Property Investment – What You Should Consider
Take the emotion out When buying an investment property you should treat it as a business decision and not be emotional. A common mistake is that people buy a house…
Accessing the equity you have built in your home or investment property, without having to sell.
If your home or your investment property has grown in value over the years, you are sitting on an asset that can do more than sit quietly. Equity release lets you draw on that value, without selling the property, to fund the things that matter to you now.
I love equity release because until I heard about it, I thought you had to sell a property to get the money out and that's not the case. When I speak about equity release, I talk about unlocking the funds that have grown over time in your property. In itself that is an extraordinary tool that we have in our tool belt.
However in early 2026 proposed changes to the Australian budget indicated that going forward there was going to be a significant change for property investors when it comes to being able to claim capital gains tax.
After the proposed changes are approved there's going to be a change on how much of the capital gain you can get a tax reduction on. This is making property investors sit back and rethink their plans to sell the properties that already have the locked-in grandfathered capital gains tax advantages for their existing properties. In 2027 this is going to be a lot more nuanced and investors are going to be out of pocket further.
Those planning to sell their properties may reconsider and capitalise on the grandfathered capital gains tax that they have locked into their current property investment.
What does this mean? This means that there is a chance that accessing equity from a property may be your next path to utilising funds that you can use on:
That is why 2026 is shaping up to be a genuinely different year to think about how you can access money you are sitting on. Whether you are approaching retirement and want more income flexibility, or you are an established investor sitting on a property you no longer want to sell, the same underlying question applies: how do you put your equity to work without giving up the asset that built it?
Equity release is a way of accessing the value built up in a property you already own, without selling it. It is a loan secured against your home or investment property that lets you draw on a portion of its equity as a lump sum, even use it as an income stream, a line of credit, or a combination of all three.
Unlike a standard home loan. Interest is paid on the exiting loan amount and the new loan amount that is taken out. It has to be with the same lender – however it is possibly to have us look at a new lender when doing this release and see if there is a more appropriate loan for you.
Lenders assess each application individually, so your appropriate borrowing amount will depend on your circumstances, the property, and the lender's own criteria.
We see two distinct groups of clients exploring equity release, and the conversation looks different for each.
You have worked hard, paid down your mortgage, and built genuine equity in your property. Now retirement is close, and you want your properties to start contributing to your lifestyle rather than simply being the place you live or have as an investment.
Equity release can fund renovations that let you stay in the home you love rather than downsizing, top up retirement income without the upheaval of selling, help an adult child with a deposit, or simply build in a financial buffer for the years ahead.
If you already hold an investment property, equity release offers a different kind of opportunity: using the value you have already built to renovate, consolidate debt, or fund your next move, without disturbing the asset itself.
This is increasingly relevant in 2026. Renovating an existing investment property to lift the achievable rent, rather than selling and buying something new, is often the lower risk path — and recent proposed Budget changes are giving investors an additional reason to hold rather than sell.
Under the proposed rules, selling a property you already own and buying a different one after the change date means the new property loses the grandfathered tax treatment and falls under the new, less generous regime. The property you hold today is, in effect, more valuable to keep than to trade.
As with any strategy connected to proposed legislation, the appropriate move depends on your personal circumstances, your existing portfolio, and how the final legislation lands. This is general information, not personal financial or tax advice. We always recommend speaking with your accountant or tax adviser about your specific position.
Whether you are drawing on the equity in your home or an investment property, the underlying logic is the same: access the value without giving up the asset.
| Use Case | Drawing on Home Equity | Drawing on Investment Property Equity |
|---|---|---|
| Typical purpose | Renovate, consolidate debt, top up retirement income, help family | Renovate to lift rent, fund a deposit on another property, consolidate debt |
| Who it suits | Those nearing retirement, asset rich and with an income to get the loan | Established investors who want to keep an existing property rather than sell it |
| Why now matters | Avoids selling and losing flexibility over how income is drawn now | Avoids selling and resetting the property's tax treatment under proposed 2026 Budget rules |
| First step | A conversation with Matt about what you actually need the funds for | A conversation with Matt about structure, serviceability and the appropriate lending option |
Matt Kyroussis, our dual-qualified mortgage broker and financial planner, will walk through your full financial picture, not just the loan, before
We compare equity options so you can see the full picture before deciding.
Every fee and commission is disclosed upfront. You will always know exactly how the recommendation was arrived at and how we derive our income.
You will never talk to a bot about a decision this important. You will always talk to a real, qualified mortgage and financial planning expert.
Book a complimentary Financial Planning Quick Start call with Matt Kyroussis to explore whether equity release is an appropriate strategy for your home or your investment property.
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