How much could I borrow?
Test monthly income, household spending, HELP, credit-card limits and lender assessment assumptions. See which variables change your capacity.
Explore borrowing powerGPS Finance · Australian home loan knowledge centre
Smarter home loan decisions start with the right questions.
Buying, refinancing or working out what you can afford? Explore the numbers lenders and borrowers actually care about—with advanced calculators, practical explanations and real-life scenarios.
Choose the decision you're making
How much cash will I need?
Bring the deposit, purchase costs, estimated LMI, bank valuation and the savings you want to retain into one funding plan.
Calculate buying costsWill stamp duty change my budget?
See selected current state duties, first-home scenarios and how tax plus transaction fees affect available cash.
Explore stamp dutyWhat will my mortgage actually cost?
Test interest, principal, payment frequency, rate shocks, extra repayments, offset funds and amortisation.
Calculate repaymentsShould I switch or negotiate?
Compare the same future period under your current loan, a refinance and an internal lender rate reduction—including residual debt.
Check refinance break-evenReady to move forward?
Use the calculations as your starting point. We'll match suitable lenders, negotiate and work through more complicated borrowing circumstances.
Get my home loan optionsFive questions worth answering before your next mortgage decision
1. Is borrowing power the same as a comfortable purchase budget?
No. An assessed borrowing limit is an estimate of what a lender may be prepared to support, based on its treatment of income, household spending, debts and stressed repayments. Your real budget also depends on cash savings, upfront purchase costs, ongoing repayments and the financial flexibility you want after settlement. Begin with borrowing power and then test actual repayments.
2. Can an unused card or HELP repayment change lender capacity?
It can. A lender may assess the credit-card limit rather than the statement balance; HELP repayment commitments can affect the monthly surplus available to meet a new mortgage. Removing commitments may improve a serviceability estimate, but paying off debt also uses deposit cash. Compare the effect on both borrowing power and the purchase funding plan. See the deeper guide on why lenders give different borrowing figures.
3. Does a 10% deposit mean I have everything needed to buy?
No. Buying costs do not disappear because you have enough for the contract deposit. Duty, conveyancing, inspections, registration, lender fees and potentially LMI affect your cash-to-settle position. A low bank valuation may also raise your LVR even when the contract price stays fixed. Use Deposit & Buying Costs and the detailed Stamp Duty calculator together.
4. Can a lower repayment be a more expensive mortgage?
Yes. Resetting a loan to a fresh 30-year term can reduce the monthly payment while leaving significantly more principal outstanding several years later. A lower introductory interest rate, cashback or lower scheduled instalment is not a full economic comparison. Look at interest, fees and outstanding balance over the period you expect to keep the property or loan; our Refinance Break-Even calculator models that three-way choice.
5. Should I compare lenders before asking my existing lender to reprice?
It is useful to test both options. An internal rate reduction may avoid some of the costs and work of switching, whereas refinancing may deliver a better overall package. Consider any offset benefits, annual fees, discharge costs and remaining mortgage term. Read reprice versus refinance and model the break-even result before deciding.
Real borrower questions that shaped these resources
These tools were built around researched Australian borrower discussions, not just standard bank form fields. The questions below are paraphrased; individual comments are not treated as lender policy.
“Why is my unused card limit reducing what I can borrow?”
Explore card-limit commitments and how different assumptions change borrowing power. Original discussion.
“Should I clear HELP or keep more of my deposit?”
Compare monthly servicing benefit with the cash lost from paying down HELP. Original discussion.
“Why did preapproval change when interest rates moved?”
Test stressed borrowing capacity and read the assumptions. Original discussion.
“Why would refinancing to a longer term cost more?”
Compare the outstanding balance, not only the required monthly payment. Explore the refinance analysis.
Mortgage decisions that don't fit a basic comparison table
Income from overtime or self-employment, a recently changed job, property equity, existing debt, offset and redraw decisions, and valuation shortfalls can alter the useful finance pathway. Explore the deeper explanations in offset versus redraw, fixed versus variable splits and equity release. Our mortgage enquiry journey allows you to carry relevant calculator figures into an editable finance request rather than starting from scratch.
Explore more complex mortgage decisions
These in-depth guides cover decisions that need more than a standard repayment or borrowing-capacity estimate.
Reverse Mortgage Calculator: model debt and equity over 20 years
Reverse mortgages: the complete guide to later-life equity release
Bridging finance: buy before selling and model peak debt
Borrowing against your home: usable equity and cash-out
Renovation finance: top-up, separate loan or staged drawdown
Fixed, variable and split mortgages, including green upgrades
Frequently asked questions
Which calculator should a first-home buyer use first?
Start with borrowing power, then check the full deposit and purchase costs. Open the stamp duty calculator for more detailed state-specific concessions, then confirm whether the likely repayments suit your budget.
Are the borrowing figures actual lender approvals?
No. They are scenario-based estimates that expose assumptions. Lender policies, verified income, security value and individual circumstances will determine any credit decision.
Why use multiple calculators instead of one huge form?
Each answers a different question. Capacity, purchase cash, transfer duty, mortgage amortisation and refinance economics are related, but not interchangeable. Separating them makes the important assumptions easier to see.
Can the calculator inputs come through to a mortgage enquiry?
Yes. Each tool links to a dedicated home-loan enquiry with relevant available figures prefilled where possible. You can edit them before submission.
Calculators are estimates using disclosed assumptions. The pages explain where lender-specific, jurisdictional or eligibility-sensitive inputs require separate information.