Home Loans Articles

Add value with a home renovation

Two in five home owners are saving for a major renovation this year, research shows.

Cut your weekly bills by over $300

If you have a home you cannot escape paying bills; from groceries to credit card and home loan repayments, they eat up most of the weekly pay packet.

Falling rates set to drive up house prices

While lower interest rates can make buying your first home – or next, bigger home – more affordable thanks to lower repayments, they can also drive up property prices by tempting more people into the market.

Going green could add value to your home

With electricity prices expected to soar in Australia over the coming years, improving your property value is just one more motivation to take up eco renovating.

Five ways to save money this winter

There are a few clever ways to cut costs of keeping cosy and potentially add value to your home.

Why winter is the best time to buy

The number of homes for sale can plummet by 20 percent, and much more in some cases, during the colder months of winter, research shows.

Cautious Aussies remain sensible with cash

With the 2013/14 financial year beginning today many Australians will start to prepare their tax returns in the coming weeks and about three in five people will either use their refund to pay off debts or will save it, research found.

First-home buyers' checklist

If you're in the market for your first home, you may feel overwhelmed by the constant stream of property speculation being played out in the media and the seemingly herculean task of getting onto the property ladder. The following checklist should help simplify the task.

World's worst home renovation disasters

Television home makeover programs make it look so easy. Some minor modifications and your home will be irresistible to buyers and worth thousands of dollars more. That’s the theory, but in reality there is often not a lot of money to be made out of renovating.

How to reduce risk when buying an investment property

Low interest rates and strong rental prices in metro areas means becoming an investor is an increasingly attractive option for many Australians. But it can be risky business, unless you do you research.

Don't let your mortgage limit your life

To avoid mortgage stress – and maintain your pre-mortgage lifestyle – the key is to ensure you don’t overextend yourself with a huge loan.

Renovate or sell? The big question

Need more space at home or something a bit nicer? Here are some tips from the experts to help you decide between the options.

Top mistakes property investors make

Low interest rates and strong rental yields have provided the impetus for many Australians to try their hand at property investing.

Lenders favour borrowers who take on more debt

A RateCity analysis of mortgage rates has revealed that the average advertised rate for variable home loans under $250,000 is 5.74 percent. For loans above $750,000, however, the average advertised rate drops to 5.32 percent – an automatic discount of 0.42 percentage points.

Renovate or sell?

The time comes in the life of many young families when they outgrow their home. That’s when the inevitable question rears its head: embark on a radical renovation or sell up and buy a new, more spacious home?

Beat the squeeze on household budgets

Wages may be growing faster than inflation, yet research shows one in seven Australian households is spending more than it earns.

Five ways to slash your home loan interest bill

Even at today’s low rates, the total interest bill can amount to almost as much as the initial loan. But there are ways to reduce the mortgage quickly and painlessly to save interest.

Mortgage versus savings

The goal of paying off your home loan fast is one that appeals to many homeowners. Paying more than the minimum repayments is the best way to achieve that goal but does paying off your mortgage make more financial sense than putting the money in a high-interest savings account?