Small cuts & big savings: how refinancing your home loan could save you thousands of dollars

By Jack Dona · · 2 min read
Fact Checked
Advertiser disclosure
A hand with garden gloves and a pruner chops some leaves off an origami rose made from American paper money.

Despite the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) holding the cash rate at 4.10% since June 2023, home loan lenders continue to chop and change their interest rates, meaning new opportunities for borrowers to refinance are always cropping up. 

According to Mozo’s data in September, it’s a mixed bag of lenders raising rates by as much as 70 basis points (like with many of HSBC’s fixed-rate home loans), and lenders cutting rates by 5 to over 30 basis points. 

It’s within these seemingly small rate cuts that some real savings could be hiding if you’re looking to refinance. 

In fact, if you had a $400,000 home loan calculated at 6.5% p.a. over 25 years, reducing your interest rate by as little as 0.25% p.a. could save you $18,646 in interest by the time you’ve paid off your mortgage. And that’s just by saving an extra $62 per month on repayments.  

That’s money better spent on your retirement, rather than your lender’s.

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The importance of being on top of your mortgage 

Home loan interest rates change all the time, not just when the cash rate moves. 

If you get a letter in the mail from your lender saying your variable rate is rising, even if it’s just by 25 basis points, it’s worth negotiating your rate or looking to refinance with a new lender. 

The compounding effect of saving just $62 per month, as we saw in the above example, works out to a significant boost to your finances after you’ve finished paying off your home. 

So, pencil in some time to compare home loan rates every few months to ensure you’re not paying more than you need to.

Check out some of the featured home loans below to get started. 

Home loan comparisons on Mozo - last updated 9 December 2023

Search promoted home loans below or do a full Mozo database search . Advertiser disclosure
  • Featured Product
    Mozo Expert Choice Badge
    Unloan Variable

    Owner Occupier, Refinance Only, LVR <80%

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    5.74% p.a. variable
    5.65% p.a.

    For refinancers only. 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 in as little as 10 minutes.

    Go to site
    Details
  • Mozo Expert Choice Badge
    Variable Home Loan 90

    Principal and Interest, LVR <90%

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    6.04% p.a. variable
    6.06% p.a.

    Affordable home loan rate for buyers or refinancers. No monthly or ongoing fees. Option to add an offset for 0.10%. Access to savings with unlimited redraws available. Minimum 10% deposit required. Advertised rates include Nov RBA rate increase. T&Cs apply.

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    Details
  • Mortgage Simplifier

    LVR<80%, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    6.14% p.a. variable
    6.43% p.a.

    Get a competitive variable rate with ING’s Mortgage Simplifier. Free extra repayments, no monthly or annual fees. Freedom to make free extra repayments or redraws. Winner of Australia’s Best Essential Bank in the Mozo Experts Choice Awards.

    Details
  • Mozo Expert Choice Badge
    Variable Rate Home Loan Special Offer

    Package, Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR<80%

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    6.14% p.a. variable
    6.51% p.a.

    Package benefits across Home Loans, Visa Credit Card, Personal Loans and Term Deposits. No package fee for the first year. No application, settlement or redraw fees to pay. Quick and easy application. Free CoreLogic RP Data property reports. *Terms, conditions and lending criteria apply.

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    Details
  • Well Balanced Special Offer

    Owner Occupier, Principal & Interest, LVR <80%

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    6.12% p.a. variable
    6.14% p.a.

    Competitive low rates available for owner occupiers. Free online redraws. 100% offset account for a small fee ($10 p/mth). Quick and easy application online. Get a free evaluation (Valued up to $300). Minimum loan amount $100K.

    Go to site
    Details
  • Mozo Expert Choice Badge
    Express Home Loan

    Investment, Principal & Interest

    interest rate
    comparison rate
    Initial monthly repayment
    6.22% p.a. variable
    6.37% p.a.

    Get fast online approval from the award-winning Bendigo Bank Express Home Loan. Multiple offset accounts and redraw available. 100% offset on variable rate loans and partial offset on fixed rate. Flexible repayment options. New home loans only.

    Find out more
    Details

* 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

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