Welcome to TMAP‘s Christmas Countdown! Each day, we’re sharing property lingo, insights, tips, and tools to help first home buyers start 2025 on the right foot—perfect for first-home buyers and seasoned investors alike.

When it comes to securing a home loan or investment property loan, your borrowing power is key. It determines how much you can borrow from a lender and impacts your ability to enter the property market. Here are four practical strategies to increase your borrowing power and move closer to your property goals.

1. Reduce Your Existing Debt

  • What to Do: Pay down personal loans, car loans, and credit card balances as much as possible.
  • Why It Works: Lenders assess your debt-to-income ratio, so the less existing debt you have, the more likely they are to approve a higher loan amount.
  • TMAP Tip: Consider consolidating debts to make payments simpler and potentially lower interest rates.

2. Improve Your Credit Score

  • What to Do: Check your credit report for errors, pay all bills on time, and avoid applying for multiple lines of credit.
  • Why It Works: A better credit score makes you a lower risk to lenders, which can translate to higher borrowing power.
  • TMAP Tip: Set up automatic payments for bills to ensure no missed deadlines that could harm your credit.

3. Increase Your Income

  • What to Do: Seek a pay rise, take on additional work, or look for passive income opportunities.
  • Why It Works: A higher income gives lenders confidence in your ability to meet repayments, allowing them to lend you more.
  • TMAP Tip: If you’re investing, think about rental income from a property as part of your overall earnings.

4. Cut Unnecessary Expenses

  • What to Do: Analyse your spending and eliminate non-essential costs like subscriptions or frequent takeaways.
  • Why It Works: Reducing expenses increases your disposable income, which can improve how lenders view your financial situation.
  • TMAP Tip: Use a budgeting app to track spending and highlight areas where you can save.

Ready to Get Started?

Boosting your borrowing power takes a mix of discipline, strategy, and guidance. By reducing debt, improving credit, increasing income, and cutting expenses, you can enhance your ability to borrow and take control of your property journey.

TMAP’s experts can help you create a personalised plan to improve your financial position and secure the right loan for your needs. Take the first step towards owning property today!