Finding a home loan
A home loan is a long-term debt, so a small difference at the start can make a big difference over time. Learn more about home loans and make sure you’re getting the best deal.
What is a home loan?
It’s common for people to borrow money to buy a home. This is known as getting a home loan or a mortgage.
A home loan is made up of two parts:
- principal, the amount borrowed from a lender
- interest, the cost of borrowing the money
Choosing a home loan
A home loan is a long-term debt, so even a small difference in interest adds up over time. This is why it’s important to check the interest rate when you’re looking for a home loan.
When choosing a home loan, know the loan repayment options and how they might impact your budget. Consider the implications of principal and interest repayments versus interest only repayments.
If you're unsure, talk to your bank, lender, or a financial professional to understand what may work best for your financial situation.
Learn more about choosing and comparing home loans at Moneysmart.
Types of home loans
When you’re deciding what type of home loan to get, you’ll have to choose between either a variable-rate loan or a fixed-rate loan.
Variable-rate loan
This is the most common type of home loan. It means your interest rate will change over the term of your mortgage depending on the current interest rate offered by your lender.
The rate you pay for a given month in the future may be higher or lower than the rate at the beginning of your loan.
Fixed-rate loan
A fixed-rate means your interest rates are set, no matter what the official interest rate charged by your lender is.
Interest rates are generally fixed for 2 to 5 years and then they revert to a variable rate for the remaining term of your mortgage.
Fixing your rate can give you a level of financial certainty, where you know how much your mortgage repayments will cost you each month.
Use the mortgage repayment calculator to understand what your repayments will be at Moneysmart.