Turn your garden into an oasis with this step-by-step landscaping guide

The Consumer Protection Act (CPA): how it protects you as a homebuyer

How to fix a bad credit score

April 2024

What to do if you can’t pay your home loan

Six questions to ask your estate agent when house hunting

How to save on your electricity bill and spend more on home maintenance

Choosing the right home for you

March 2024

Buyers urged to make the most of historic low interest rate

February 2024

January 2024

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

August 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

March 2023

Rate Announcement

Time To Bond press release

Repo rate holds steady – reminding buyers to make the most of the lending rate

Meet South Africa’s current property investors – spoiler alert: they’re no longer male or middle-aged

Residential property trends for 2021

Coastal semigration attracts work-from-home buyers

More people buying their dream home as interest rates look set to remain low for most of 2021

Good start to the year for homebuyers as repo rate holds steady

Five things you need to know about the repo rate

Young investors give residential property the thumbs up

Why Mossel Bay is fast becoming the Monaco of the Garden Route

Helping your children to buy their first home

Turn your bond into an effective savings tool

House price growth hits a five-year high as interest rate holds steady at its lowest in 55 years

Seven reasons why holding the repo rate steady is good news

A home for every stage of your life

How to make sure your home loan gets the green light

Rate announcement – January 2022

Ukraine

Gauteng Booming

Housing market remains strong as interest rate rises

Hope for homeowners as interest rates near peak

Benefits of owning a home remain constant amid rate fluctuations

Know what you can afford as interest rates rise

How to navigate rising inflation and interest rates

Multi-generational living

Pretoria named the number 1 most affordable capital in the world

Protect your credit score in tough times

The provinces where first time home buyers get more bang for their buck

Eastern Cape attracts homebuyers with enviable coastal lifestyle

Plan ahead and pay as much as you can on your bond

What happens once you’ve submitted your bond application to your bond originator?

Tech upgrades a great way to boost home value

Don’t squander your home equity

How your home can make you wealthy

Real freedom is a home of your own

Go green and pay your home off faster

Sharing requires a lot of caring

Keeping up with the upkeep of your home is one way to cash in on a future sale

The perks and perils of joint ownership: how to buy half a house without paying for the whole!

How to hold on to your home when your finances get out of hand

How to handle a break-up with your bond

How to make a move without breaking the bank

Getting it down to ten – how to settle your home loan in a decade or less

Top take-outs when taking on townhouse living

Paid off your bond? Now put that bond account to use

What’s the difference between buying a sectional title vs. freehold property

How your home loan can supercharge your financial future

Renovating vs Building from scratch

Moving day made easy

Why pay more into your bond? Why not!

M is for maintenance

Improve your property with a further loan

Ways to use a further loan

What is a further loan?

Originators create savings for banks and consumers

Make sure your credit report includes your rental payments

All the ways that originators help home buyers

Here’s how much you could gain by saving a deposit

Shine up your finances for the best bond deals this summer

Simple, straightforward steps to raise your credit rating

Decisions, decisions, decisions – 3 bond decisions dealt with in three steps

What is an interest rate and how does it affect your bond repayments?

Is it in your best interest to fix the rate on your home loan?

What is bond origination?

Should I take a 100% home loan?

What attorneys do for homebuyers

What is the prime interest rate?

Fixed or Variable rates

How to make an offer on a home

7 things every OTP should include

The ABCs of an OTP

How to downsize your home without tears

Before you buy a home – Look out for Bad Roads, Rules and Vibes

The right time to move if you need to live closer to the schools you prefer

How to choose a home for a growing family

Lifestyle – not location! – leads the way on the home-buying hunt

‘Buyer’s block’: How to hit the restart button on your home search

Pick your priorities: finances first, house-hunting later

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Why should I get pre-approved before looking for a home?

What are the different types of sectional title properties?

What are the different types of freehold properties?

What’s the difference between freehold and sectional title properties?

Will getting a BetterBond Pre-approval Certificate affect my Credit Score?

What criteria do banks look at for home loans?

How much will a Pre-approval Certificate cost me?

How much can I afford on a home loan?

Can I pay off my bond earlier?

What are the upfront costs for a home loan?

What costs are in my monthly bond repayment?

What are transfer duties?

What are transfer costs?

What costs are related to home loans?

What is the difference between a fixed and a variable interest rate?

How is my home loan interest rate determined?

Can I use BetterBond to refinance my current bond?

How do you calculate the loan amount?

What is BetterBond exactly?

Will BetterBond be able to service my bond?

Should I take out my life policy immediately, or can I wait for registration?

Will my life policy lapse once my bond is paid off?

Do I have to do medical tests when I take out a BetterLife Protection Plan?

When will my BetterSure Homeowners Cover begin?

Will my premium increase each year?

Are BetterSure Homeowners Cover and bank insurance the same thing?

Do I have to take the bank’s insurance, or can I choose BetterSure Homeowners Cover?

Why use BetterSure?

Can I negotiate on my interest rate?

Does BetterBond offer home loans for investment properties?

Is my information protected and secure?

Is BetterBond a direct lender?

What is the maximum age you can be, to be considered for a home loan?

What do you need to qualify for a bond?

What exactly does a bond originator do, and what are the real benefits of using a bond originator?

If I’m married in community of property (COP), must my spouse be included in the application and/or pre-approval?

Will the payment from the bank to BetterBond affect my loan re-payments?

Can attorney fees be included in the loan amount?

What are the requirements for a home loan if I am self-employed and/or sole proprietor?

Can I use my pre-approval certificate as a guarantee?

What’s the difference between a pre-qualification and a pre-approval?

Will I need an offer to purchase (OTP) to apply for a home loan or for pre-approval?

I’ve heard of FLISP. What does it stand for and how does it work?

Can BetterBond assist me with switching from one financial institution to another?

Can BetterBond help me with a building loan?

Can I apply for a bond together with another person?

I’m a South African citizen living or working abroad. Can BetterBond still help me?

Does BetterBond help foreign nationals?

Besides home loans, can BetterBond also assist me with bonds for trusts and businesses?

Does BetterBond only help first-time homebuyers?

What is the minimum income I need to qualify for a home loan?

Is BetterBond a financial institution?

Once I have my pre-approval certificate, how long is it valid for?

How long is the entire pre-approval process

Do I have to pay to get pre-approved?

Why is getting pre-approved for a bond so important?

Why do I need to sign so many documents at the attorneys?

I’ve heard of ‘approval’ and ‘final grant’. What’s the difference

Once my application has been submitted, how long do I have to wait for approval?

Do I follow up my application by checking in with the bank, or do I call BetterBond?

Do I have to use the bond originator suggested by my agent, or can I use any originator?

Can BetterBond guarantee that I will obtain home finance?

Can BetterBond guarantee me a low interest rate on my bond?

Does the fee earned by BetterBond mean that I have to pay hidden costs?

If I use BetterBond to get my home loan, will I have to pay BetterBond?

So, how does BetterBond get paid?

Why is buying a home an investment?

Is it better to rent or buy property?

Why use BetterBond?

Affordability

The more information you can provide, the more accurate your estimate will be.

This affordability calculator uses the current interest rate, but the rate that will be applied to your home loan could vary, depending on factors like your credit score and whether you've saved a deposit.

Interest rate

This affordability calculator uses the most common home loan term, which is 20 years (240 months), but you can enter another timeframe and the results will change accordingly.

Repayment term

Enter your (and your co-applicant's) monthly income before taxes to determine affordability.

Monthly gross income

Enter your (and your co-applicant's) monthly income after taxes to determine affordability.

Monthly nett income

The monthly amount you pay on debt and household expences. Do not include rent or loan amounts if these will be replaced by the new bond payment.

Monthly expenses

This is the monthly repayment calculated on the loan amount you qualify for.

Total monthly repayment

This is the amount you qualify for based on the income and expences information you captured.

Total loan amount

Repayment

The price of the property you're buying and will therefore have to repay.

Purchase price