Borrowing Power Calculator
An indicative figure for how much a lender might extend, built the way lenders build it: what is left each month after living costs and commitments, assessed at a rate higher than the one you would pay. Only an assessed application gives a real answer.
What the calculator is doing
- Lenders do not lend against your income; they lend against what is left of it. The calculator takes your take-home income, subtracts living expenses, existing repayments and a share of your credit card limits, and treats the remainder as the most you could put toward a new loan each month.
- That surplus is then converted into a loan amount at the assessed rate — your assumed rate plus a buffer — because lenders are required to check the loan would still be affordable if rates rose. This is the single biggest reason borrowing estimates come back lower than people expect.
- Where gross income is entered, it is converted to an approximate take-home figure using resident tax brackets and the Medicare levy. It ignores offsets, HELP debt and salary packaging, so it is close rather than exact. If you know your actual take-home pay, enter that instead.
Go further
- What lenders actually assess →
- What pre-approval means →
- Get an assessed pre-approval →
- Purchase costs calculator →
No obligation · Licensed credit advisers
Common Questions
Why is this lower than another calculator gave me?
Usually because of the buffer. Some calculators quietly assess at the actual rate, which produces a larger number that no lender would approve. This one assesses at rate plus buffer because that is how applications are actually tested.
Does the number account for my deposit?
No. This is the loan amount, not the purchase price. Add your deposit, then subtract stamp duty and costs, to get an indicative price ceiling — the purchase costs calculator covers that side.
How do lenders treat bonuses, overtime or rental income?
Differently from each other, and usually by counting only a portion. Because this calculator asks for a single income figure, it cannot model that. It is one of the main reasons an assessed figure from a broker differs from any online estimate.
Is this an approval?
No. It is an arithmetic estimate on figures you typed. A pre-approval involves a lender reviewing your documents and credit file, and only that carries any weight — particularly at auction.
General information and indicative estimates only. These calculators do not take your objectives, financial situation or needs into account. They are not credit assistance, credit advice or financial advice, and they are not an offer of credit or an approval.
Any interest rate, buffer, fee or percentage shown is an assumption you can change. It is not a rate or fee offered by Sabea or by any lender. Lenders assess income, expenses and liabilities using their own methods and policies, which differ between lenders and change over time, so an actual borrowing capacity, repayment or cost will differ from these figures.
Tax and transfer duty figures are estimates based on published schedules that are revised each year. Confirm current amounts with the Australian Taxation Office and Revenue NSW, or with your accountant and conveyancer, before relying on them.
Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere; the calculations run entirely in your browser. Sabea Financial, Credit Representative 539 662, ABN 86 653 823 253, is authorised under Australian Credit Licence 391237.