Using A Personal Loan For Home Improvement Projects

If you’re looking into home improvement, you will be able to choose from a variety of different loan types. Depending on what type of renovation you’re planning, a personal loan may be a great option as a way to pay for your home improvement. 

Depending on your plan, using a personal loan for a home improvement project could be a good idea. If a personal loan meets what you need for your home improvement project, this type of loan could be the perfect fit.

Arkansas Federal Credit Union offers personal loans for various loan amounts with different loan terms. Contact us today to learn more about personal loan options and how they might work for you. 

Taking Out a Personal Loan for Home Improvement

You can get a personal loan for home improvement projects. When applying for a personal loan, you can select home improvement as the purpose of the loan. This can help you get approved for a personal loan for home renovation. 

Personal loans will typically have a fixed interest rate and a fixed repayment timeline for the loan. When paying off a personal loan, you can be confident that your monthly payment will stay the same throughout the life of your loan.

Pros and Cons of Personal Loans for Home Renovation

Choosing a personal loan to finance a home renovation project can offer a lot of advantages and disadvantages.

Pros

Using a personal loan for a home renovation can offer a variety of benefits. Depending on your situation and your needs, a personal loan could be a great way to finance your home renovation.

No Collateral

Personal loans don’t require any sort of collateral. This means that if you use a personal loan, you don’t have to use your home as collateral to get the loan. 

Lower Borrowing Amount

A personal loan is perfect for a smaller project. You can borrow less with a personal loan than with a home equity loan or HELOC.

Fixed Interest Rate

Personal loans offer a fixed interest rate, meaning your monthly payment will stay the same throughout your entire loan term, unlike a credit card.

Fewer Fees

Certain types of loans can come with a variety of loan fees. While a personal loan may have an origination fee, it won’t have the fees of a closing cost that sometimes comes with loans such as home equity loans or HELOCs.

Get Funds Faster

It is easier and faster to get approved for personal loans. You can get access to your money faster and start your home improvement project sooner.

Cons

Before committing to a personal loan to finance your home improvement projects, you should consider a few things. These might make other options for financing a home renovation more appealing.

Credit Scores and History

Personal loans place a higher emphasis on credit scores because there’s no collateral. This can make it more difficult to qualify for a personal loan. 

Higher Interest Rates

Since personal loans are unsecured and don’t have any collateral, they tend to have higher interest rates than other loan types.

Shorter Repayment Period

A typical personal loan repayment period is about seven years. Home equity loans and HELOCs can have repayment periods of up to 30 years.

Can’t Deduct Interest

With a home equity loan or HELOC, the interest you pay could be tax deductible. This is not an option with personal loans.

How to Optimize Using A Personal Loan for Home Projects

To get the most out of your personal loan, it’s important to start with an accurate cost assessment for your home improvement project so you can apply for a personal loan of an accurate amount. To estimate the cost of a loan you need to apply for, you should have an idea of the costs for materials, labor, and potential contingencies. With itemized costs, you can best plan for any unexpected expenses or cost increases that may occur.

Paying attention to the loan application process and having all of the necessary documents ready before you begin the process can help make sure that you can get approved for your personal loan as quickly as possible. Preparing yourself before beginning the loan application process is the first step in getting approved for a loan.

Home improvement projects are usually planned and considered for a while before you decide to commit to starting them. As part of planning your home improvement project, you should monitor interest rates so you can get a favorable interest rate and reduce the total cost of your home improvement project as much as possible.

Creating a loan repayment strategy can help you get the most out of your personal loan. Before you apply for a personal loan, it can be very helpful to plan out your monthly finances and how you can pay back your loan. Paying off your loan faster can help you save money on interest throughout the life of your loan and improve your financial situation. 

Risks of Using Personal Loans for Home Improvement Projects

To protect your credit and debt, avoiding overborrowing is important. Before you apply for your personal loan, you should have a general idea of the cost of your project so you can avoid overborrowing and taking out any unnecessary debt.

Planning for unexpected expenses during a project is an important step to being able to afford it. You should plan to either borrow slightly more than you think you’ll need or have extra savings available in case extra costs arise throughout the home improvement process. 

Alternatives to Personal Loans for Home Improvement

If you think a personal loan might not be the best option to finance your home improvement project, there are other options you could consider.

Mortgage Cash-Out Refinancing

Refinancing is when you take out a new, larger loan that pays off your original loan, leaving you with a new loan and a new interest rate. With a mortgage cash-out refinance, you would take out a new mortgage for more than you currently owe and use the difference to pay for your home improvement project. It’s important to pay attention to fees that can be associated with a refinance. Closing costs or higher interest rates could make a refinance less beneficial for you.

Home Equity Loan

Using a home equity loan can provide a variety of benefits. A home equity loan, like a personal loan, gives you one lump sum payment that you repay in monthly payments with your home as collateral. Unlike personal loans, home equity loans can come with closing costs that may give you less money to work on your home renovation.

HELOC

A HELOC is a loan that opens a line of credit against the equity you have in your home. With a HELOC, your home is used as collateral for your line of credit, which means that you could risk losing your home if you aren’t able to make your payments. 

Credit Cards

Getting a credit card to pay for a home improvement project may not seem like a good idea because of the high interest rates credit cards can have, but if you have a good credit score, you may be able to qualify for a low-rate credit card or a credit card with low or no introductory APR. With one of these cards, you may pay a similar rate to other loan options if interest rates are high. 

Apply For A Personal Loan Today

Before starting a home improvement project, it’s a good idea to explore all of your loan options so you can decide on the best loan type for your needs. There are a variety of different loan options available that can meet your needs in different ways.
Contact Arkansas Federal Credit Union online or visit one of our local branches today to explore all of your loan options and learn more about how using a personal loan for a home improvement project could be a good fit for your needs.