Business-purpose second mortgages · Australia-wide
Should your property fund your business? Let's decide calmly.
Decide first, borrow second. We help Australian business owners work out whether using property equity is sensible, compare it honestly with the alternatives, and, when it stacks up, arrange a second mortgage from $20k to $5m online.
- No credit check to enquire
- One specialist, no lead list
- Business purposes only
- 1Is it the right tool?
- 2Which property, and who signs?
- 3How do you get out again?
How we think about it
Every enquiry ends in one of three honest answers
Most lenders only have one answer: yes, if you qualify. We start a step earlier and ask whether you should, because a second mortgage over your home is a serious thing to agree to.
It makes sense
The need is specific, the amount leaves a comfortable cushion and the exit is clear. We arrange it, online, with as little fuss as possible.
It could work, with changes
A smaller amount, a different property, a firmer exit or a co-owner who needs more information. We'll say what would make it sensible.
Property isn't the right tool
An unsecured facility, equipment finance or a payment plan may suit better. We'll point you there rather than mortgage the house for no good reason.
Quick check
What would borrowing this much leave you with?
Four numbers give a surprisingly clear first read. This quick version shows the combined loan-to-value ratio and the cushion left over. The full equity decision helper adds your purpose, your exit and the questions to ask a co-owner.
- No interest rates or repayments, because pricing depends on you
- Nothing you type leaves your browser
- Bands are illustrative planning guides, not lender policy
Before the paperwork
The questions worth answering first
Pros and cons, which property to offer, the conversation with whoever shares the title, guarantors, and what happens if things don't go to plan.
Should I use my house?
Should you use your house to fund your business? Five questions that separate a sensible second mortgage from a risky one, with an illustrative example.
Read it →Pros and cons
The real pros and cons of a business second mortgage: keeping your home loan intact and accessing equity, against higher cost, shorter terms and more at stake.
Read it →When not to
Seven situations where borrowing against your home for the business is usually a mistake, what each looks like in practice, and what to consider instead.
Read it →Choosing the property
Deciding which property should secure a business second mortgage: the family home, an investment property or commercial premises, and what each means for you.
Read it →Talking to co-owners
Your spouse or co-owner must sign a second mortgage for your business. How to have the conversation, what they'll want to know and why their say matters.
Read it →Guarantor property
Can a parent or relative's property secure your business loan? How guarantor second mortgages work, the risks for the guarantor and safeguards worth using.
Read it →Alternatives, compared honestly
Sometimes the sensible answer leaves the house out of it
A second mortgage is one option among several. Here's how the common alternatives compare at a glance.
| Option | Property involved? | Often suits | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsecured business loan | No | Trading businesses needing $5k to $500k, sized on turnover | Shorter terms, larger repayments relative to the amount |
| Refinance the home loan | Yes, replaces it | Long-term needs when the existing loan can be restructured | May disturb a good fixed rate or features you value |
| Line of credit | Sometimes | Recurring, up-and-down working capital | Easy to let a temporary balance become permanent |
| Equipment finance | No, the asset secures it | Buying vehicles, machinery and gear | Only funds the asset, not wages or tax |
| Taking on an investor | No | Growth with uncertain timing of returns | You give up part of the business for good |
| Selling an asset | No new debt | Owners holding shares, a spare vehicle or idle equipment | Tax on gains, and the asset is gone |
When someone else is on the title
The kitchen-table conversation matters as much as the numbers
If your spouse, partner, parent or business partner co-owns the property, they'll sign the mortgage too. They deserve more than a signature page. Good conversations usually cover:
- What the money is for, in one sentence, and why property equity rather than something else
- Exactly how and when the loan gets repaid, and the fallback if that slips
- The worst realistic case, and whether everyone can live with it
- Whether they'd like independent legal advice before signing
What it's for
Business purposes, weighed one by one
The purpose changes the answer. A tax bill with a clear refinance path is different from a fit-out on a short lease. Pick yours.
ATO debt
Should you use property equity to pay an ATO debt? Compare a payment plan and a second mortgage, including GIC no longer being deductible from 1 July 2025.
Weigh it up →Buying a business
Thinking of using property equity to buy a business? How to judge whether a second mortgage fits, what to check first and how to plan the exit after settlement.
Weigh it up →Buying out a partner
Using property equity to buy out a business partner: valuing the share, the capacity you lose, protecting both sides and planning how the loan gets repaid.
Weigh it up →Stock and inventory
Is property equity the right way to fund stock? When a second mortgage suits a seasonal build or bulk buy, when a line of credit fits better, and what to check.
Weigh it up →Fit-out
Considering property equity for a shop or office fit-out? Check the lease term, budget properly, separate equipment and plan how the fit-out pays back the loan.
Weigh it up →Cash-flow gap
Is property equity the right way to bridge a business cash-flow gap? How to tell a true timing gap from an ongoing shortfall, and which funding suits each.
Weigh it up →New contract
Won a big contract but need funds to start it? When property equity makes sense for mobilisation costs, how to map payment milestones and protect yourself.
Weigh it up →Something else?
Any genuine business purpose can be weighed the same way. Put your numbers, purpose and exit into the equity decision helper for a plain-English read-out.
Open the helper →Online, start to finish
How it works when you go ahead
Calm doesn't mean slow or paper-heavy. Most of the process happens on screen and on the phone.
- 1
60-second enquiry
Property, amount, purpose and exit. No credit check at this stage. Please be accurate so the first conversation is the right one.
- 2
A real conversation
One specialist calls, sense-checks the decision with you and tells you plainly if something else would suit better.
- 3
Documents and ID online
Upload statements, verify identity and e-sign where the lender allows. Co-owners can do their part from their own device.
- 4
Electronic settlement
The mortgage is lodged electronically and funds go where the business needs them. More on the online process.
No credit check to ask
Finding out whether a second mortgage suits you leaves your credit file untouched. A check is only discussed if you choose to proceed.
One specialist, not a lead list
Your enquiry isn't auctioned or copied to a string of lenders. It's read by one person who works your situation through.
A real person who'll be straight with you
If a second mortgage isn't the sensible move, you'll hear that, along with what might work better. Accurate form answers make that call useful.
Plan the way out on day one
A second mortgage should have an end date you believe in
Sale, refinance or trading cash flow. Whichever it is, write it down before you borrow, with the dates and the fallback. Our free checklist makes the gaps obvious.
Guides
Reading for the weeks before you decide
Questions to Ask Your Accountant Before Using Home Equity
One well-prepared meeting with your accountant can save a costly mistake. Here are the questions worth asking, and why each one matters.
Stress-Testing Your Plan Before Borrowing Against Property
Plans built on the best case are the ones that hurt. Run four simple scenarios before you borrow, and you'll know whether the property is safe if things go sideways.
GIC No Longer Deductible: Rethinking How to Fund Tax Debt
The tax treatment of ATO interest charges changed in July 2025. If your business carries a tax debt, the old comparison between a payment plan and other funding no longer holds.
Downsizing as Your Exit: Planning It Properly
Selling the family home and moving somewhere smaller can be a sound exit for a business loan. It works best when it's a decision the household has already made, not a backstop.
Second Mortgage Myths Business Owners Still Believe
Some myths make second mortgages sound scarier than they are. Others make them sound safer. Both lead to poor decisions.
Borrowing Against Your Home Near Retirement for Business
Near retirement, the home is often the biggest part of the plan for the next thirty years. Borrowing against it for the business can still make sense, but the bar is higher.
Common questions
Borrowing against property for a business: the short answers
Can I borrow against my home for my business in Australia?
Yes. A business-purpose second mortgage lets you borrow against equity in your home, an investment property or commercial property without replacing your existing home loan. Amounts in the property-secured range run from $20,000 to $5,000,000. Whether you should is a separate question, and it depends on the amount, the cushion left and how the loan will be repaid.
Is a second mortgage a good idea for a business?
It can be when the need is specific, the amount leaves a healthy equity cushion and there's a clear way out, such as a sale or a refinance. It's a poor fit for covering ongoing losses, for small amounts an unsecured facility could handle, or when the exit is open-ended.
Can I get a second mortgage without refinancing my home loan?
Yes. That's the point of a second mortgage: your existing first mortgage stays exactly as it is, and the new loan is registered behind it. It's often chosen when the current home loan has a good structure the owner doesn't want to disturb.
Does my spouse have to agree?
If your spouse or anyone else is a registered owner of the property, they must sign the mortgage. They're entitled to understand the business purpose, the risks and the exit, and to get independent legal advice first.
Will enquiring affect my credit score?
No. There's no credit check when you first enquire. A credit check is only discussed if you decide to go ahead with an application.
Can a second mortgage be used for personal spending?
No. We arrange second mortgages for business purposes only, such as tax debts, stock, fit-outs, buying a business or covering a cash-flow gap. We don't arrange personal or consumer loans.
Is the whole process done online?
Most of it. You enquire online, talk with a specialist by phone, share documents digitally, verify identity and sign electronically where the lender allows it, and settlement is lodged electronically in most states.
Do you publish interest rates?
No. Every second mortgage is priced on the borrower's own situation, so a headline rate would mislead more people than it helped. You'll get real pricing once a specialist understands your circumstances.
$20,000 to $5,000,000 property-secured · Business purposes only — never personal or consumer lending · Past credit issues and ATO debt considered case by case
Ready to find out if it's sensible for you?
Tell us about the property, the amount and the way out. One specialist reads it, there's no credit check when you first enquire, and you'll get a straight answer, even if that answer is 'not this'.
No credit check to ask
One specialist, not a lead list
A real person who'll be straight with you