With the increase in DIY stores and programs, people have been encouraged to improve their homes more and more. However, improving your home can be costly, and you may require a loan to carry out the renovations that you want or need.

Getting a loan to make home improvements can be a great idea; as if you get the right things done then you will increase the value of your home for future sale. But what are the available methods for funding home improvements?

Here are some ways in which you can fund both small and large home improvements, and things to look out for when getting home improvement funding:

Small projects

Many smaller home improvement projects do not require you to get out huge loans or add money onto your mortgage. These sorts of improvements can often be paid for through savings or by credit cards. If you can pay for something with your savings, then it is much cheaper than getting out a loan or adding more onto your mortgage. Examples of such renovations might be repainting or redecorating a room or two.

Large projects

When it comes to larger home improvements such as extensions or remodelling, then you will need to borrow money in order to pay for the work. Perhaps the best two ways of funding large home improvement projects are through unsecured loans and remortgaging.

Unsecured loans

If you have a good credit history and you need to borrow around  5,000 to  20,000, then getting an unsecured loan is probably the best option. Unsecured loans are good because you do not have the risk of losing your home if you cannot pay, and because the repayment terms are usually shorter than mortgages at around 1 to 7 years. Although the interest rates are higher, if you can pay back the loan quickly you will probably pay back less overall.

Remortgaging

If you have bad credit or you need to borrow a larger sum of money for improvements, then remortgaging your property might be the answer. This means you can get a new mortgage for the amount you still owe on your property, as well as adding on the amount you need for home improvements. For example, if you require  25,000 for improvements and have  100,000 left on your mortgage, you can remortgage for  125,000.

The advantage of this is that mortgage rates are much lower than other loans at around 5 or 6%, and you may not notice the payment as much when it is included within your mortgage repayment. The disadvantages are that you can lose your home if you cannot make the repayments, and you will be paying back the amount over a much longer period of time.

Should you make improvements?

Before you take out a home improvement loan, the most important thing to consider is the overall benefit you will get from making the improvements. If the gains are simply luxuries that you can do without, then taking out a loan to pay for them might not be the best idea. If, however, the improvements will make your house a better place to live and also increase its value, then getting a home improvement loan might be a good option for you.

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