Who is Unlocked Equity for?

If your situation is on this list, the next step is a Free Property Review to find out exactly what you could access.

What situations is Unlocked Equity suited to?

The Unlocked Equity Agreement suits homeowners who are asset-rich but cash-poor — people who have built significant value in their home over decades but find that value is locked away and unavailable for day-to-day life. The specific trigger varies from person to person. For some it is a practical need — funding a renovation, covering a healthcare cost, or helping a child into the property market. For others it is about lifestyle — having the cashflow to enjoy retirement rather than just get through it.

What the situations below have in common is this: the homeowner has a real financial need or goal, their home holds significant value, and selling or taking on debt is not the right answer.

Can I use Unlocked Equity to fund home renovations?

Yes. Funding home renovations — particularly modifications that allow homeowners to age in place safely — is one of the most common reasons Australians in their 60s and 70s come to Unlocked Equity.

Many homeowners want to stay in their home as they get older, but the home needs work to make that possible safely and comfortably. Accessibility modifications, bathroom upgrades, stairlifts, or simply bringing an ageing property up to standard can cost tens of thousands of dollars that most retirees do not have sitting in a bank account.

The Unlocked Equity Agreement gives homeowners access to regular cash payments — and an optional upfront lump sum of up to 10% of their property’s current value — that can be used to fund renovations without taking on debt or touching superannuation.⁵ According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the majority of older Australians prefer to remain living in their own home as they age.¹ For many, the barrier is not the desire to stay — it is the cost of making the home work for them long-term.

Can I use Unlocked Equity to help my children buy a home?

Yes. Helping adult children enter the property market is one of the most common goals Unlocked Equity customers have when they come to us.

Australia’s property market has made it increasingly difficult for younger buyers to enter without family support. Many parents and grandparents in their 60s and 70s want to help — but their wealth is tied up in the family home, not sitting in a liquid account.

The Unlocked Equity Agreement allows homeowners to access cash payments from their home equity while continuing to live there. Those payments can be gifted or loaned to adult children to help with a deposit, without the homeowner needing to sell, downsize, or take on debt of their own.⁵ According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, median dwelling prices in Australia’s capital cities have more than doubled over the past decade, making deposit saving increasingly difficult for first home buyers without family support.²

Can I use Unlocked Equity to fund healthcare or aged care costs?

Yes. Funding ongoing healthcare costs and preparing for future aged care needs is a significant and growing reason Australian homeowners seek access to home equity in retirement.

Healthcare costs tend to increase with age, and many of those costs — private health insurance gaps, specialist appointments, dental work, home care services — are not fully covered by Medicare or the Age Pension. Aged care costs, in particular, can require significant upfront contributions that catch families off guard.

The Unlocked Equity Agreement gives homeowners access to a pre-agreed amount in regular cash payments that can be used to fund ongoing healthcare costs, supplement home care packages, or prepare for future aged care needs — without selling the family home prematurely.⁵ According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, total aged care expenditure in Australia exceeded $24 billion in 2021–22, with a growing proportion of costs falling to individuals.³

Can I use Unlocked Equity to consolidate debt in retirement?

Yes — and because the Unlocked Equity Agreement is not a loan, using it to address existing debt does not add new repayment obligations.

Some retirees carry debt into retirement — a small remaining mortgage, a credit card balance, or a personal loan — and find that monthly repayments are eroding an already tight cashflow. Traditional debt consolidation involves taking on another loan, which compounds the problem.

The Unlocked Equity Agreement works differently. There are no monthly repayments. The cash payments received can be used to clear existing debts, removing repayment pressure entirely. The only obligation is the agreed equity percentage paid to Unlocked Equity at the time of sale — which is fixed from day one and does not compound over time.⁵

Can I use Unlocked Equity to fund travel and lifestyle in retirement?

Yes. Supplementing retirement cashflow for travel, family experiences, and day-to-day lifestyle is one of the most common reasons Unlocked Equity customers access their home equity.

Retirement is meant to be enjoyed — but the reality for many Australian homeowners is that the Age Pension alone does not stretch to cover the lifestyle they had planned, and superannuation runs out sooner than expected. Overseas travel, family experiences, hobbies, and simply living comfortably become financially out of reach.

The Unlocked Equity Agreement provides regular ongoing cash payments that supplement existing retirement cashflow, giving homeowners the means to live retirement on their own terms — without selling the family home, without taking on debt, and without waiting until the estate is settled to access the value they have spent a lifetime building.⁵ According to the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia, the annual budget for a comfortable retirement for a couple is approximately $77,375 — significantly above what the Age Pension alone provides.⁴

What do these situations have in common?

In each case, the homeowner has real financial needs or goals that their current retirement cashflow cannot meet. Their home holds the value that could address those needs. And selling — or taking on debt — is not the right solution.

The Unlocked Equity Agreement is built for exactly this gap. It is not the right product for everyone, and the Free Property Review exists to determine whether it is right for you specifically — before any commitment is made.

Frequently asked questions