Home loan increased this month? See if you could save by refinancing

By Jack Dona · Last updated Sunday, 17 December 2023 · 2 min read

Fact Checked

A middle-aged man compares home loan rates on his laptop. He stands in front of a plain, green backdrop.

The December Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) rate hold last week was the ointment to last month’s 25 basis-point sting in the wallets of homeowners around the country.

But it doesn’t change the fact that variable home loan rates have skyrocketed since the RBA began hiking the cash rate.

While it’s tempting to just accept each rate rise your lender sends and move on with life, choosing to compare home loans and refinance instead could help save you a pretty penny.

The average rate is costly, but there are cheaper options available

At the time of writing, the Mozo database tracks 297 variable rate home loans. The average variable rate in the database is 6.85% p.a. (P&I, OO, $400k, <80% LVR), as of 13 December 2023.

Currently, the lowest rate we track is The Capricornian’s Country to Coast Variable Rate Offset Home Loan, offering rates from 5.69% p.a. (5.70% p.a. comparison rate*).

Comparing the average rate to the lowest rate in the Mozo database shows you could save as much as $287 per month if you were to switch from paying 6.85% p.a. to 5.69% p.a.

The potential savings don’t only apply to your monthly repayments either. The difference that’s often overlooked comes from the total interest you end up paying along the way.

For this one, we’ll need to break out the mortgage repayment calculator.

A screenshot of the Mozo mortgage repayment calculator — Mozo's mortgage repayment calculator

If your interest rate is 6.85% p.a., you’re up for monthly repayments of $2,789, with the total amount of interest you have to pay being a whopping $436,687. This takes your home loan bill, when you add the $400,000 loan and the interest together, to $836,687 after 25 years.

Now, if you take the same loan over the same amount of time, but you’ve got a lower interest rate of 5.69% p.a., your interest payable comes down by $86,104 to $350,583 – or, $750,583 in total.

A difference of $86,104 at the end of your 25-year home loan, or about $3,444 per year, is hardly loose change.

If you’re currently with a Big 4 bank for your home loan, the average variable rate in the Mozo database is 7.48% p.a., as of 12 December 2023 (P&I, OO, $400k, 80% LVR). So, you can imagine the savings you might make if you refinance to a low-rate home loan.

Which lenders offer low variable home loan rates in December?

There are plenty of lenders in the Mozo database that currently offer variable rate home loans below the average rate of 6.85% p.a.

Some of the lowest rates we track come from customer-owned banks and credit unions, like The Capricornian and Police Bank, but there are also several digital lenders offering interest rates far below the average:

Mozo may receive payment if you click products on our site. Mozo does not compare the entire market.

Important disclosures and comparison rate warning*

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Mozo provides general product information. We don't consider your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and we aren't recommending any specific product to you. You should make your own decision after reading the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or offer documentation, or seeking independent advice. It is also advised to review Target Market Determination(TMD) of products that you are considering. The TMD can be found on the provider's website.

Comparison rate warning

WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. The comparison rate displayed is for a secured loan with monthly principal and interest repayments for $150,000 over 25 years.

How Initial Monthly Repayments figures are estimated

Initial monthly repayment figures are estimates only, based on the advertised rate. You can change the loan amount and term in the input boxes at the top of this table. Rates, fees and charges and therefore the total cost of the loan may vary depending on your loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Actual repayments will depend on your individual circumstances and interest rate changes.

Variable

Variable rates from 5.74% p.a. (5.65% p.a. comparison rate*)
Rate discount annually (T&Cs apply)
Free extra repayments and redraws
2023 Mozo Experts Choice Award^ winner

Go to site

The Unloan Variable home loan offers refinancers a competitive interest rate starting at 5.99% p.a. (5.90% p.a. comparison rate*), with an annual rate discount of 0.01% p.a. (up to 0.30% p.a.) for up to 30 years. It also comes with nifty features like fee-free extra repayments and a redraw facility.

So, if you’re a refinancer with a loan-to-value ratio (LVR) of less than 80%, and you like the idea of an annual rate discount, this could be one to shortlist.

Did we mention that it comes with no application, discharge, or account-keeping fees?

Variable Home Loan

Variable rates from 6.04% p.a. (6.06% p.a. comparison rate*)
Secure a home loan with a 10% deposit
No application fees
Offset account available
2023 Mozo Experts Choice Award^ winner

Find out more

If you’re after a competitive variable interest rate, then digital lender loans.com.au is one to consider – especially if you’re working with a 10% deposit. There are no application, ongoing, or additional repayment fees, plus you can make unlimited free redraws. However, it should be noted that there is a $300 settlement fee you’ll need to pay. Also, if you’d like to add an offset account to your loan, it will bump up your rate by 0.10% p.a.

Home Variable Rate

Variable rates from 6.15% p.a. (6.15% p.a. comparison rate*)
No application, ongoing, redraw, extra repayment or discharge fees
Fee-free offset account
For buyers in capital cities or major regional centres only

Find out more

If you’re familiar with Up’s savings account, you might be interested in checking out their competitive variable rates. Starting at 6.15% p.a. (6.15% p.a. comparison rate*), Up’s Home Variable Rate loan offers free unlimited repayments, redraws and up to 50 free offset accounts (with the option to use your Up savings account as an offset, if you like).

Up will also cover the first $400 of your property valuation, which is a nice touch.

The Home Variable Rate from Up is only available to owner-occupiers looking to buy in a capital city or major regional centre. For more information about eligibility, check the Up website.

Mozo compares 297 variable rate home loans, 191 of which are below the average rate of 6.85% p.a. (as of 13 December 2023).

If you’re looking to break into the market for the first time using a competitive rate, or if your existing home loan rate is rising, compare home loans to find a cheaper rate that could save you serious cash.

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^* WARNING: This comparison rate applies only to the example or examples given. Different amounts and terms will result in different comparison rates. Costs such as redraw fees or early repayment fees, and cost savings such as fee waivers, are not included in the comparison rate but may influence the cost of the loan. The comparison rate displayed is for a secured loan with monthly principal and interest repayments for $150,000 over 25 years.

^** Initial monthly repayment figures are estimates only, based on the advertised rate. You can change the loan amount and term in the input boxes at the top of this table. Rates, fees and charges and therefore the total cost of the loan may vary depending on your loan amount, loan term, and credit history. Actual repayments will depend on your individual circumstances and interest rate changes.

^See information about the Mozo Experts Choice Home Loan Awards

While we pride ourselves on covering a wide range of products, we don't cover every product in the market. If you decide to apply for a product through our website, you will be dealing directly with the provider of that product and not with Mozo.

Jack Dona

RG146

Money writer

Jack is RG146 Generic Knowledge certified, with a Bachelor of Communications in Creative Writing from UTS, and uses his creative flair to cut through the financial jargon and make home loans, insurance and banking interesting. His reader-first approach to creating content and his passion for financial literacy means he always looks for innovative ways to explain personal finance. Jack's research and explanations have been featured in government publications, and his work is regularly featured alongside major publications in Google's Top Stories for Insurance.

Home loan increased this month? See if you could save by refinancing

The average rate is costly, but there are cheaper options available