If you’re considering releasing equity from your home, our free Equity Release Calculator will help you to estimate how much money you can draw down.ย
You can use it without personal details – just enter your age and the value of the property, and it will estimate for you how much money you could release.
If you need independent expert advice on Equity Release, Key Retirement Solutions can help you in making that big decision.ย
Find out how Key can help with a free enquiry today
Understanding the Equity Release Calculator results
Based on your age and the property valuation, the Equity Release Calculator tells you the minimum and maximum amount that you can borrow on standard (facility*) terms and the maximum amount that you can borrow on enhanced terms. Enhanced terms (i.e. more money) are offered by some lenders to borrowers who have certain medical history, or lifestyle factors such as smoking for example.
The figures provided by the Equity Release Calculator are only an estimate as no personal details are used. The true figure that you will be able to borrow from Equity Release will depend on further questions regarding the state of your property and your heath.ย
How much can you release with Equity Release?
The exact percentage that you will be able to borrow through Equity Release depends on your age, health, and other factors regarding your property.
The amount that can be released is expressed as a percentage of the value of your home and is determined by the age of the borrower, the youngest, if you are a couple. Uniquely for a Lifetime Mortgage, older borrowers can receive larger sums, so ageing does have its benefits after all!
In fact, some lenders go further still, by offering โcashbackโ incentives, often up to 5% of the loan amount itself. This extra money is not added to the loan so interest is not charged on it. In effect, it is a gift, although it can mean you are being charged a higher rate of interest so ends up being paid for in a different way. If you want to go ahead with Equity Release, we suggest you seek independent financial advice to help you understand your options fully.ย
Is there a maximum amount of money that can be released?
All lenders have a maximum cash value, with many limiting to under ยฃ1,000,000 but others going as high as ยฃ2,000,000 or potentially higher still in individually considered cases.
Find out how people can use Equity Release to meet the cost of elderly care in our guide to Equity Release for Funding Care.
Speak to an adviser about your Equity Release Calculator results
Follow the link below to request a free call back from Equity Release advisers Key Retirement Solutions. One of their experts will get back to you, answer any questions you have a talk through some of the options that are open to you.ย
Typical Equity Release interest rates
Interest rates are just one consideration when thinking about Equity Release, as this determines the overall amount that will need to be paid back to the lender.
Rates are usually fixed for life, so a financial adviser can show you how much you might end up owing depending on how long the loan runs for.ย
Rates vary widely, depending on how much money you want. Those borrowing smaller sums may get the lowest rates (from over 2% presently), whereas someone wanting the largest amount may expect to be charged over 5 or 6% presently.
Equity Release interest rate example
Interest determines how much you will eventually have to pay back. Let’s look at an example based on the average Equity Release rate midway through Q4 2020 (source: Equity Release Council). If a person releases ยฃ100,000 from a property valued at ยฃ360,000, they may be offered the 4.01% average rate. This means that the money they owe increases by 4.01% every year.
After 1 year this will mean that they will now owe ยฃ104,010. After 5 years, they will oweย ยฃ121,723, and after 15 yearsย ยฃ180,354.ย
How is Equity Release interest calculated?
The majority of Lifetime Mortgage lenders offer fixed interest rates for the whole term of the loan, so theyโre able to accurately forecast exactly what the loan amount will increase to over the life of the loan.
All lenders charge interest for every day that the loan is in place, although they will actually add it to the loan balance either monthly (MER โ โMonthly Equivalent Rateโ), or annually (AER โ Annual Equivalent Rate). A good financial adviser will know which method a lender uses, and will be able to calculate and explain which Lifetime Mortgageย is best for you.ย
If you want more information on the different types of lenders, read our advice in the Age Space Equity Release Guide.
What is the best age to take Equity Release?
There isnโt a right or wrong age at which to take Equity Release. Ideally you would only take what you need, when you need it irrespective of how old you are. What really matters, is that you have access to money to help you do the things you want to do, when you need to.
Generally speaking, the longer you wait before taking Equity Release, the more you can expect to leave as an inheritance. This is because a rolled-up interest Lifetime Mortgage will have interest added and compounded over time, eroding more of the remaining equity in your property. Some lenders offer Interest-only Lifetime Mortgages, where you can pay interest back monthly and others will allow you to make lump payments, both of which will help reduce the end payback amount.ย
The actual rate of interest charged is a consideration in itself. For example, borrowing ยฃ50,000 at 3%, will see the loan doubling to ยฃ100,000 in just under 24 years. If the rate was higher at say 5%, it would take a little over 14 years to reach the same ยฃ100,000 debt.
How house price changes can affect an inheritance
Any change in your property’s value will affect how much equity is left for yourself or your estate when your loan is eventually repaid.
The example graphs below show the effects of changing house prices on an individual’s overall equity over time. This individual released ยฃ50,000 from a property valued at ยฃ300,000, aged 70. The interest rate used in the examples below is 3%.
Increasing house prices
Any increase in your propertyโs value over the period of time will belong to you, not the lender, which could effectively offset the cost of borrowing.ย
In this example, an annual 1% increase in house prices would help to cover the costs of the increasing interest owed.
No changes in house prices
If there are no changes in house prices over the course of the loan, then the increasing interest is the only thing that will be affecting the overall equity left.ย
As you can see in this example, the interest owed will continue to increase over time, meaning that the estimated equity would decrease.
Decreasing house prices
Keep in mind, however, that house prices can also go down. This reduces your overall equity, as you can see in this graph.
All Equity Release providers listed with the ERC are required to offer a ‘No Negative Equity Guarantee’. This means that the amount owed will never end up exceeding the sale price of the property.
A 'No Negative Equity Guarantee' ensures that you never end up owing back more than the sale price of the property. But not everybody knows that this is an option, and the fear of ending up owing more than the sale price puts them off.
Read more of the Equity Release Myths that we have debunked.
Other Equity Release costs to consider
As well as the Equity Release interest rate, there are other costs that you should consider before releasing equity from your property. Find out more about these other costs below:
Financial advisor
A financial adviser will receive commission from the lender, but to ensure that they are able to meet the costs involved in advising in this specialised area, they usually charge a fee which can be a percentage of the released sum, (normally around 2%), or a set amount.ย
Equity Release solicitor
The Equity Release Council requires customers to take independent legal advice, so that their best interests are looked after properly.ย The solicitorโs role is not only to help perform the legal work, but also toย ensure thatย the homeownerย fully understands theย details of the contract that they are signing.ย
Equity Release is a specialised area for Solicitors, so a good Financial Adviser will typically recommend a law firm that has the right experience for handling things, often at a fixed price. You can expect to pay around ยฃ800 for a solicitor, and this is paid on completion from the released money.
Lenders have their own solicitors, who will work with your chosen solicitor to finalise the Equity Release arrangements.
Equity Release provider fees
Equity Release providers tend to offer free valuations, with most not charging any fees, or just nominal amounts of around ยฃ25-30 for bank transfer fees. Some Equity Release providers charge a fixed fee to cover their own legal costs and set-up costs. This can be in the region of ยฃ500 โ 995 and is usually added to the sum released, although interest will then be charged on it.
Obtaining independent Equity Release advice
The Financial Conduct Authority requires anyone considering Equity Release to take financial advice. Financial advisers that are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and are the best option when looking for independent Equity Release advice.ย
The Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) and The Later Life Academy are both accreditations that demonstrate a financial advisor has extensive knowledge of Equity Release, as well as knowledge about safeguarding potentially vulnerable older people.
Explore your equity release options
Find out about how Key Retirement Solutions can help you release funds from your property to help with care costs, increase cash-flow, help with gifting and much more.