Loan-to-value ratio (LVR) calculator

Average customer rating: 4.3/5
Written by James Hurwood
Reviewed by Stephen Zeller
Updated 31 May 2024

Our LVR calculator

LVR Calculator

Your loan-to-value ratio (LVR) is a percentage that expresses how big your home loan is, relative to the value of your property. Fill in the fields below to calculate your LVR.

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Loan-to-value ratio (LVR)

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Generally speaking, lenders require borrowers to have an LVR of 80% or less if they want to avoid paying lenders mortgage insurance (LMI). If your LVR is too high for your liking, you may be able to reduce it by taking out a smaller home loan or aiming to buy a lower-value property.

Expert tips for understanding your LVR

Understanding how LVR works is a crucial building brick for planning out your home loan, and with that in mind, our General Manager for Money, Stephen Zeller has some LVR tips for you:

Stephen Zeller
General Manager – Money

Your profession matters

Even if you’re not a first home buyer, by working in a specific industry (e.g. medical, accounting, law), your LMI costs may be waived when borrowing over 80% (or even as high as 95%) of the property’s value. Make sure you check with one of our Home Loan Specialists to see if your industry is eligible for this waiver.

LMI can apply for refinancers

Keep in mind you can be charged LMI again if you refinance your loan from one lender to another, as it’s not a once-off fee for the life of the loan. In some circumstances, you may be in a better financial position in the long-term paying LMI again when refinancing a loan if the new LMI fee is minimal and the new lender’s rate is more competitive.

See if you can find a better deal

If you originally took out a loan with a lender and paid LMI and your loan is now under 80% of the value of the property, it may be worth comparing home loans to see if you can find a more competitive deal. Our Home Loan Specialists will be able to review your rate and see if it is worth your while to make the switch.

What is LVR and how does it work?

What does LVR mean?

How to work out LVR

What is a good LVR?

You and your LVR

How can I avoid LMI with a LVR above 80%?

Should I refinance once my LVR changes?

Meet our home loans expert, Stephen Zeller

Stephen Zeller
General Manager – Money

Stephen has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and holds a Certificate IV in Finance and Mortgage Broking. He’s also a member of both the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) and the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA).

Stephen leads our team of Home Loan Specialists, and reviews and contributes to Compare the Market’s banking-related content to ensure it’s as helpful and empowering as possible for our readers.

1 National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation. First Home Guarantee. 2023.

2 Moneysmart.gov.au. Going guarantor on a loan. 2023.

3 National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation. Family Home Guarantee. 2023.