Meet Barbara & Jim

Barbara and Jim have lived in Adelaide their whole lives, enjoying a home with water views and a holiday shack on the Eyre Peninsula. After Jim retired during the global financial crisis, the couple wanted to keep enjoying that lifestyle, not give it up.

The challenge was cost of living. Two properties meant ongoing council rates, insurance and maintenance, and without a regular income those costs were hard to absorb. Jim had worked in financial services for years, including reverse mortgages, so when his son – a financial adviser – mentioned a presentation from Household Capital, he knew enough to take it seriously.

After going through a process Jim described as “straightforward”, Barbara and Jim established a Household Loan. They elected to draw funds quarterly rather than taking a large lump sum, which minimised interest costs. When larger expenses came up, the couple were able to quickly meet those needs too.

For Barbara and Jim, this flexibility brought real peace of mind and both described feeling relief and confidence once their Household Loan was in place. It meant they could stay in the home they'd built their life around, watch their grandchildren enjoy the pool and keep hosting family gatherings, all without dipping into savings or worrying about where funds would come from.

There was also a sense of fairness in it for them. The equity was something they'd earned over a lifetime, and using it to stay comfortable in retirement felt like the natural next step, not a risk.

Looking back, Jim and Barbara describe the experience as simple and reassuring from start to finish, and say they'd happily recommend Household Capital to anyone wanting to enjoy their retirement without giving up the home they love.