SF HELP is one way to access cash from your property. There are, however, other avenues which should be considered, including the following:

Trading down – buy a smaller house and keep the excess cash to supplement your lifestyle

Sale and rent - sell your home and rent a smaller house or flat

Let part of your home – take in a tenant or boarder, or rent out your cottage if you have one

Apply for a standard mortgage – you can try to raise a conventional mortgage, although this will require regular monthly repayments to be made

Support from family and friends – usually a last resort option for most

Whilst we have every confidence that SF HELP offers you a number of benefits and advantages, we encourage you to involve others in your decision making process. While Seniors’ Finance will explain how the loan works, and conducts a rigorous assessment process, we also require that you seek further expert advice from a qualified source independent of Seniors’ Finance, although these financial planners still need to be accredited by Seniors' Finance.

If you wish to assess whether you might be eligible to apply for SF HELP, please complete the following questions:

Step 1 Are you (the property owner/s and their spouses / partners) aged 65 or over?	Yes No
SF HELP is only available to persons aged 65 and over. Where the application is in joint names, the younger of the two applicants must be aged 65 and over.
Step 2 Do you own the property in which you live?	Yes No
SF HELP is only available to persons that own their own homes, as their homes will be used as security for the SF HELP loan.
Step 3 Is your property mortgage free or almost mortgage free?	Yes No
Your existing mortgage must be repaid in full either before you apply for a SF HELP or out of the proceeds of your SF HELP loan. Seniors’ Finance can arrange the later for you.
Step 4 Is the property worth R500 000 or more?	Yes No
No Step 4
Step 5 Do you require a loan in excess of R50 000?	Yes No
No Step 5
Step 6 Can you confirm that your property is not used for business purposes and that you do not have tenants?	Yes No
No Step 6
Step 7 Have you discussed the opportunity with your family, friends and advisers?	Yes No
Seniors’ Finance recommends that you discuss your decision to apply for SF HELP with your family, adviser and any other person that has an interest in your property or your well being.
Step 8 You are now ready to apply for SF HELP. It looks like you will meet our basic eligibility requirements, and could therefore apply for SF HELP.