Getting a home loan approved is not just about earning enough. Lenders look at the full picture: your debts, your spending, your savings history, the property itself, and whether you can still afford the repayments if rates climb further.
Most declined or delayed applications trace back to the same handful of problems. Unfiled documents, credit cards nobody thought to close, spending patterns that raise questions, or applying to a lender that was never going to suit the situation in the first place. All of these are fixable before you apply.
This guide covers 10 practical things you can do to improve your chances. If you already know your numbers and want to talk to someone about your specific situation, head to our home loans page or use the form below.
10 tips to get your home loan approved
These are the things that actually move the needle. Not in theory, but in practice, based on what Australian lenders assess in 2026.
1. Know your borrowing capacity before you shop
Your borrowing capacity is set by the lender's serviceability model, not by a calculator on a website. Under APRA's current rules, every regulated lender must test whether you can afford repayments at your actual interest rate plus a 3% buffer. With variable rates around 6.5% to 7% in June 2026, that means you are being assessed at roughly 9.5% to 10%.
From February 2026, APRA also introduced a debt-to-income cap. Lenders can now issue no more than 20% of new loans to borrowers whose total debt is six times their gross income or higher. If you are close to that threshold, some lenders may decline even if you pass the serviceability test.
Get your capacity formally assessed before you start inspecting properties. A broker or lender can give you a realistic ceiling, not a guess.
2. Save a genuine deposit
Lenders want to see genuine savings. That means money you have accumulated over time through regular deposits into a savings account, typically over at least three months. A lump sum that appears a week before your application raises questions about where it came from.
A 20% deposit puts you in the strongest position. It avoids lenders mortgage insurance (LMI), opens the widest range of lender options and signals financial discipline. But if 20% is not realistic, a 5% deposit may be enough through the Home Guarantee Scheme (for eligible first home buyers), or a 10% deposit with LMI or a guarantor.
The key is consistency. Regular deposits matter more than one big number.
3. Reduce existing debts and close unused credit
Every dollar of existing debt reduces how much a lender will let you borrow. Car loans, personal loans, HECS-HELP, buy now pay later accounts and credit card limits all affect your serviceability calculation.
Here is where most applicants underestimate the impact: that $10,000 limit credit card you never use? The lender assumes you owe all of it. A single unused card can reduce your borrowing capacity by $30,000 to $50,000. Close it or reduce the limit before you apply.
4. Check and clean your credit report
Your credit report records every credit application, default, late payment and court action linked to your name. Lenders pull it as part of their assessment and it directly affects the outcome.
Check your report with Equifax, Experian or illion before you apply. Look for errors, old defaults that should have been removed, or accounts you do not recognise. Fixing mistakes takes time, so do this months before your application, not days.
If you have genuine credit issues, a specialist or non-bank lender may still be an option, but you need to know where you stand first.
5. Limit credit applications in the lead-up
Every credit application you make gets recorded as a hard enquiry on your credit report. Multiple enquiries in a short period signal financial stress to lenders, even if you were just comparing options.
In the three to six months before your home loan application, avoid applying for new credit cards, car finance, personal loans, store accounts or buy now pay later services. If you need to compare home loan options, use a broker who can assess your situation and target the right lender without scattering applications.
6. Get your documents ready before you apply
Incomplete documentation is the single most common reason applications stall. The lender asks for a missing payslip, you take a week to find it, and the entire process slows down. Multiply that by three or four missing items and you have a timeline blowout.
Get everything together before you submit. The document checklist below covers what most lenders need. If you are self-employed, the list is longer and the preparation matters even more. See our self-employed home loans guide for the full breakdown.
7. Clean up your bank statements
Lenders review your bank statements from the past three to six months. They are looking at spending patterns, not just balances. Frequent gambling transactions, persistent overdraft usage, multiple buy now pay later payments and unexplained large transfers all raise flags.
This does not mean you need to live like a monk. But if your statements show regular spending that a lender would categorise as high-risk or discretionary, it can affect your assessment. Cut back on anything that looks problematic well before you apply, and keep your account behaviour clean and consistent.
8. Choose the right lender for your situation
Not every lender suits every borrower. A lender that works well for a PAYG employee with a 20% deposit and clean credit might decline someone who is self-employed, on probation, or buying an apartment under 50 square metres. Lender policies on income types, property types, postcode restrictions, credit history and deposit sources vary significantly.
Applying to the wrong lender wastes time, adds a hard credit enquiry to your report and can dent your confidence. A broker who understands policy differences across multiple lenders can steer you to the right fit. For more on this, see our guide to choosing a mortgage broker.
9. Get pre-approval before making serious offers
Pre-approval is a conditional commitment from a lender that they are prepared to lend you a specific amount, subject to conditions. It sets a working budget, shows sellers you are serious and prevents you from wasting time on properties you cannot finance.
Pre-approval typically takes one to five business days if your documents are complete. It usually lasts three to six months. Keep in mind that it is conditional, not guaranteed. Formal approval still depends on the specific property, its valuation, the contract and your final documents. For more detail, see our pre-approval guide.
10. Submit a complete, clean application
Once you are ready to apply, make sure the application is thorough. Every field filled, every document attached, every disclosure made. Gaps invite questions. Questions cause delays. Delays can cost you a property in a competitive market.
Be upfront about your situation. If you have a HECS debt, a side job, a car loan, or a recent job change, disclose it. The lender will find out anyway, and undisclosed liabilities are a faster route to decline than the liabilities themselves.
What lenders actually assess
Understanding what goes into a lender's decision helps you prepare properly. These are the core factors every Australian lender evaluates, weighted in roughly this order of importance.
Income and employment
Stable PAYG income is the easiest for lenders to verify. Self-employed, casual, contract and commission-based incomes are assessed differently and often require more documentation. Changing jobs during an application, or being on probation, can complicate things.
Living expenses
Lenders use the Household Expenditure Measure (HEM) as a floor, but also review your actual spending from bank statements. If your declared expenses look unrealistically low compared to your income and lifestyle, expect questions.
Existing debts and credit limits
All current debts reduce your capacity. HECS-HELP, credit cards (at their full limit, not balance), car loans, personal loans and buy now pay later obligations are all counted. The less you owe, the more you can borrow.
Credit history
Defaults, late payments, court judgments and bankruptcy all matter. The type, size and age of the issue determines how much it affects the outcome. A small telco default from four years ago is treated differently to a $5,000 credit card default from last year.
Deposit and savings pattern
The size of your deposit sets the loan-to-value ratio. The pattern of how you saved it tells the lender about your financial discipline. Genuine savings built over three or more months carry more weight than a recent lump sum with no savings trail.
The property itself
The property must be acceptable security. Apartments under 40 to 50 square metres, properties in restricted postcodes, unusual titles, rural land and buildings with known defects can all trigger lender restrictions, regardless of your personal financial position.
Documents to prepare for your application
Having your documents ready before you apply is the fastest way to avoid delays. Here is what most lenders need for a standard PAYG application. Self-employed borrowers will also need BAS statements, tax returns and potentially an accountant's letter. See our full document checklist for more detail.
Common mistakes that delay or derail approval
These are the issues that come up again and again. Most are completely avoidable if you know to look for them before you apply.
Applying to the wrong lender
Different lenders have different policies on income types, property types, postcodes and credit history. An application that would sail through at one lender gets declined at another. Each declined application adds a hard enquiry to your credit file.
Use a broker to target the right lender for your situation before applying.
Leaving unused credit cards open
A $15,000 credit card with a zero balance still counts as $15,000 of potential debt. That can reduce your borrowing capacity by $45,000 or more. Lenders assess the limit, not the balance.
Close or reduce the limit on any credit card you do not need.
Changing jobs during the process
Switching employers, starting a new role or moving from permanent to contract during an application can reset the assessment entirely. Some lenders need to see you past probation before they will approve.
If possible, stay in your current role until after settlement.
Submitting incomplete documents
Missing a payslip, forgetting to include a bank account, or providing outdated documents are the most common causes of processing delays. Each request for additional information can add days or weeks.
Use the checklist above and submit everything in one go.
Underestimating living expenses
Declaring unrealistically low expenses gets flagged when the lender cross-checks your bank statements. If your declared expenses do not match your actual spending, the lender will ask questions or use the higher figure.
Be honest and accurate. Review your spending for three months before applying.
Making large purchases before settlement
Buying a car, new furniture or taking on any new debt between approval and settlement can void your approval. Lenders can re-check your financial position before releasing funds.
No major purchases or new credit until after settlement is complete.
Home loan declined after pre-approval with settlement weeks away: what to do
Yes, pre-approved loans do get rejected. Pre-approval is a conditional assessment of you on the day you applied. Formal approval re-checks everything against the actual contract, the property valuation and your position now. If a job change, a new debt, a changed credit file or a low valuation has appeared in between, the lender can decline even though it said yes a few months ago. If that has just happened to you and you have a signed contract, the next few days matter more than anything else in this guide.
Three things to do today
Why pre-approval turns into a decline, and which reasons can be fixed fast
Some reasons can be resolved with the same lender inside days. Others mean the same lender will not approve no matter what you send them, and every day spent arguing is a day lost.
Usually fixable with the same lender:
Usually means a different lender:
If the decline reason is in the second list, do not resubmit to the same lender. Ask whether the decision can be reviewed, and if the answer is no, move on the same day.
Getting a second lender to approve inside two to three weeks
A fresh application normally takes weeks because documents trickle in. Yours should not. Your file is already packaged: ID, payslips, statements, contract and the valuation story. A second lender whose policy actually fits the decline reason can often reach formal approval in two to three weeks when everything is lodged on day one and the valuation is ordered immediately. Non-bank and smaller lenders often have shorter assessment queues than the major banks, and some will accept a recent valuation or order their own quickly. A broker who deals with turnaround times every week knows which lenders are currently fast and which will take your job, debt or credit file as it stands. That matters more now than rate.
You can apply again straight after a decline. There is no waiting period, but each application adds an enquiry to your credit file, so it should be one well-targeted application, not three.
When a short term loan to settle, then refinance, is worth the cost
If no mainstream lender can approve before settlement and the contract is unconditional, a short term private or caveat loan to cover the settlement shortfall is sometimes the lesser evil. It costs more than a bank loan and is meant to be refinanced within months, once you are past probation, the new debt is paid down or the credit file issue is resolved. It only makes sense when the cost of the short term loan is clearly less than what you stand to lose by not settling, and when there is a realistic refinance path at the end. It is not a fix for a position no lender will ever approve.
If you cannot settle on time
Missing settlement on an unconditional contract is where the real money is lost. The vendor can usually charge penalty interest for every day you are late, can issue a notice to complete that gives you a fixed period to settle, and if you still cannot settle may terminate the contract and keep the deposit, with the possibility of claiming further losses. The exact rights depend on your contract and state, which is why the first call is to your solicitor or conveyancer, not the bank.
Before it gets there, ask for an extension. Vendors often agree to a short extension, sometimes with interest, because a late settlement is cheaper for them than a failed sale and a relisting. If the contract still has a live finance clause, your solicitor can tell you whether you can end the contract and recover the deposit, and by what date. See our settlement process guide for how the final weeks normally run.
When to talk to a specialist
If your situation is straightforward, a standard lender with a clean application may be all you need. But the following situations usually benefit from specialist advice, because lender policies differ significantly and the wrong choice can cost you time and credit file enquiries.
If any of these apply, a finance specialist can assess your position, identify the right lender and help you submit a strong application the first time. That matters, because each unnecessary declined application makes the next one harder.
If your formal approval has just been declined and settlement is weeks away, this is the point to hand the whole thing over rather than try another lender yourself. Tell us the decline reason, the settlement date and whether the contract is unconditional in the form below, and we will match you with a specialist who works on urgent settlements and can tell you quickly whether a second lender, a short term settlement loan or an extension is the right move.
