For most borrowers, the savings that come from switching home loans far outweigh the costs that come with discharging one loan and setting up a new one.
But that's not always the case. Borrowers on fixed rate loans, or who have little equity built up in the property, risk paying hefty penalties for refinancing. The smart refinancer calculates their switching costs before making the move to a new loan.
5 common costs of switching home loans
Mortgage discharge fees. Some lenders charge a fee when you exit a loan for any reason. It's usually a few hundred dollars. Check your loan contract or ask your lender.
Mortgage registration fees. State and territory governments charge a fee to register a new mortgage. It's usually $100 or slightly more.
New application fee. Your new lender may charge you an application fee or settlement fee. Some lenders charge between $400 and $600 for this. Some lenders don't charge you a cent.
Break costs on fixed rate loans. When you break a fixed-term loan, your lender charges a complicated fee. This fixed rate break cost is determined by the length of your fixed period, your loan amount and current market rates. Ask your current lender for a break cost estimate before refinancing.
Lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). If you bought a house with a deposit below 20%, your original lender would have charged you lenders mortgage insurance. If you refinance, your new lender could charge you for LMI again if your outstanding loan debt is still more than 80% of the property's value (meaning your deposit, or now equity, is still under 20%). LMI can cost thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars.
To give you a clearer example of the costs above, we've broken down an example estimate of the fees you may face when refinancing your mortgage. Note that these fees can vary from one lender to another.
Expense type
Cost
Discharge fees
$100-$200
Mortgage deregistration fee
$120 (varies according to state)
Mortgage registration fees
$120 (varies according to state)
Application fee
$500
Settlement fee
$75
Bank valuation fee
$220
Title search fee
$30
Preparation of mortgage documents
$100
Total refinancing costs:
$1,325
You can also use our calculator below to estimate your total switching costs.
Finder survey: How many Australians have refinanced a home loan?
Response
Yes
93.24%
No
6.76%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1112 Australians, December 2023
How do I minimise my switching costs?
Why pay more to refinance than you need to? There are some easy ways to make switching cheaper.
Look for a new lender with low fees
A low interest rate is always the most important feature of a mortgage. But finding a loan with low fees is a good idea too. Many lenders now offer loans with no upfront fees at all.
Don't refinance until you have 20% equity
It's probably not worth refinancing if you have to pay LMI. You're better off making loan repayments, checking the value of your property (hopefully it's higher than when you bought) and waiting until you own at least 20% of the property.
Then you can refinance without paying thousands in LMI premiums.
On a fixed rate? Maybe wait
Breaking a fixed rate loan can cost hundreds, or possibly thousands of dollars. If you're nearing the end of the fixed period the break cost will be smaller. Refinancing could still be a cost-effective move.
But if you have a big loan and you fixed for several years to come, your break costs could wipe out the savings that come from switching. You may have to wait it out.
A refinance cashback can cover switching costs
Many lenders now offer cashback deals to attract refinancers. Home loan cashbacks are worth between $2,000 and $4,000. This should offset most of your switching expenses.
But don't let the cashback figure cloud your judgement. The extra cash is nice, but you need to make sure the new loan is a suitable one for you.
Is it easy to switch home loans?
Refinancing your home loan sounds like a big task, but it's often easier than applying for your first ever home loan. If you've been making repayments, you've demonstrated to potential lenders that you're a responsible borrower.
Refinancing involves 7 steps (and if you're reading this guide you've already started):
Look at the cost of your current home loan.
Ask your current lender for a better deal.
Check out how much it will cost to exit your current loan.
Richard Whitten is a money editor at Finder, and has been covering home loans, property and personal finance for 6+ years. He has written for Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Homely; and has appeared on various radio shows nationwide. He holds a Certificate IV in mortgage broking and finance (RG 206), a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification and a Tier 2 General Advice Deposit Products (RG 146) certification.
Refinancing your home loan can get you a better interest rate, adjust your loan term and take advantage of new features, but there are some things to look out for to make sure it's the right decision for you.
Knowing just how much equity you have in your home before you start looking to refinance a home loan is crucial. If you don't have enough equity you might have to pay for LMI again or get stuck with a higher rate.
Currently have $275000 mortgage with Bankwest interest rate is 5.3%
Morgage house offering 3.49%
Is it worth changing loans what will my discharge fee be with Bankwest
While I can’t answer if changing your lender is indeed the best option for you, our home refinancing guide can help you make the right decision. On the same page, we have also listed the true cost of refinancing as well as your refinancing options.
Before refinancing, you may want to get in touch first with Bankwest and see if you can negotiate a lower rate. They are also able to compute the discharge fee of your loan in case you want to refinance.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
Currently have $275000 mortgage with Bankwest interest rate is 5.3%
Morgage house offering 3.49%
Is it worth changing loans what will my discharge fee be with Bankwest
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your question.
While I can’t answer if changing your lender is indeed the best option for you, our home refinancing guide can help you make the right decision. On the same page, we have also listed the true cost of refinancing as well as your refinancing options.
Before refinancing, you may want to get in touch first with Bankwest and see if you can negotiate a lower rate. They are also able to compute the discharge fee of your loan in case you want to refinance.
Cheers,
Anndy