Funding Options

Helping your children with a deposit.
Now you can afford to help, how will you fund it?

This article is a 6 minute read.
In this section we will help you consider:
Using your savings
Loans and guarantees
Selling assets
Summary of all options
  • Using your savings
  • Loans and guarantees
  • Selling assets
  • Summary of all options

Remember that a good rule of thumb is to only give what you can afford, both today and tomorrow:  Don’t risk your future dreams and plans.

Using your savings

If you are fortunate enough to have spare cash in savings, you can simply gift or lend that money to your child now.  Or, if you are above the pension age, you can potentially draw down on your superannuation.

While these options do “bring forward the inheritance”, eating into a nest-egg can have implications on your lifestyle and long-term wealth.

Selling assets

Beyond cash savings, you may have other assets you can sell, such as a holiday home or share portfolio.

And if you choose to sell assets, bear in mind that you are giving up any future appreciation in the value of those assets, and may have to pay tax on any accumulated gain, which can reduce your net proceeds.  

As with savings, you should consider whether the reduction in your nest-egg has any implications on your lifestyle and long-term wealth.

Delete section

Loans and guarantees

There are a range of loans available in the market to help you fund your child’s purchase.

Loan option
Typical age of access
Proof of income
Equity in your home
Parental Guarantee
You provide a bank with a guarantee that your child will make repayments
< 55
Yes
Yes
Co Borrower
You and your child jointly take out a bank loan
< 55
Yes
No
Standard bank loan
You take out a bank loan
< 55
Yes
Yes
Reverse Mortgage
You take funds from your home equity, with no fixed term and a variable interest rate
60+
No
Yes
2Be's Equity Advantage®
You take funds from your home equity for a fixed 5-year term with the option to choose a fixed or variable interest rate
55+
No
Yes
Loan option
Typical age of access
Proof of income
Equity in your home
Loan option
Proof of income
Equity in your home
Inviva Equity Empower
You take funds from your home equity, typically with no fixed term and a variable interest rate
55+
No
Yes
Parental Guarantee
You provide a bank with a guarantee that your child will make repayments
< 55
Yes
Yes
Co Borrower
You and your child jointly take out a bank loan
< 55
Yes
No
Standard bank loan
You take out a bank loan
< 55
Yes
Yes

Note that there are a number of other specialist loan schemes that are available to first home buyers, some of which involve “shared purchase” or “rent to own” schemes. These are not shown in the table above, as features and terms and conditions vary widely.

Equity Empower

Equity Empower allows over 55s to release equity in their home for any worthwhile purpose. With Equity Empower, you can receive a lump sum which you can pass on to your child, but also access funds as a line of credit or regular income payment to use for your own needs – travel, renovations, supplement your retirement income and more.

The loan is secured by the equity in your home, and assessed based on your assets and credit history, rather than your income or job situation – which makes the credit process quick and easy.  

As with a traditional reverse mortgage you have the option to capitalise interest and make no interest repayments until the loan is repaid.  We also offer a lifetime occupancy guarantee, if the security is the home you live in and there is no fixed term, as well as a no negative equity guarantee so you can never owe more than the value of your property.

Parental guarantee

With a parental guarantee, you don’t need to provide any cash up front. Typically, your home is given as security, in lieu of a 20% deposit on your child’s house. This means your child may avoid paying Lender’s Mortgage Insurance and get a lower interest rate.

However, since you are legally required to step in if your child doesn’t make repayments, the bank will look at your income and job situation in order to assess your ability to service the loan (just like in a conventional mortgage decision).  

In the worst case scenario, your own home may be at risk. So, it’s important to limit the guarantee to the proportion of the deposit you are providing (and not the child’s whole loan).

Co-borrower loan

With a co-borrower loan, you and your child jointly take out a bank loan and share in the gain if the house goes up in value. However, you will have to prove you have enough income to service the whole loan, as you are responsible for making repayments if your child defaults.

In addition, your child may no longer be able to access the state-funded grants and stamp duty concessions available to first home buyers.

Standard Bank Loan

The simplest option is to take out a standard bank loan and pass these funds on to your child. Or, if there is already a mortgage on your home loan, you may be able to increase the loan amount.

The challenge for many older borrowers is that under current bank requirements you will need to show sufficient predictable income to meet the bank’s serviceability tests over the life of the loan, and your home remains at risk in the event that your child fails to pay you back or you are otherwise unable to service the loan.

Delete section

Further reading...

Get your free property estimate now.

Find out the value of your property and how much home equity you can access.

Cool couple enjoying their own home
Considering using the equity in your home?

There are a range of loans available in the market to help you fund your child’s purchase.

Access the equity in your home as a lump sum for five years with the certainty of a fixed interest rate.

2Be Equity Advantage loans are based on your assets and credit history: not your job or income status.
How Inviva can help?
Take advantage of your home’s appreciating value
Release up to $2,000,000 from your home equity
No fixed term
No need to provide proof of income or job status
  • Take advantage of your home’s appreciating value
  • Release up to $2,000,000 from your home equity
  • No fixed term
  • No need to provide proof of income or job status
Want more information about Inviva Equity Empower?
Click Here
Helpful resources
Funding options to help your child with a home deposit
Case Study – Say buy to your children, with confidence

Free Home Equity Release Loan Guide

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.