The ‘equity’ in your house refers to the amount you have left to repay on a mortgage subtracted from the current market value of your house and for some houseowners, this can add up to a considerable sum if they’ve been repaying their mortgage for quite some time or have completed mortgage repayments and own their house outright. This sum of cash is, in effect, ‘locked in’ to your house and a house equity release cash advance allows you to tap into that sum of cash to fund any purpose.
The crucial thing to bear in mind, however, is that this method of securing cash is not for everybody and careful consideration needs to be taken as you could be putting your house at risk if you’re unsure as to what it involves.
Reasons for taking out a house equity cash advance can vary but quite often they are used to raise finance for things like extensive house improvement projects or major house renovations which, ultimately, will add significant value to your house anyway and which might possibly even work out to your financial gain in the long term over the cost of the cash advance.
Then there are other scenarios where, perhaps, an elderly person or couple with a low income may need to raise cash to fund their monthly expenses. They may have fully paid off their mortgage and have no children to think about when it comes to any inheritance issues or they may have children but may not be looking to pass on any of their assets after they’ve died. In these cases too, house equity release might present them with their best option. After all, they’ve worked hard to buy their house in the first place and have now paid it off. Therefore, as an asset it has a significant monetary value but it is tied up in their house’s value. This is typical of the scenario of “cash rich on paper but cash poor on a day to day basis”.
It cannot be emphasised too strongly, however, that a house equity cash advance isn’t for everyone and you should seek professional advice if you are considering opting to go down this route.