Moving On Up

Ready for your next chapter.

When you've outgrown your current home, we'll help you make the move with confidence.

Congratulations — whether it's a growing family, a change of lifestyle, or simply time for more space, upgrading your home is an exciting milestone. But it also means navigating some important financial decisions: Should you sell first or buy first? How much equity can you access? What does bridging finance look like?

We've helped hundreds of homeowners upgrade smoothly. Let us take the complexity out of the process.

Key areas to think about

If you're getting started, these pointers might help.

Assess your equity

Your current home has likely grown in value since you bought it. That equity is the starting point for your upgrade. We help you understand how much useable equity you have and what it could fund — often without needing to sell first.

Understand your options

Sell then buy? Buy then sell? Use bridging finance? Each approach has different risks and benefits depending on the market and your cash flow. We walk through the scenarios and help you choose the path that suits your timeline.

Plan for the future

An upgrade isn't just about a bigger house — it's about making sure your new loan structure works for the next chapter. We consider your future plans, income trajectory, and lifestyle goals to ensure the lending serves you long-term.

How we can help

Equity assessment

We calculate your useable equity and borrowing capacity so you know exactly what you can afford.

Structuring the upgrade

Whether it's bridging finance, a simultaneous settlement, or selling first, we structure the lending to suit your situation.

Managing the timeline

We coordinate approvals, valuations, and settlements to keep everything moving smoothly.

Upgrading — Frequently Asked Questions

This is the most common upgrading question and there's no universal answer. Selling first gives you certainty on your deposit but risks needing to rent or rush a purchase. Buying first lets you take your time finding the right home but creates a financing gap. There are three main structures: sell first then buy, buy first using bridging finance, or buy first using a "subject to sale" contract clause. Which one suits you depends on your equity, borrowing capacity, market conditions, and risk tolerance. We work through the maths and risks of each on the first call.

Bridging finance is a short-term loan that lets you buy your new home before your existing one sells. You end up temporarily holding both properties with the lender funding the gap. Bridging is typically interest-only for 6–12 months, and once your existing home sells, the proceeds pay down the loan to your final end-debt position. It makes sense when you've found the right next home, you're confident your existing property will sell within the bridging period, and the cost of holding two properties briefly is less than the cost of missing the new purchase.

Yes — this is how most upgrading is funded. Equity is the difference between your current property's value and what you owe on it. Lenders will typically let you access up to 80% of your property's value (without LMI), minus your existing loan. So if your home is worth $1.5m and you owe $600k, you have roughly $600k of accessible equity ($1.2m at 80% LVR, minus the $600k existing loan). That equity becomes the deposit for your next purchase.

Lenders look at your total household income against the total debt you'll be servicing — both the existing loan (if you're keeping the property) and the new loan. If you're selling the existing property, only the new loan counts. If you're keeping it as an investment, rental income is added back (at 70–80%) and the existing loan is included in serviceability. Existing debts, credit cards, dependents, and lifestyle expenses all affect the result. We model your exact position before recommending a structure.

Beyond your new deposit, the main costs are: stamp duty (typically 4–5% of the purchase price in NSW for properties over $1m), conveyancing or legal fees ($1,500–$3,000), building and pest inspections ($500–$1,000), loan setup costs (some lenders waive these), and moving costs. If you're selling, add agent commission (typically 1.5–2.5% of sale price), marketing costs ($5k–$15k), and any styling. Most upgraders underestimate the total — we model the all-in numbers so there are no surprises.

Not always. If you're staying with the same lender, they can usually increase your existing facility to release equity — this is called a "top-up" or "loan increase". If you're moving to a different lender or restructuring the loan substantially, a refinance is required. Either way, you'll need to demonstrate serviceability for the new total debt level. We work out which path is cleaner for your situation.

Three scenarios. If you're selling and buying, your current loan is repaid from the sale proceeds and a new loan is established for the new property. If you're keeping the current home as an investment, the existing loan stays in place (sometimes restructured to interest-only and segregated for tax purposes) and a new loan funds the new home. If you're bridging, both loans run in parallel for a period before the existing one is paid down from sale proceeds. Each has different cost and tax implications.

Yes — and this is one of the most powerful upgrading strategies if it suits your goals. Lenders will typically include 70–80% of your projected rental income when assessing serviceability for the new loan. You'll need a market rental appraisal from a real estate agent. Tax structuring becomes important — keeping the existing loan's interest deductible against rental income while the new loan funds your non-deductible owner-occupied home is the standard play. We can walk you through how this works alongside your accountant.

If you're refinancing to access equity, expect 4–8 weeks. If you're buying first with bridging, expect 4–6 weeks for the bridging facility itself, then up to 12 months for the existing home to sell and the loan to reduce to its final position. Selling first then buying depends on the property market — typically 8–16 weeks from listing to settlement.