How to increase the likelihood of loan approval

When applying for a home loan, it's all about convincing lenders you'll be a reliable borrower, and there are several ways to increase the likelihood of having your loan approved.

Evidence of saving is a great way of showing lenders that you are serious about the financial discipline needed to pay off a home loan.

Make every effort to save in the months leading up to your loan application. You will probably already be putting money aside for a deposit, but anything extra you can add to your savings balance will work in your favour.

Be sure to keep your monthly bank statements so you can show how your balance has risen over time due to your consistent deposits.

Lenders will also be looking for a good credit rating, so do everything you can to make sure yours impresses.

They'll be looking for borrowers who they can rely on to meet mortgage repayments, so make sure you pay your bills and loan repayments on time.

If you can, settle any outstanding loans, and if your debt to credit ratio is high on your credit cards, it might be worth doing a balance transfer to a card with a higher limit.

Each lender is different and will handle loan applications in different ways. Similarly, whether you are applying for a construction loan, investment loan or first home buyer loan will have a bearing on which lender is the best to apply to.

A Mortgage Choice broker will help you determine not just which lender is the best to apply to for your particular loan, but which is most likely to approve it.

They'll make sure your loan application is professionally presented and that you've included all the documents required.