If you have had your home loan for more than two years, you are likely paying a ‘Loyalty Tax’—a higher interest rate than what banks offer their brand-new customers. While your neighbours and the 7 o’clock news are buzzing about refinancing, the real question isn’t just about saving a few dollars a month; it’s about restructuring your debt to fit your life in 2026.
In this guide, we explore the top 9 reasons to refinance your loan and show how working with an expert mortgage broker in Brisbane can help you secure the best deal. Whether you want to escape a bad rate, renovate your kitchen, or simply stop overpaying, refinancing is a strategic move to take back control.
Let’s dive in…
What Is Refinancing?
Refinancing means changing your existing loan for a new one and, in most cases, with a new bank. In other words, Refinancing a home loan involves replacing an existing mortgage with a new one that has different terms.
The two main reasons people look to refinance their home loans are:
- to get a better rate or
- to increase their existing loan to withdraw some home equity.
You can refinance your home loan from any bank or lender you choose; you don’t have to stick with your existing lender. These days, banks do not reward loyalty. In most cases, we find lenders offer better deals to new customers rather than rewarding their existing ones.
Aside from this, what are some other reasons for refinancing? It will come down to your personal situation and short to medium-term goals. While people have many reasons for refinancing, here are the most common ones we see.
1. I Want To Reduce My Home Loan Repayments.
If interest rates have changed since you got your original home loan, you could refinance into a new loan with a lower rate. By refinancing your loan, you can also reduce the amount of interest you pay, which reduces the monthly repayments. This ultimately means you will pay less over the life of your loan.
At Hunter Galloway, we find that in most cases, if you have had your home loan for over 2 years, you are paying a “loyalty tax” on an uncompetitive interest rate.
Let’s say your current home loan interest rate is around 6.64%, you owe $500,000 on your mortgage, and your current repayment is $3,205 per month.
You could refinance your home loan to a cheaper lender who is offering a competitive interest rate of 5.49%. Your monthly repayments would then go down by $369 to $2,836 per month.
Monthly Repayments (Principal & Interest, 30 Year Term)
Loan Amount | 5.00% | 5.25% | 5.50% | 5.75% | 6.00% | 6.25% |
$350,000 | $1,879 | $1,933 | $1,987 | $2,042 | $2,098 | $2,155 |
$400,000 | $2,147 | $2,209 | $2,271 | $2,334 | $2,398 | $2,463 |
$450,000 | $2,416 | $2,485 | $2,555 | $2,626 | $2,698 | $2,771 |
$500,000 | $2,684 | $2,761 | $2,839 | $2,918 | $2,998 | $3,079 |
The craziest part is the power of compounding interest.
Using the ASIC MoneySmart refinance calculator to do the numbers, if you were to switch to a new lender with an interest rate that is 1.15% lower on your mortgage of $500,000, you would not only save $369 per month, but you would save roughly $132,840 over the life of the loan!
Expert Warning: Avoid The “30-Year Trap”
While securing a lower interest rate is the main goal of refinancing, there is a hidden danger that many banks won’t warn you about. We call this the “30-Year Trap.”
When you refinance, most lenders will automatically set your new loan term back to 30 years by default. If you have already been paying off your mortgage for 5 or 10 years, “resetting the clock” back to 30 years means you will be in debt for longer.
Don’t let a lower interest rate fool you.
Even with a significantly lower interest rate, extending your loan term by an extra 5 years can result in paying tens of thousands of dollars more in total interest.
Let’s look at the numbers:
Imagine you have $500,000 remaining on your mortgage and 25 years left on your term. You decide to refinance to a lower rate of 5.99%.
Strategy | New Loan Term | Monthly Repayment | Total Interest Paid | The Verdict |
The Trap | Reset to 30 Years | $2,995 | $578,000 | You pay $93,000 MORE |
The Smart Move | Keep at 25 Years | $3,219 | $485,000 | You save $93,000 |
The Solution: Match Your Term
The good news is that avoiding this trap is simple. When we help clients refinance, we can structure the new loan to match your remaining loan term.
For example, if you have 22 years left on your current mortgage, we set the new loan to 22 years. This ensures you get the benefit of the lower interest rate without adding unnecessary years to your debt.
2. My Property Has Increased In Value.
If your property’s value has gotten a boost, you might be able to refinance and get a better rate. These days, banks give better interest rates to borrowers who have more equity.
For example, if you bought your home for $500,000 and had a loan of $450,000, but the property’s value has since increased to $600,000, you have increased your home equity from 10% to 25%, and lenders will be more willing to give you larger discounts to get your business. This will reduce your interest costs and help you repay your loan faster!
3. The Fixed Rate Period On My Loan Is Expiring.
It is very common in Australia to have a fixed rate term of between 1 to 5 years. When your fixed rate finishes (or expires in bank talk) at the end of that 1 to 5-year period, your loan will change back to a variable rate.
In most cases, the bank’s standard variable rate will not have any discounts! You can avoid this higher interest rate by switching to another fixed rate or even refinancing to another lender.
4. I Can Afford To Pay More Off My Loan.
For some people, changing the length of your loan term can help pay off your loan quicker. If, for example, you have had an increase in income and can now afford higher monthly home loan payments, you could refinance to a shorter loan term. In this case, you could reduce your loan term from 30 years to 25 years, helping you pay your home loan off faster and saving you literally tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments over the life of the loan.
Let’s go back to the example above. Say you had a home loan of $500,000, and you refinanced your loan to a new interest rate of 5.49%.
If you were to keep the repayments the same as what you paid with your old bank ($3,205 per month) while on the lower interest rate, you would save roughly $152,000 over the life of the loan and pay off your home loan 88 months earlier.
In other words, you would slash 7.4 years from your home loan term just by maintaining your current repayment level!
5. I Want To Increase My Loan And Take Cash Out.
A cash-out refinance allows you to use the equity you have in your home to borrow money at a lower cost. You may want to invest these funds into shares or use them as a deposit for a new investment property.
How exactly does increasing your loan work? Let’s say your house today is worth $600,000, and you have $450,000 left on your current mortgage. This means you have $150,000 in home equity. You could refinance the home loan to withdraw $30,000 of this equity into a home loan, bringing your total lending to $480,000.
The "Valuation Buffer" Secret
When looking to access cash, many borrowers don’t realise that banks can vary significantly in how they value your property.
One bank might value your home at $800,000, while another sees it at $850,000. That $50,000 difference could be the key to releasing enough cash for your renovation or keeping your Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) under 80% to avoid paying Lenders Mortgage Insurance.
If your current bank says “no” or gives you a low valuation, don’t give up. Talk to us—we can often order upfront valuations from multiple lenders to find the one that gives your property the credit it deserves.
6. I Want To Do Some Renovations.
After you’ve been in your home for a few years, you might feel it’s time to do some renovations. These generally fall under 2 categories:
- Simple renovations, like adding air-conditioning, solar panels or painting. If you are doing a simple renovation, the numbers work exactly the same as taking cash out, and you would rely on the equity in your home.
- Structural renovations, like adding an extra level to the house, a pool or a new kitchen. With Structural Renovations, you can rely on the on-completion value of the renovated property.
So, for example, if you are adding an extra bedroom and bathroom to the property, which would increase the home’s value by an additional $100,000 – the bank can lend on this figure. Using the example above, if adding an extra bathroom and bedroom increases the property’s value from $600,000 to $700,000, you could then increase the lending to $560,000, meaning additional lending of $110,000, which can go towards your renovations.
7. I Want To Consolidate Other Loans (And Credit Cards)
Lastly, you can refinance to consolidate other loans and debts into a single and possibly more affordable payment. This can be handy in situations where you have high-interest-rate loans and debts like credit cards, personal loans or car loans.
A debt consolidation home loan refinance works similarly to a cash-out refinance, where an increased portion of the loan can be used to pay out other loans and debts. Your old home loan would increase by the amount you used to pay off those other debts.
Debt consolidation works well if you have lots of different credit cards and are paying really high interest rates. The only downside when consolidating debts is to consider the new loan term and what the total interest costs will be after you have consolidated everything.
8. Your Current Bank’s App or Service Is Outdated.
Sometimes, the decision to refinance isn’t just about the numbers—it’s about your sanity. In 2026, banking should be seamless, instant, and stress-free. If you find yourself dreading calling your bank or struggling with a clunky mobile app, it might be time to switch.
We find that many homeowners are tired of “legacy” issues like waiting on hold for hours, local branches closing down, or mobile apps that crash when you need them most.
Why settle for bad tech when you can refinance?
Modern lenders and FinTechs have raised the bar significantly. By refinancing to a lender with a superior digital experience, you can gain access to features that make managing your mortgage easier, such as:
- Real-time visibility: Instantly seeing your offset account balance and knowing exactly how much interest you are saving daily.
- Instant payments: Access to Osko and PayID for near-instant transfers between accounts (no more waiting 3 days for funds to clear).
- Spending insights: Apps that automatically categorise your spending to help you budget better.
- Fast approvals: Simple digital forms for top-ups or changes, rather than printing, signing, and scanning PDFs.
Refinancing allows you to move to a lender that treats you like a valued customer, providing not just a loan, but a better day-to-day banking experience.
9. I Want To Simplify My Finances (And Ditch Annual Fees)
Are you paying for a gym membership you never use? Your home loan might be doing the exact same thing.
Many borrowers are currently stuck in “Wealth Packages” or “Pro Packs,” paying annual fees of roughly $395 every single year. These packages were designed to bundle your home loan with a credit card and an offset account.
The Problem:
If you aren’t using that rewards credit card, or if you don’t keep a significant amount of cash in your offset account, you are effectively donating almost $400 a year to the bank for nothing. Over a 30-year loan term, that is nearly $12,000 in fees that could have stayed in your pocket.
The Solution: Go “Basic”
One of the smartest reasons to refinance in 2026 is to simplify. By switching to a “Basic” variable home loan, you can often eliminate these ongoing fees entirely.
The best part? In the current market, “Basic” loans often come with sharper interest rates than the premium packaged loans because you aren’t paying for the bells and whistles. Refinancing allows you to declutter your finances, remove unused products, and ensure every dollar you pay is going towards your debt, not admin fees.
Bonus: Pros And Cons Of Refinancing Your Mortgage In A Falling Housing Market.
The Australian housing market has seen a downturn, with interest rates reaching historical highs and reduced borrowing power, causing house prices to decrease. This has left many homeowners concerned about their financial security, and many are considering refinancing their home loans.
But with the decline in property values, the question arises: is it the right time to refinance?
Generally, the refinancing decision for each individual is unique and depends on your personal goals and needs. We have covered some of the reasons you can choose to refinance your home loan.
But it’s important to weigh the pros and cons before deciding to refinance in a falling housing market.
Pros:
- A lower interest rate. Refinancing may be a solution to reducing the interest and monthly repayments. We’ve seen 9 consecutive rate rises, which have led to interest rates hitting some record highs. This has led to higher repayments and mortgage stress for many. Refinancing to a lower rate might alleviate some of the financial strain caused by the current interest rate environment.
- Lower mortgage term. If you’re willing to pay a higher monthly payment, you can refinance to a lender that offers the option to reduce the overall term on your mortgage. This can lead to paying off your home loan sooner, so you won’t have to worry about rate rises anymore. It’s important to note that this option requires you to pay a higher monthly repayment, and it’s good to check with the lender if you’re refinancing to a variable option with a lower interest rate to ensure they allow additional repayments or lump sums to be paid.
- Secure monthly repayments. As we mentioned earlier, we have already had 9 consecutive rate rises. If you are worried about more rate rises, you can switch to a fixed rate and secure your monthly repayments by refinancing to a fixed interest rate. This can provide stability in the face of potential rate increases. Fixed-rate home loans keep your payments consistent for a set period regardless of changes in the market. So, although your home value may be decreasing, you can still protect yourself from potential future risks by choosing a fixed-rate home loan.
Cons:
- Less Equity. Many homeowners are worried as the decrease in the value of their homes has led to a drop in the equity available. This drop in equity can impact the rates offered by lenders and even the likelihood of your loan being approved.
- Falling into negative equity. Negative equity is when your home value has dropped below the outstanding amount you owe to the bank. In this situation, you won’t be able to refinance your loan because, technically, you’re lending 100% of the property value. In many cases, when you refinance, the lender wants to lend at an 80% LVR with no mortgage insurance or a maximum of 90% LVR if you’re paying lenders mortgage insurance. If you fall into negative equity, you may not have any other option except to stay with your current lender, increase your monthly repayment and wait until the property price increases again.
- Lower borrowing power. As rates have risen, this lowers your borrowing power, which makes it even harder to qualify for a home loan. We are seeing this quite a lot. You may be making all of your repayments, but when you try to refinance, lenders may say that you can’t afford the loan you already have. This is because the banks add a buffer of about 3% above the current rates when they assess your application. In effect, they are looking at your ability to repay a mortgage at, say, 8% instead of the current rates, which are about 5%. In other words, if rates have gone up since you’ve borrowed, you might actually not qualify for a loan now because of this assessment.
- Potential for additional costs. When your property value drops, the percentage you need to borrow to refinance goes up, which can be quite costly. Effectively, as soon as you’re lending over 80% of the property value, things like lenders mortgage insurance become applicable. You may still be able to refinance your home loan, but typically, lenders require a 20% equity to avoid that lender’s mortgage insurance. There are some lenders that will waive the mortgage insurance up to an 85% lend, but they can charge higher interest rates.
Bonus: Cost Of Refinancing A Home Loan In Australia.
While there are heaps of benefits to refinancing your loan, you must remember there are still costs to complete the loan application. You may have to pay some of the following costs when refinancing your home loan.
- Break Cost. If you are on a fixed rate and decide to refinance it to a variable rate or to move to another lender, your current lender may charge you break costs (also known as break fees).
- Discharge settlement fee. This is also known as a loan exit, settlement, or termination fee. Some lenders make you pay this fee in order to cover administration costs when you exit a loan.
- Application fee. In some cases, you may need to pay an application fee. Some banks may waive this fee to get your business. So, talk to your mortgage broker to see if you can get this fee waived.
- Property valuation fee. Sometimes if you are refinancing to a new lender, they may require a property valuation. This also differs from lender to lender.
- Settlement fee. Some lenders may charge this fee, especially if there are legal costs involved.
- Mortgage registration fee. You may have to pay some government fees when you change your mortgage.
Generally, these costs can range from $400 to $600 for a single property refinance.
But the good news is that many banks offer refinance rebates at the moment, and in some cases, we have been able to arrange up to $2,000 refunded to our refinance clients on settlement to cover the costs of switching and also leave them with some change! There are some terms and conditions to the refinance rebate, so chat with our team at Hunter Galloway to see if you qualify.
Will I have to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) again if I refinance?
Possibly. If your property value has dropped or if your equity is less than 20% of the property’s current value, you may be required to pay LMI on the new loan. However, if your property has increased in value significantly, you might avoid this cost. We can order an upfront valuation to check this before you apply.
Does refinancing hurt my credit score?
Applying for a refinance will leave a “hard enquiry” on your credit file, which may temporarily dip your score slightly. The bigger risk is applying to multiple banks at once (shopping around), which looks risky to lenders. Working with a broker protects your score because we identify the single best lender for you before submitting an application.
Can I refinance if I am on a fixed rate?
Yes, but it comes with a catch. If you break a fixed-rate contract early, the bank may charge “break costs,” which can be thousands of dollars depending on interest rate movements. You need to calculate if the savings from the new lower rate outweigh the one-off break fee.
How much does it actually cost to switch lenders?
While many refinances are “fee-free” from an application perspective, there are third-party costs. You typically pay a “Discharge Fee” to your old bank (approx. $350) and a government “Mortgage Registration Fee” (approx. $150–$200 depending on your state). In total, budget around $500–$700 to switch, which is often recouped in the first month or two of interest savings.
How long does the refinancing process take?
In 2026, the process is faster than ever. A simple refinance typically takes between 2 to 4 weeks from application to settlement. Some digital-first lenders can approve loans in as little as 48 hours, provided your paperwork is ready.
What documents do I need to refinance?
To speed up the process, have these ready: your two most recent payslips, 3 months of bank statements (showing your salary and savings), your ID (Driver’s Licence or Passport), and your most recent home loan statement. If you are self-employed, you will generally need your last two years of tax returns.
Is it worth refinancing for a 0.25% or 0.50% rate drop?
It depends on your loan size. On a $500,000 mortgage, a 0.50% reduction saves you roughly $2,500 per year. If the cost to switch is only $600, you break even in about 3 months. Generally, if you can save more than 0.30% and aren’t paying huge exit fees, it is usually worth investigating.
Can I refinance if I have bad credit or defaults?
Yes, but you may not qualify for the “major bank” rates immediately. There are specialist lenders who assist borrowers with bad credit. Refinancing to one of these lenders can help you consolidate debts and repair your credit rating, allowing you to refinance back to a major lender at a lower rate in the future.
Next Steps And Refinancing Your Home Loan
We’re more than happy to help you walk through your refinance options and find the right option for you. You can schedule a call with one of our Expert Mortgage Brokers or get started with your refinance journey here.
Unlike other mortgage brokers who are just one-person operations, we have an entire team of experts dedicated to helping make your home loan journey as simple as possible.
If you want to get started, please give us a call on 1300 088 065 or book a free assessment online to see how we can help.
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