection, approval all the way to settlement. Mike is supported by a great team at UNO
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Gemma Smith
December 19, 2024
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Mike Parsons was truly amazing when he organized our home loan. He offered service that far exceeded my expectations. He was on top of everything and was very organised. He has a true “do it now” attitude and ensured everything ran smoothly. He went above and beyond to make sure everything was in place. He was always contactable (even when he was on holidays!). Keeping us up to date at every step and his communication was great! Would VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND Mike!
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David Thorn
December 17, 2024
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I had a fantastic experience with UNO Home Loans. I want to personally recognise the work of Mike Parsons from UNO. Mike went above and beyond in helping me navigate and select a lender his attention to detail, knowledge of the Market, Excellent Communication skills matched by a patient and friendly personality made the whole process simple and painless. Thanks Mike and thanks UNO
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November 14, 2024
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Paul helped us from day one before we even arrived in Australia so we knew exactly what we needed to prepare. He’s got a tonne of knowledge and was really lovely and supportive to deal with. Helpful and easy going. Would highly recommend - now in our first Aussie home and Paul made the process all very easy!
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Sean O'Neill
November 14, 2024
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We received excellent service and a tailored solution to our home loan requirements from Uno. Paul kept us informed at all milestone stages and throughout the process he demonstrated a ‘can do’ attitude that ultimately allowed us to get over the line and meet our deadline. We’re most grateful and very impressed. Highly recommend
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November 8, 2024
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Amanda Pearce
November 7, 2024
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After just four months in Australia, our New Zealand home sold, prompting us to stop renting and invest locally. We found Paul through a Kiwi Facebook group, and his exceptional service exceeded our expectations. From initial contact, Paul provided clear explanations, friendly communication, and prompt responses to our queries, making our mortgage process remarkably smooth. We highly recommend him.
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Dom Saric
November 3, 2024
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Mike Parsons went above and beyond to ensure that our refinancing journey was painless and successful. He was communicative, accessible (even working while on holidays!), and his knowledge of the systems at play meant that he picked up on things that other brokers missed. Would 100% recommend Mike, and will definitely be back next time we need a broker.
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Ashleigh Breaden
October 31, 2024
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Mike Parsons handled our refinance of our home loan with ease and a depth of knowledge that ensured we got the best deal possible for our situation. We didn't have an easy one to solve for with my husband being self employed and we were consolidating finances as well for a car loan. But Mike handled it all for us and once we had provided him with all the documents we literally didn't have to do a thing after that, it was so easy and so quick we are super happy with the experience! Top notch! Highly recommend!!
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October 10, 2024
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Absolute legend, helped me through the first home buyers scheme, explained everything in a way that made sense, was very knowledgeable and a joy to work with.
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