How much can I borrow?
An honest first-pass estimate using current assessment rate buffers and household expense floors.
Tell us about your finances
All figures are kept in your browser. Nothing is submitted unless you click the button to talk to a broker.
Used to estimate your minimum living expenses.
Before tax. Add bonuses if they're consistent year-on-year.
Groceries, utilities, transport, insurance, entertainment. Excludes rent and existing loan repayments.
Car loans, personal loans, HECS, child support. Plus 3% of any credit card limits (not balances).
Lenders test this rate plus a 3% buffer (APRA requirement).
Carries your figures into the contact form. Free 15-min call. No obligation.
Why your real number might be different
The single most underrated fact about borrowing power: two lenders looking at the same applicant can return numbers $100,000 apart. The reason is that lenders disagree on dozens of details — how much of your bonus to count, what minimum monthly expense to assume, how to treat your HECS debt, whether to assess your existing home loan at its actual rate or the buffered rate.
The calculator above uses a simplified version of the most common approach: net income, minus your declared expenses (or a HEM-style minimum, whichever is greater), minus your existing debt commitments, with the remaining surplus capitalised at the assessment rate (your real rate plus a 3% APRA buffer) over your chosen loan term.
What can move the number up
- Rental income from an investment property — typically shaded to 75–80% of gross rent
- Bonuses or commission — most lenders take 80% of a 2-year average
- Lower expense lenders — some lenders apply tighter HEM benchmarks than others
- Choosing a longer term or principal-reducing structure — extends the repayment runway
What can move the number down
- Credit card limits (not balances) — assessed as a 3–3.8% monthly debt
- Existing home loans — assessed at the buffered rate, not your actual repayment
- Self-employed or PAYG with less than 2 years history — significant haircuts apply
- Casual or contract income — some lenders shade aggressively, others don't
If the number above gets you within range of a property you're considering, the next step is a serviceability run across the lenders most likely to say yes for your specific situation. That's a 15-minute conversation, not a multi-hour application.
Borrowing power, explained.
How accurate is this calculator?
It's a directional estimate. The real lender number for the same person can swing 10–20% either way depending on which lender you go to. Treat this as a starting range, not a guarantee.
What is the "assessment rate" and the 3% buffer?
APRA — the regulator — requires lenders to test whether you could still afford repayments if rates rose. The current minimum buffer is 3% above your actual rate. So a 6% loan is assessed as if it were 9%. This is why your borrowing power feels lower than a back-of-envelope calculation suggests.
Why does HEM matter?
HEM is the Household Expenditure Measure — a national benchmark for minimum living costs by household type. If you declare $1,500/month in expenses but HEM for your situation says $3,200, the lender will use $3,200. This calculator does the same.
Does this include stamp duty?
No — this calculator estimates the maximum loan only. Stamp duty, conveyancing, mortgage registration and inspection costs are paid on top. Use our WA stamp duty calculator to estimate those.
I already have a home loan — how do I factor that in?
Add your existing home loan repayment to the "existing debt commitments" field. Be aware that lenders assess existing home loans at the buffered rate, so the figure they use is higher than your actual repayment. For a more accurate result, talk to a broker — we can run the numbers across multiple lenders' real servicing calculators.