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Who We Service
Mortgage Broker for Upgraders
Selling and buying at the same time is one of the most stressful property moves you’ll make. We help you manage the timing, the bridging finance and the loan for your next home — so the move goes as smoothly as possible.
Your Situation
Why Upgrading Is Trickier Than It Looks
On paper, upgrading sounds simple — sell the current home, buy the next one. In practice, it almost always involves a timing mismatch. You find the new home before your current one sells, or your current one sells faster than you can find the next one. Either way, you face a choice: bridge the gap with finance, take a short-term rental between settlements, or accept the risk of either overlapping or having nowhere to live for a few weeks.
Bridging finance is the most common path, but it needs to be planned properly. The peak debt during the bridging period can be substantial, interest is typically capitalised rather than paid from cash flow, and the lender will want a realistic estimate of your existing home’s sale price. Getting any of these wrong can leave you with more end debt than your serviceability supports.
There’s also the deposit conundrum. The deposit for the new property usually comes from the equity in the old one — but the equity is locked up until settlement. Solutions include a deposit bond (a guarantee provided by an insurer in lieu of cash), bridging finance that releases the deposit early, or a vendor-friendly contract clause. We help you work out which option suits your specific deal.
Services Relevant to You
Finance Services for Upgraders
Buy your next home before the current one sells — peak debt managed, end debt converted to a normal home loan once the sale settles.
Learn more →The end-debt home loan against your new property — we structure this from day one so the transition from bridging is seamless.
Learn more →If you’re staying in your existing home and just topping up to buy the next one (rather than selling), refinancing your existing loan may be the right move.
Learn more →Get pre-approved for the end debt loan before you list, so you know exactly what you can afford to spend on the next home.
Learn more →If you’re already carrying some non-mortgage debt, consolidating into the new loan can make the new monthly payment manageable.
Learn more →How We Help
How We Help Upgraders
We model the full picture upfront — your current loan balance, your current home’s likely sale price, your target purchase price, your peak debt during the bridging period, the bridging interest cost over 3, 6 and 12-month sale windows, and your end debt after settlement. This lets you see in real dollars what each scenario costs.
We coordinate with your sales agent on timing. If you’re selling first and then buying, that’s a different conversation from buying first and then selling. The agent’s view of the realistic sale window — and whether your target sale price is achievable in current market conditions — directly affects whether bridging is the right path or whether selling first makes more sense.
We choose the right lender based on the bridging shape. Some lenders are more competitive on closed bridging (where your current home is already under contract); others are more flexible on open bridging (where it’s not). We’ll pre-approve with the lender that suits your specific timing, so when you’re ready to commit, the finance is in place.
FAQ
Upgrader Questions
Should I sell first or buy first?
There’s no universal right answer — it depends on the market, your risk tolerance and how strongly you’d hate to miss the next property. Selling first means you know exactly what you can afford, but you may end up renting if you don’t find something quickly. Buying first means you secure the next home, but you need bridging finance and you carry the cost until the sale settles. We’ll walk through both scenarios with you.
How much does bridging cost?
Typically a small premium over standard rates (0.30%–0.80% above), plus the total interest accrued during the bridging period (which is capitalised, not paid monthly). On a $500k peak debt, six months of bridging at 7% costs roughly $17,500 in interest. We model this upfront so there are no surprises.
What happens if my home sells for less than expected?
The end debt will be higher than planned. If the end debt remains within your borrowing capacity, the lender simply converts the remaining bridging balance into the new home loan. If it exceeds your serviceability, you may be required to top up from other resources. We stress-test the deal against a lower sale price scenario before you commit.
Can I avoid bridging by using a long settlement?
Sometimes — if you can negotiate a longer settlement on the new property (e.g. 90 or 120 days instead of the standard 30–42), you may be able to sell your existing home in the meantime and use those proceeds at the new property’s settlement. This avoids bridging entirely but requires a vendor willing to accept the longer settlement, which isn’t always possible.
What if I’m upgrading to a much more expensive home?
The bigger the price step up, the more important the structure is. We’ll look at your borrowing capacity for the new loan, the realistic peak debt during bridging, and whether the deal supports itself. Sometimes the right answer is a smaller upgrade than you planned, or holding the current home as an investment rather than selling it. We’ll model the alternatives.
Plan Your Upgrade with Confidence
Free consultation. Tell us about your current home, your target next home and your sale timing. We’ll model the realistic options before you list or make an offer.
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