Opes Financial

Borrowing capacity calculator.

A rough indication of what a typical lender would lend you, based on income, household, expenses and existing debts. Includes the APRA stress-test buffer.

Book a chatSee finance broking
An antique brass two-pan balance scale on a dark wooden desk with the pans empty in soft directional light.
Inputs
Result
Indicative borrowing capacity
$1,509,782
Combined gross income
$300,000
Net monthly income
$18,273
Estimated living costs
$4,175
Monthly surplus
$13,498
Stress-test rate
9.00% p.a.

This is a rough indication, not a lender pre-approval. Every lender applies its own serviceability formula, HEM tables, and shading for variable income. The number you see here is what a typical lender would land at; specific lenders can come in 10-15% above or below. For a real number against a real lender, have a chat.

The honest version

How accurate this borrowing estimate is.

The number this returns is what a typical lender's serviceability formula would land at. The 50+ lenders on the OPES panel each have their own variant, and the spread between them is wider than most clients expect.

  • Spread across lenders is real. The same file can be offered $850k at one lender and $1.1m at another, just on policy differences around HECS, bonuses or rental income. The owner-occupied lending page covers how the 50+ panel actually splits on capacity.
  • The cheapest way to lift capacity. Cancel unused credit cards (or reduce limits), pay off small consumer loans, and avoid taking on new debt in the 6 months before applying. Each $100 of monthly debt service reduces capacity by roughly $15,000.
  • Income type matters. PAYG full-time is treated most favourably. Variable bonus, commission and self-employed income gets shaded, typically 80% of bonus and a 2-year average for self-employed. The calculator assumes 100% PAYG. Once you have a capacity figure, the repayment estimator shows what the monthly looks like.

Common questions

Every lender applies its own serviceability formula, its own HEM living-cost floor, and its own approach to bonuses, overtime, rental income and HECS. The same applicant can be offered a $200k+ range between lenders on the panel. This calculator approximates a typical lender; some come in higher, some lower.
Household Expenditure Measure — an ABS-derived benchmark lenders apply as a minimum monthly living cost. Even if you say you spend $2,000 a month, the lender floors it at HEM (often $3,500-$5,500 depending on household and income). The calculator uses an indicative figure; the real HEM table is more nuanced.
Lenders assume 3% of the credit card limit (not the balance) as a monthly repayment. A $10,000 limit is treated as $300 a month of debt servicing. The cheapest way to increase capacity is often to close or reduce unused credit limits before applying.
APRA requires lenders to test serviceability at the product rate plus 3 percentage points. If the actual rate is 6%, the lender checks you can still afford repayments at 9%. The buffer changed from 2.5% to 3% in 2021 — it's the reason borrowing capacity dropped about 20% that year.
No — it means a typical lender's formula returns that number against the inputs you gave. Actual approval depends on credit history, employment stability, income type (PAYG is easier than self-employed), property type, and a dozen other things. For a real pre-approval, have a chat.

Continue reading

Want the real capacity number?

We'll run your file across the panel and tell you which lender returns the highest capacity for your specific income type, credit profile and household. Free, no commitment.

Book a chat
See home loan calculator