Bridging Loan Calculator
Work out the rough cost of bridging a property purchase before you talk to anyone. Enter the property values, your current mortgage balance, and an indicative rate to estimate peak debt, interest, and end debt. It takes about a minute and the figure is a starting point, not an approval.
Enter the value of the property you are buying, the value of the one you are selling, your current mortgage balance, and an indicative rate. The calculator returns an estimated peak debt, the likely interest over the bridging period, and the end debt left once your sale settles. You can run as many scenarios as you like at no cost.
A note on what we do. Windsor Finance is a finance broker, not a lender. We arrange bridging finance through a panel of Australian bank and non-bank lenders. We hold no own capital, so we have no reason to push one lender over another. Use this tool to size a deal, then have a broker confirm what the market will actually do with it.
What this calculator estimates
Bridging finance does not behave like a standard 30-year loan, so this tool is built around the way lenders actually assess a bridge. The central figure is peak debt: the total you owe at the high point, before your existing property sells.
You give it a few inputs:
- New property price, plus stamp duty and costs if you want a fuller picture.
- Expected sale price of your existing property.
- Your current mortgage balance on the property being sold.
- An indicative annual interest rate.
- The bridging period in months.
It returns peak debt (new purchase plus existing debt, less any deposit or equity you put in), the estimated interest charged across the bridging term, and the end debt that remains once the sale proceeds clear the old mortgage and reduce the balance. Most bridging lenders capitalise the interest, meaning it is added to the loan rather than paid monthly, so the calculator shows interest accruing on top of peak debt over the term.
The output assumes your sale completes at the price and on the timeline you enter. It does not assume an approval, a specific lender’s policy, or a final rate. Treat it as a guide to the order of magnitude.
How to use it
Start with the property you are buying. Enter the purchase price, then add stamp duty and acquisition costs if you want the true funding figure rather than just the headline price.
Enter the expected sale price of your current property and the mortgage still owing on it. The difference between those two is the net equity coming back to you when the sale settles, and it is what brings peak debt down to a manageable end debt.
Pick an indicative rate. Bank and near-bank bridging sits around 6% to 12% per annum on an indicative basis. Private and caveat-style bridging runs higher, often 9% to 16% per annum or priced monthly, because it settles faster and takes more flexible security. The cleaner your exit and the lower your LVR, the cheaper the money tends to be.
Set the bridging period. Bridging terms typically run 6 to 12 months, with some private facilities extending to 24 months. Now change one input and watch the numbers move. Push the sale price down by five percent and you see how a softer market lifts your end debt. Stretch the term by three months and you see the interest climb. That sensitivity is the real value of the exercise.
Key facts
- Peak debt is the figure lenders assess, not the headline purchase price.
- Bank and near-bank bridging: indicative 6% to 12% p.a.
- Private and caveat bridging: indicative 9% to 16% p.a. or priced monthly.
- Terms typically run 6 to 12 months, some private to 24 months.
- Most lenders capitalise interest, adding it to the balance rather than charging monthly.
Full peak-debt / end-debt widget (property values, current mortgage, capitalised interest, bridging period) to be implemented here. Indicative cost calculator below for now.
Indicative cost calculator
What affects your actual cost
Lenders generally fund up to around 75% of value on standard security, lower on unusual or regional property. A lower LVR opens up cheaper lenders and better terms.
A signed sale contract is the strongest exit and prices best. A property still on the market, or a refinance that has not been agreed, carries more risk and costs more.
Standard metro housing is straightforward. Rural, specialised, or mixed-use security narrows the lender pool and lifts the rate.
Capitalised interest keeps your monthly cash flow free but grows the balance. Serviced interest costs less in total but needs you to fund repayments during the bridge.
A bridge engineered to settle in days, against an auction or a tight contract date, prices for that urgency. There is a trade-off between the lowest rate and the fastest settlement, and the right answer depends on your deadline.
Bridging finance in the Australian context
A few AU specifics shape how these loans work. Bridging is short-term, property-secured finance, so the figure that matters is the total cost over the actual term, not the annual rate read in isolation. A facility held for three months costs roughly a quarter of its annual rate. Weigh that against the alternative: losing the deal, the deposit, or selling your existing property at a fire-sale price to free up cash in a hurry.
Most bridging Windsor arranges is business-purpose or investment lending, which generally sits outside the National Consumer Credit Protection Act. Bridging for an owner-occupied home is consumer credit and is regulated under the NCCP Act, with responsible lending obligations attached. The structure looks similar; the regulatory treatment does not. A broker will confirm which applies to your situation.
Lenders also differ on how they treat peak debt. Some assess your ability to hold peak debt for the full term. Others assume the sale completes and focus on the end debt. This single policy difference can decide whether a deal is approved and at what price, and it is exactly the kind of thing a whole-of-market broker checks across the panel rather than guessing at with one bank.
Why the calculator is only the first step
This tool gives you a realistic ballpark. It cannot tell you which lender will fund your specific deal, at what LVR, on what exit terms, or how fast it can settle. Those answers come from putting your actual numbers in front of the right lenders.
That is the job. You give us the property, the purpose, the timeline, and the exit. We return one or more indicative structures from suitable lenders on the panel, usually inside 24 to 48 hours. There is no cost and no commitment at that stage. Structuring, lender shortlisting, and fit assessment are free until you give the go-ahead to submit, and every cost is disclosed in writing, up front, before you commit.
Common questions
What does a bridging loan calculator estimate? +
What interest rate should I use? +
How long do bridging terms usually run? +
Is bridging finance regulated? +
Speak to a bridging broker about your real numbers
Run the calculator, then book a 15-minute call. A Windsor broker will look at your purchase, your sale, and your timeline, and come back with indicative structures inside 24 to 48 hours. If your settlement date is tight, we keep slots for time-critical deals.