Paying off a mortgage can seem relentless – every payment counts of course, but it can seem to be taking forever to make a dent. Here are some simple ways you can increase the amount you pay off and own your home sooner.
Reducing the principle on your mortgage as quickly as you can means paying less interest, so your future payments are going even further towards reducing that principle.
To find the ideal balance between the extra repayments you can afford to make and the time this will shave off your mortgage term, use a mortgage calculator.

A line of credit can be a very appealing idea, with immediate access to the limit of a mortgage and no extra approvals necessary. Used wisely, it can make investment and purchase of commercial equipment simple, but it can also spell disaster for the unprepared.
A line of credit (LOC), also called a home equity loan, allows mortgagees to access the equity in their property as needed. It can be a standalone product or almost any type of existing loan can be split with an LOC. Interest is usually slightly higher than the standard variable rate.

1. Choice

When you’re buying a house, do you go to one real estate agent, decide you will buy a house from them and choose from what they have on the market? Do you make the most of what may actually be a poor fit for your circumstances (it’s okay, one of the kids can sleep in that fourth bathroom we don’t need)? No? Of course not – why would you limit your choices in this way?

If you’re looking for a creative way to overcome being locked out of the property market by rising prices, buying a house with a group of family or friends may be a solution. It can also be a minefield though, so here’s how to avoid a blast.

While the excitement of banding together in such a life-changing moment can put everyone on a bit of a high, you need to plan for situations in which things might go wrong.

When selling one property and purchasing another, the funds from the sale may not be available in time to use for the purchase deposit. There are typically two options in this scenario: a bridging loan or a deposit bond.

Bridging loan

A bridging loan is a short-term home loan designed to allow you to initiate the purchase of a property before you have sold your previous one.

Loan terms are often between six and 12 months and bridging loans generally have a higher interest rate than traditional home loans.