Here’s how to become a haggling pro and save $45k on your home loan
The property market is an expensive place to be these days, but we’ve uncovered a strategy that might allow homebuyers to loosen the budgetary belt a bit: haggling.
Mozo recently went undercover for our annual Big 4 home loan mystery shop and found that scoring a discount of up to 0.82%* on your home loan may be as easy as asking for it.
“Our mystery shoppers found that the big banks were willing to give out pretty sizeable discounts to all kinds of borrowers if they were willing to haggle for it,” said Mozo’s property and home loan expert, Steve Jovcevski.
“With savings as high as $45,000 on offer for first home buyers or $86,000 for refinancers*, that’s a sign you should definitely be asking for a better deal when you approach a home loan lender.”
The first step to scoring a great deal is to start out on the right foot with an offer that suits your needs - so check out some of the top mortgage offers around in the table below, then read on for our expert tips on how to haggle like a pro.
-
Promoted
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Low Cost Home Loan - 2024
Unloan Variable
- Owner Occupier
- LVR <80%
Go to site- Interest rate
-
5.99
%
p.a.
Variable
- Comparison rate
-
5.90
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$2,995
Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply online in minutes.
- interest rate
-
5.99% p.a. (5.90% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
n/a
- Upfront fees
-
$0
- Ongoing fees
-
$0.00
- Discharge Fee
-
$0.00
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
$10,000
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$10,000,000
- type of mortgage
-
Variable
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
-
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
no
- Other restrictions
-
-
- Other benefits
-
Rate discounted by 0.01% p.a. every year up to a maximum discount of 0.30% p.a..
- Special Offers
-
-
Read reviews and learn more about Unloan home loans
Go to site -
Promoted
Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan
- Owner Occupier
- Principal & Interest
- LVR <80%
Go to site- Interest rate
-
5.89
%
p.a.
Fixed 1 year
- Comparison rate
-
6.30
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$2,867
Lock in a competitive fixed interest rate and enjoy peace of mind for the fixed period with SWS Bank’s Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan.There are no application, ongoing or banking fees to pay and first home buyers and refinancers can apply with a speedy online application. Get the flexibility of loan split options and redraw facility. No offset account available for fixed rate proportion of loan. Other fees may be applicable. T&Cs apply.
- interest rate
-
1 year - 5.89% p.a. (6.53% p.a.*)
2 years - 5.69% p.a. (6.42% p.a.*)
3 years - 5.59% p.a. (6.30% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
6.60% p.a.
- Upfront fees
-
$0
- Ongoing fees
-
$0.00
- Discharge Fee
-
-
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
-
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$2,500,000
- type of mortgage
-
Fixed
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free up to $20,000 p.a. during fixed rate term
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
$1.00
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
yes
- Other restrictions
-
Legal and exit fee at cost. Valuation fee charged at cost, starting from $132.
- Other benefits
-
-
- Special Offers
-
-
Read reviews and learn more about SWSbank home loans
Go to site -
Promoted
Fixed Home Loan
- Owner Occupier
- Principal & Interest
- LVR <95%
Go to site- Interest rate
-
5.69
%
p.a.
Fixed 2 years
- Comparison rate
-
6.34
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$2,899
Get the security of a competitive fixed rate home loan for 2 years with IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Up to 12 months repayments in advance without penalties. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.
- interest rate
-
1 year - 6.19% p.a. (6.45% p.a.*)
2 years - 5.69% p.a. (6.34% p.a.*)
3 years - 5.69% p.a. (6.28% p.a.*)
4 years - 5.89% p.a. (6.30% p.a.*)
5 years - 5.89% p.a. (6.27% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
6.34% p.a.
- Upfront fees
-
$799
- Ongoing fees
-
$6.00 monthly
- Discharge Fee
-
$350.00
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
95.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
$10,000
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$5,000,000
- type of mortgage
-
Fixed
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free up to 1 year in advance
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
$500.00
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
yes
- Other restrictions
-
Monthly fee only applies to fixed period of loan.
- Other benefits
-
-
- Special Offers
-
$4,000 cashback for loans $750,000 and above with a maximum LVR of 80%, settled within 90 days of application for refinancers or 180 for purchase loans. $3,000 for loans between $500k and $749k, $2,000 for loans between $250k and $499k.
Read reviews and learn more about IMB Bank home loans
Go to site
-
Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan
- Owner Occupier
- Principal & Interest
- LVR <80%
Go to site- Interest rate
-
5.89
%
p.a.
Fixed 1 year
- Comparison rate
-
6.30
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$2,867
Lock in a competitive fixed interest rate and enjoy peace of mind for the fixed period with SWS Bank’s Optimum Fixed Rate Home Loan.There are no application, ongoing or banking fees to pay and first home buyers and refinancers can apply with a speedy online application. Get the flexibility of loan split options and redraw facility. No offset account available for fixed rate proportion of loan. Other fees may be applicable. T&Cs apply.
- interest rate
-
1 year - 5.89% p.a. (6.53% p.a.*)
2 years - 5.69% p.a. (6.42% p.a.*)
3 years - 5.59% p.a. (6.30% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
6.60% p.a.
- Upfront fees
-
$0
- Ongoing fees
-
$0.00
- Discharge Fee
-
-
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
-
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$2,500,000
- type of mortgage
-
Fixed
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free up to $20,000 p.a. during fixed rate term
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
$1.00
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
yes
- Other restrictions
-
Legal and exit fee at cost. Valuation fee charged at cost, starting from $132.
- Other benefits
-
-
- Special Offers
-
-
Read reviews and learn more about SWSbank home loans
Go to site -
Fixed Home Loan
- Owner Occupier
- Principal & Interest
- LVR <95%
Go to site- Interest rate
-
5.69
%
p.a.
Fixed 2 years
- Comparison rate
-
6.34
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$2,899
Get the security of a competitive fixed rate home loan for 2 years with IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Up to 12 months repayments in advance without penalties. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.
- interest rate
-
1 year - 6.19% p.a. (6.45% p.a.*)
2 years - 5.69% p.a. (6.34% p.a.*)
3 years - 5.69% p.a. (6.28% p.a.*)
4 years - 5.89% p.a. (6.30% p.a.*)
5 years - 5.89% p.a. (6.27% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
6.34% p.a.
- Upfront fees
-
$799
- Ongoing fees
-
$6.00 monthly
- Discharge Fee
-
$350.00
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
95.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
$10,000
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$5,000,000
- type of mortgage
-
Fixed
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free up to 1 year in advance
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
$500.00
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
yes
- Other restrictions
-
Monthly fee only applies to fixed period of loan.
- Other benefits
-
-
- Special Offers
-
$4,000 cashback for loans $750,000 and above with a maximum LVR of 80%, settled within 90 days of application for refinancers or 180 for purchase loans. $3,000 for loans between $500k and $749k, $2,000 for loans between $250k and $499k.
Read reviews and learn more about IMB Bank home loans
Go to site -
Mozo experts choice awards won:
- Low Cost Home Loan - 2024
Unloan Variable
- Owner Occupier
- LVR <80%
Go to site- Interest rate
-
5.99
%
p.a.
Variable
- Comparison rate
-
5.90
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$2,995
Built by CommBank, the Unloan is the first home loan with an increasing discount (conditions apply) for borrowers. No application or banking fees. No monthly account keeping or early exit fees. Apply online in minutes.
- interest rate
-
5.99% p.a. (5.90% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
n/a
- Upfront fees
-
$0
- Ongoing fees
-
$0.00
- Discharge Fee
-
$0.00
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
$10,000
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$10,000,000
- type of mortgage
-
Variable
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
-
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
no
- Other restrictions
-
-
- Other benefits
-
Rate discounted by 0.01% p.a. every year up to a maximum discount of 0.30% p.a..
- Special Offers
-
-
Read reviews and learn more about Unloan home loans
Go to site -
Budget Home Loan
- LVR <80%
- Owner Occupier
- Principal & Interest
Go to site- Interest rate
-
6.04
%
p.a.
Variable
- Comparison rate
-
6.07
%
p.a.
- Initial monthly repayment
-
$3,011
Enjoy a discounted variable home loan from IMB. Get up to $4,000 cashback (T&Cs apply). Life-of-loan discount off IMB’s standard variable interest rate. Unrestricted additional repayments. Free Internet and Mobile Banking redraws (T&Cs apply). No monthly fees to pay. Up to a 30 year loan term. Split loan available. No offset account.
- interest rate
-
6.04% p.a. (6.07% p.a.*)
- Fixed loan revert rate
-
n/a
- Upfront fees
-
$350
- Ongoing fees
-
$0.00
- Discharge Fee
-
$350.00
- Package
-
-
- Maximum loan to value ratio
-
80.00%
- minimum borrowing amount
-
$10,000
- maximum borrowing amount
-
$5,000,000
- type of mortgage
-
Variable
- Repayment types
-
Principal & Interest
- Availability
-
Owner Occupier
- Repayment options
-
Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly
- Extra repayments
-
yes - free
- Redraw facility
-
yes - free
- Minimum redraw amount
-
$500.00
- Offset account
-
no
- Split account
-
yes
- Other restrictions
-
-
- Other benefits
-
The $449 application fee is waived for <80% LVR Owner Occupier Principal and Interest loans.
- Special Offers
-
$4,000 cashback for loans $750,000 and above with a maximum LVR of 80%, settled within 90 days of application for refinancers or 180 for purchase loans. $3,000 for loans between $500k and $749k, $2,000 for loans between $250k and $499k.
Read reviews and learn more about IMB Bank home loans
Go to site
Your selected home loans
Mozo’s home loan haggling tips
Ready to save a bundle on your mortgage? Here are our top tips for haggling like a professional and squeezing the best deal out of your lender.
Don’t settle for the first offer. “Banks often won’t give you the best deal they can the first time you ask - they reserve the lowest rates for customers who really push for it,” said Jovcevski. So if you want to save as much as possible, it’s time to dig in your heels and really work for it.
Be prepared for price matching. Our mystery shop found that some lenders won’t come to the party unless you’re asking them to price match an offer from a competitor, so make sure you compare home loans and have a rate in mind to ask for. The upside is that if haggling doesn’t pan out, you’ve already found another low rate offer!
Bundle other products. You might have more luck securing a big discount if you bring other financial products across to your home loan lender as well. Think about bundling your home insurance, credit card, or bank account as incentive for a better mortgage deal.
Think about other bonuses. Things like frequent flyer bonus points, cashback offers or waived fees can sweeten your home loan deal almost as much as a lowered interest rate. “Don’t be scared to think outside the box when it comes to things that might sweeten the deal for you,” Jovcevski said.
*Savings and discounts based on discounts from ANZ, NAB, Westpac and CommBank between 11 - 14 September 2017. Potential annual savings calculated for first home buyer on a $300,000 home loan and refinancer on a $500,000 loan over 30 years.
Calculate your home loan repayments
We can show you the monthly repayment amount for a range of loans
* 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
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 PDS or offer documentation, or seeking independent advice.
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