Residential bridging planning tool
Bridging Loan Calculator Australia
Model the full buy-before-sell flow: governed transfer duty, starting debt, daily bridge interest, expected peak debt, sale proceeds, base end debt and the ongoing repayment after the sale.
Governed dutyNo browser-side duty table
Protected daily ratesUsed for the ongoing end loan
Bridging + end-loan LMIPeak and residual treatment kept separate
Secure enquiry relayNo third-party form URL in this page
Calculator
Build the bridge from the ground up
Complete the four sections below. Required values are checked before any governed service is called.
Your result
Bridge structure and sale exit
Calculated from the assumptions entered above.
Structural result
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Starting debt
How the initial facility is assembled.
Bridge period and sale exit
Daily interest, expected debt at sale and the reduction from net proceeds.
| Scenario | Sale price | Bridge term | Interest cost | Debt at sale | End debt |
|---|
How the temporary peak is treated
Calculated after the bridge result.
Market context only. Helia's January 2026 underwriting guide allows bridging LMI up to 85% LVR (or a lower product limit) based on total exposure including capitalised interest, with a maximum 12-month term. QBE LMI's published guide also lists bridging to 85%, with its own term, location and security limits. Some lender products are lower again; Westpac publicly describes its bridging structure at 80% combined LVR or less. A normal purchase-LMI quote is not a valid substitute for a bridging premium.
Sources checked 28 August 2026: Helia underwriting guide · QBE LMI guide · Westpac bridging overview.
Indicative end-loan LMI — not included in the base end debt
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Indicative LMI—
End debt if capitalised—
Repayment if capitalised—
Method
How to read the result
The calculator separates the bridge, the sale and the ongoing end loan so one figure is not mistaken for another.
Starting debt
Current mortgage + purchase price + governed duty + entered costs − cash contributed now. In sale-advance mode it is current mortgage + cash-out + facility costs.
Expected peak debt
Starting debt plus capitalised bridge interest. If interest is serviced, the debt stays level and the overlap interest is shown as a cash-flow cost instead.
Base end debt
Expected debt at sale less usable net sale proceeds. It excludes any later LMI estimate so the core bridge result remains transparent.
Daily interest model
Interest accrues on a 365-day basis. Capitalised mode adds accrued interest at monthly intervals, so later interest is calculated on the growing balance.
Peak LVR and LMI
The calculator keeps the temporary peak and the post-sale end loan separate. Above 80% peak LVR it flags lender/insurer policy instead of pretending ordinary purchase LMI automatically solves the bridge.
Stress view
The result also shows a 5% lower sale price, three extra months and both together. These are mechanical stresses, not forecasts.
Next steps
Continue the bridging research
Pillar guideBridging Loans AustraliaUnderstand structures, timing and lender-fit questions.
Scenario guideBuy Before You SellCompare bridging with selling first and subject-to-sale options.
Current dataHome Loan Interest RatesReview the wider live rate table separately.
CalculatorMortgage Repayment CalculatorStress-test the ongoing end loan in more detail.
Calculator hubAll Rate Challenge CalculatorsExplore the wider home-loan and property planning toolkit.
ContactSpeak with Rate ChallengeAsk for a real structure and lender-fit review.
FAQs
Bridging loan calculator questions
What is peak debt?
Peak debt is the highest modelled bridge balance before the current property sale reduces it. In capitalised mode it includes accrued bridge interest.
What is end debt?
Base end debt is what remains after usable net sale proceeds reduce the expected debt at sale. It may become the normal ongoing home loan.
Does the calculator use live stamp duty?
It requests transfer duty from Rate Challenge's governed same-origin duty service. If that service does not return a governed result, the calculator does not invent a fallback amount.
Is the bridge rate live?
No. Standard home-loan rates are not presented as bridging quotes. The bridge rate is an editable planning assumption. The protected daily feed is used only for the post-sale end-loan benchmark.
How is capitalised interest calculated?
Interest accrues daily on a 365-day basis and is added to the balance at monthly intervals in this model. Real lender statement timing can differ.
When is LMI relevant?
There are two different questions. First, a temporary bridging peak above 80% can itself require LMI: Helia’s January 2026 guide permits bridging up to 85% LVR based on total exposure including capitalised interest, subject to lower product limits; QBE also publishes bridging criteria up to 85% with its own restrictions. Second, if the post-sale end loan remains above 80%, ordinary end-loan LMI may separately be relevant. The calculator flags the peak issue but only uses the ordinary LMI estimator for the post-sale end loan, avoiding a fabricated or double-counted bridging premium.
What is an open versus closed bridge?
A closed bridge generally has an unconditional sale contract and a known settlement path. An open bridge does not yet have that certainty. This is separate from whether end debt is zero.
Does this test serviceability or approval?
No. It does not assess income, expenses, credit history, lender policy, valuations or legal capacity. A broker or lender must complete those checks.