Home equity loans

What are home equity loans?

Home equity loans enable you to borrow money against the value or 'equity' in your home. Here, we explore how they work.

The equity in your home

The equity in your home is the difference between the saleable value of the property and the borrowing you have against it. For example, if your home is currently valued at £150,000 and you have £50,000 outstanding on your mortgage, the equity in your home would be £100,000. If you had paid off your mortgage in full, the equity would be £150,000.

Home equity loans enable you to raise money against this value in your home. People will take out a home equity loan because it enables them to raise money without having to sell their home, often helping them to consolidate debts, pay off credit cards or buy a car for example.

A home equity loan is a secured loan – lenders loan you the money secured against the value of your home. They are sometimes referred to as homeowner loans. An alternative to home equity loans is home mortgage refinancing. This is where you typically increase your mortgage, taking some or all of the extra borrowing in cash.
