Build Wealth Through Property Investment

Yes — this is a common way to grow a property portfolio. Your usable equity is calculated as 80% of your property's current value, minus your outstanding mortgage balance. For example, if your home is worth $900,000 and you owe $450,000, your usable equity is ($900k × 80%) − $450k = $270,000. A broker can arrange an equity release or refinance to access this as a deposit for your next purchase. Use our calculator above to estimate yours.

Both are valid strategies — and the right choice depends entirely on your goals, cashflow situation, and tax position. Interest only (IO) is popular during a growth phase because it maximises cashflow and preserves deductible debt. Principal and interest builds equity faster and typically attracts lower rates, making it better for investors in a long-term hold-and-pay-down strategy. Many investors use IO on investment loans and P&I on their owner-occupied loan to maximise deductible interest. Always speak to your accountant about the tax implications.

Absolutely. Having an existing home loan does not prevent you from buying an investment property — in fact, it often helps, because you may have built up usable equity that can serve as your deposit. Lenders assess investment loan applications separately, factoring in both your existing mortgage repayments and the expected rental income from the new property (typically at 70–80% of the gross rent). Many investors hold multiple properties while still servicing their primary mortgage.

There is no legal limit to how many investment properties you can own in Australia. However, lenders assess your entire portfolio — serviceability across all existing loans, LVR positions, and cumulative debt exposure — before approving each new purchase. Some lenders become more restrictive after 2–3 investment properties, which is why portfolio strategy matters. We work with lenders who specialise in multi-property investors and understand how to structure portfolios for ongoing borrowing capacity.

For a standard investment loan you will typically need: the last 2–3 payslips (or last 2 years' tax returns if self-employed), most recent existing loan statements, a rental appraisal letter for the new property from a local property manager, property contract of sale or address details, and proof of your deposit or equity (bank statements or council rates for the existing property). If you are extracting equity from an existing property, we will also need a current mortgage statement and recent valuation. We guide you through the full checklist once we understand your situation.