Calculators
LVR calculator
Your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is the loan as a percentage of the property's value. It's one of the first numbers a lender looks at, and it decides whether Lenders Mortgage Insurance comes into play. Check yours for a purchase or an existing loan.
Estimated LVR
0%
Loan you'd need
$0
purchase price minus your deposit; upfront costs not included
Deposit
0%
of the purchase price
Want the dollar figures?
The equity calculator turns this LVR into total and usable equity, and shows how much you could typically access.
- 80% or below. Lenders Mortgage Insurance is typically not required.
- Above 80% up to 90%. LMI usually applies. Premiums vary widely by lender, insurer, loan size and LVR.
- Above 90% up to 95%. LMI applies and fewer lenders offer loans in this range.
- Above 95%. Very few standard lending options at this level.
This calculator gives estimates for general information only. It is not credit advice or an offer of credit, and it does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Results depend on the figures you enter and the assumptions shown below, which you can edit. Actual amounts will vary with lender fees, charges and credit criteria. Consider your circumstances and seek advice before acting. Talk to us and we'll search for options available to you across 60+ lenders.
When you buy, the LVR here treats the purchase price as the property's value; lenders use the lower of the price and their own valuation, so the assessed LVR can differ. The 80%, 90% and 95% bands describe common Australian lending practice, not any lender's policy, and policies change. Lenders Mortgage Insurance premiums vary so widely by lender, insurer, loan size and LVR band that any dollar figure would be a guess, so this calculator deliberately does not show one. Government guarantee schemes have eligibility rules, price caps and limited places; details are general information only.
Assumptions (you can change these)
Every figure this calculator relies on is editable in the form above: purchase price and deposit in buying mode, or property value and loan balance for an existing loan. LVR is simply the loan divided by the property value, shown as a percentage.
In buying mode the loan is the purchase price minus your deposit. Upfront costs such as transfer (stamp) duty, legal fees and inspections are not added to the loan; in practice they usually come out of your savings, which can reduce the deposit left for the property and push the real LVR higher. Use the stamp duty calculator to size those costs.
The coloured bands (80% / 90% / 95%) reflect typical market practice and are fixed reference lines, not inputs: individual lenders set their own limits, which differ by property type, location, loan purpose and borrower. A loan at exactly 80% LVR sits in the no-LMI band, which is the common treatment.
For an existing loan, the property value is your estimate; a lender would order its own valuation before relying on the LVR.
Plain English
Why your LVR matters
LVR is lender shorthand for risk. A $600,000 loan on a $750,000 home is an 80% LVR: the lender is covered even if prices dip, so more lenders compete for the loan and sharper pricing tends to be available. Push the LVR higher and the picture changes.
The 80% line
Above 80% LVR most lenders require Lenders Mortgage Insurance. LMI protects the lender, not you, and it's usually a one-off premium added to the loan. The cost depends on the lender, the insurer, the loan size and the LVR band, which is why this calculator tells you when LMI usually applies rather than guessing what it would cost. Paying LMI isn't automatically bad; buying sooner with a smaller deposit is sometimes the better move. It's a trade-off worth working through properly.
Ways to a better LVR
- A bigger deposit, including gifts from family where a lender accepts them.
- A guarantor. Some lenders let a family member's property provide extra security, which can cut the LVR and avoid LMI entirely.
- Government schemes. The First Home Guarantee can allow eligible first home buyers in with a 5% deposit and no LMI. Price caps and conditions apply, so check the current rules.
- Price and value. Buying below a lender's valuation doesn't usually help (they use the lower of the two), but paying over the odds definitely hurts.
Not sure where you'd land? Send us your numbers and we'll map your realistic options across 60+ lenders, LMI or no LMI, in plain English.
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