Your ability to ‘service’ the loan
Lenders use many of the factors below to determine your home loan eligibility to ensure you can comfortably afford to borrow and repay the loan. In home loan jargon terms, this is called your ‘serviceability’.
Good to know is that all lenders abide by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) rules stating they can’t let people borrow more than they can afford to repay.
Your employment status
Most lenders will want to see you have a steady job with regular income. The evidence to provide varies depending on the nature of your employment. Below is what banks look for when you apply for a home loan.
PAYG guide:
- Phone call to your employer.
- Payslips from the last 2 pay cycles.
- Bank statements.
- PAYG Summary or Group Certificate (for income such as bonuses).
Self employed guide:
- Tax returns from the past 2 years.
Your income and debts
Your income and expenses play a significant role in determining your home loan serviceability and eligibility in Australia.
As a guide, you'll need to provide:
- All income streams – including government payments, investment income.
- Regular household expenses – rent, bills, car, insurance.
- Discretionary spending – like petrol, groceries, holidays, pet food, alcohol.
- Current debt – personal loans, credit cards, store finance, pay later products.
Our home loan borrowing calculator allows you to estimate how much you may be able to borrow for your home loan by entering in information about your income and expenses.
Grants and schemes
If you’re eligible for government schemes like the below, the lender will take this into consideration when assessing your application.
- First Home Guarantee– buy your first home.
- Family Home Guarantee – helping single parents buy a family home.
- Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee - helping regional first home buyers buy a home.
Your credit history
Your credit history is a record unique to you and an important part of home loan lending criteria in Australia. It shows how you have managed debt in the past and your history of credit applications. It’s worthwhile getting a copy of yours before you apply so you know exactly where you stand and can fix any issues that could paint you in a less-than-favourable light.
Where to get yours:
Any existing debts
Lenders factor in outstanding debts when determining your ability to repay a home loan. And not just what you owe. With credit cards for example, it’s your limit too. The higher your limit, the less favourable for lenders.
So you may wish to consider lowering existing card limits, especially if you don’t use them, and paying down any old personal loans or buy later facilities.
Your deposit amount
The more you can show the lender that you have a track record in saving money, the better your application could look. Some lenders, like us, even acknowledge larger deposits by offering loans with lower interest rates.
Your LVR
LVR stands for ‘Loan to Value Ratio’. It’s a term used at the assessment stage of home loan approvals and is a shorthand way of describing how much you are applying to borrow compared with the value of the property. Generally speaking, your deposit contribution would need to be above 5% to be eligible for a home loan. Though many lenders require 20% or more.
Keen to learn more?
Explore the range of Bank Australia home loans see what you need to know about saving for a deposit and explore more tools and tips for buying a home.
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