Upsizing From a Unit to a House in Perth, WA, Your Practical Guide

You've outgrown your unit. Maybe it's a growing family, a need for a backyard, or simply the feeling that the walls are closing in. Whatever the reason, the move from a unit to a house is one of the most common upgrades Perth buyers make, and the lending side of it is more manageable than most people expect.

The equity you've built in your unit is usually the key. Depending on how long you've owned it and what Perth property has done in that time, you may have more to work with than you realise. Many upsizers in suburbs like Victoria Park, Bayswater or Cannington have found their unit equity covers a healthy deposit on a house without needing to sell first.

Our team helps upsizers across Perth, WA move from a unit into a house, working through the equity, the loan structure and the timing, comparing across 60+ lenders. The upsizing home loan side of it is where the real decisions get made.

Can you use your unit's equity to buy a house without selling first?

Yes, and for many upsizers in Perth it's the cleanest way to move. If your unit has enough equity, a lender can use it as security for a new loan against the house, letting you buy before your unit is sold or settled. The amount you can access depends on your unit's current value, what you still owe, and whether the lender is comfortable with both properties as security.

Accessible equity is calculated at 80% of your unit's value minus what you owe. On a unit worth $700,000 with $350,000 remaining, that is $210,000 in usable equity, which covers the deposit on many Perth house purchases. REIWA data shows house medians ranging from $700,000 in Armadale to over $3.5 million in Cottesloe, so how far that equity stretches depends entirely on where you're buying.

Source: REIWA (Landgate data, August 2026).

How do lenders assess the move from a unit to a house in Perth, WA?

Lenders look at your total position rather than one property in isolation. They'll consider the value and remaining loan on your unit, your income and existing commitments, and the serviceability of the new loan alongside whatever you currently owe. The critical number is your end debt, not the peak figure you carry during any overlap period.

If you're selling the unit and buying simultaneously, most lenders model what the loan looks like once the sale proceeds clear. If you're keeping the unit as an investment, they'll assess both loans together, shading your projected rental income at typically 80% of gross when calculating what you can borrow.

What do you need to qualify to upsize from a unit to a house?

Lenders want confidence that the new loan is sustainable, with or without the unit being sold. Before assessing your application, most will want to see:

What lenders typically check:

• › Current unit valuation: a formal bank valuation or desktop assessment, not the listing price you have in your head.
• › Existing loan statements: three to six months of statements on your current mortgage, showing repayment history.
• › Income evidence: recent payslips or, for self-employed buyers, two years of tax returns and a current BAS.
• › Liability position: credit card limits, car finance, HECS debt and any other ongoing commitments, since all of these reduce your borrowing capacity.
• › Sale evidence (if applicable): if you've already signed a contract on the unit, that contract strengthens the application considerably by confirming the incoming proceeds.

What does it cost to upsize from a unit to a house in Perth, WA?

The costs land in two places: the purchase of the house and, if you're selling the unit, the cost of that sale. On the purchase side, transfer duty is the most significant expense. As a non-first-home buyer purchasing an established home, you pay the general rate of transfer duty on the purchase price, with no concession available at this stage.

Typical purchase costs to budget for:

• › Transfer duty: calculated on the purchase price at the general rate. Use the RevenueWA calculator for the exact figure on your property.
• › Settlement agent fees: typically in the low thousands for a residential settlement in WA.
• › Loan establishment and valuation: vary by lender; some waive these on upsizer refinances.
• › LMI (if applicable): if your deposit on the house is under 20% of the purchase price, LMI applies. On an $800,000 purchase with a 10% deposit, LMI is approximately $19,500.
• › Real estate agent fees (on the unit sale): if you're selling, agent commissions apply on top of all of the above.

If buying before you sell, peak debt is higher during the overlap, and bridging interest typically capitalises rather than being paid monthly. The key is that lenders assess your end debt, and in most cases that end debt is lower than the combined peak figure you carry during settlement.

Source: RevenueWA.

Get in touch Need help upsizing from a unit to a house? We're a local team who understand how lenders actually assess your situation, not just your rate. We'll compare your options across 60+ lenders to find the right fit. Chat to Our Team Call 08 9367 4222

How long does the unit-to-house move take in Perth, WA?

From a lending perspective, pre-approval typically takes one to two weeks once documents are in order. Settlement on a Perth property under the 2022 Joint Form of General Conditions runs to whatever period the parties agree in the Offer and Acceptance, commonly 30 to 60 days, though longer settlement periods are negotiable and often worth requesting when you're coordinating two transactions.

If you're buying before selling, the timeline depends on how quickly your unit clears. A unit already listed and under offer makes the lender's assessment considerably cleaner than one not yet on the market. The longer the gap between the two settlements, the more capitalised bridging interest accumulates, so keeping the unit sale moving promptly reduces the cost.

When does upsizing from a unit to a house not make sense?

Not every upsizer is ready to move, even when the equity looks right. If your unit is in a suburb where the unit market is soft and a sale would come in below your expectations, the timing may work against you. Selling into a weak market to buy into a strong one often means transferring wealth in the wrong direction.

Similarly, if keeping the unit as a rental would stretch your serviceability so thin that the house loan becomes uncomfortable, you're better off selling cleanly. Holding two properties at full stretch rarely ends well, and for most upsizers a clean transition is the more sensible structure, even if the investment case for keeping the unit looks appealing on paper.

It's also worth checking whether your unit is subject to any strata restrictions or age-related lending constraints. Some lenders apply tighter criteria to units in high-density buildings or with small internal areas, which can affect refinancing options later if you want to use that unit's equity again.

How do mortgage brokers help upsizers get from a unit to a house in Perth, WA?

The lender choice decides more here than the rate does. Three policy differences move the outcome for upsizers, and they're not published anywhere side by side.

• › How rental income is assessed: if you're keeping the unit, some lenders count 80% of projected rent against your commitments, others apply more conservative shading, which directly changes your borrowing limit on the house.
• › Cross-securitisation appetite: some lenders require both properties as security during the overlap; others will write standalone loans. A standalone structure is almost always preferable, but it requires more equity in each property and not every lender offers it.
• › How bridging interest is treated: whether capitalised interest during the overlap is included in the serviceability test, and over what period, differs between lenders and changes the maximum they'll lend.

Comparing across the panel means finding the lender whose policy lines up with your specific situation, not just the one offering the sharpest headline rate.

What goes wrong when upsizers move from a unit to a house in Perth?

Common approval challenges:

• › Underestimating the unit's valuation gap: the lender's formal valuation often comes in below what comparable sales suggest, particularly on units in high-density postcodes. A lower valuation means less accessible equity and a larger deposit shortfall.
• › Credit card limits reducing capacity: lenders assess card limits as though fully drawn, regardless of the actual balance. An unused $20,000 limit can quietly remove $60,000 to $76,000 of borrowing capacity. Reducing limits before applying is one of the fastest levers available.
• › Applying to the wrong lender first: a decline from one lender sits on your credit file for five years under Comprehensive Credit Reporting. Matching your application to the right lender's policy before lodging is far safer than testing the market one lender at a time.
• › Underestimating the total cost: transfer duty, settlement fees and any LMI can add up to 3% to 5% of the purchase price, and many upsizers budget for the deposit alone. Running the full cost picture early prevents a late shortfall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy a house before selling my unit in Perth?

Yes, if you have enough equity and serviceability to carry both loans during the overlap. Lenders assess your end debt once the unit sells, so the bridging period is usually manageable where the unit is already listed.

Do I need a 20% deposit to upsize to a house?

No, though a deposit below 20% triggers LMI on the new purchase. On an $800,000 house with a 10% deposit, LMI is approximately $19,500, which can be added to the loan rather than paid upfront.

Should I sell my unit or keep it as an investment when I upsize?

That depends on whether you can service both loans comfortably and whether the unit's rental income stacks up after costs. For most upsizers, a clean sale is the simpler structure, though keeping it is worth modelling if the equity and serviceability allow it.

Is it better to use equity or savings as the deposit on a house?

Equity is generally the stronger position because it's already in your property and doesn't require the same waiting period as saving. The practical question is whether the lender accepts your unit as additional security, which most do where the LVR across both properties stays reasonable.

What is the APRA serviceability buffer and does it affect upsizers?

APRA requires lenders to add a 3.0% buffer on top of your actual rate when assessing serviceability. This applies to upsizers too, meaning your loan is assessed at a rate meaningfully higher than you'll actually pay, which is why borrowing capacity is often lower than people expect.

Should I use a mortgage broker or go directly to a lender when upsizing?

A mortgage broker, every time. Upsizing involves cross-referencing your equity position, your serviceability, the timing of two settlements, and the policies of multiple lenders, which is exactly what a broker does across a full panel rather than a single institution's products.

Your Next Steps

Moving from a unit to a house in Perth is a well-trodden path, and the lending side of it is more structured than it looks from the outside. The real work is matching your equity position and your timeline to the right lender's policy, and that's a conversation worth having before you sign anything.

Ready to find out which lenders will work best for your upsizing move? Contact the Launch Finance team or call 08 9367 4222. We'll canvas our 60+ lender panel and find the most suitable options for your circumstances.

About the author Joe Del Borrello Director, Launch Finance Joe Del Borrello is a Director at Launch Finance and has been broking in Perth since 2004. Diploma-qualified and regularly featured in the Professional Lenders Association Network of Australia's (PLAN) Top 200 Mortgage Brokers, he helps first home buyers, investors, self-employed borrowers and refinancers across Perth, comparing loans from a wide panel of lenders at no cost to the borrower. Joe is a Credit Representative (No. 399763) of BLSSA Pty Ltd (ABN 69 117 651 760), Australian Credit Licence No. 391237. Meet the team → Book a free call →

Launch Finance · Perth, WA · Launch Finance Pty Ltd (ABN 17 163 528 701), Corporate Credit Representative 454041 of BLSSA Pty Ltd (ABN 69 117 651 760), Australian Credit Licence 391237 · General information only - this article does not constitute financial advice. Please consider your own circumstances and seek professional advice before making any financial decisions.