Whether you’re getting your long-time residence ready to sell or you’re planning to flip an investment property, a home renovation can be an exciting (albeit expensive) solution. Locating the funds to make these updates happen can be a challenge, especially after you’ve tried the traditional funding strategies.
This doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. You just have to get more creative. The following are seven options for funding a home renovation that you might not have thought about.
1. Take Out a Personal Loan
Personal loans carry fewer requirements than traditional lenders demand, so they can be easier for you to qualify. Whether you need $500 or $5,000 for your home renovation, you can employ a personal loan to get money swiftly.
You may also apply online and select your own terms. This can help you build your credit as you pay back the money, and it’ll be there whenever you need it.
However, you should be aware that personal loans tend to carry higher interest rates, although they’re not apt to exceed rates for a credit card. It’s best to use personal loans only when you are pretty certain you will be able to pay the money back within a reasonable time frame.
Otherwise, you’ll be paying more over the long run on those higher interest charges.
2. Open a Home Equity Line of Credit
If you’ve been paying down your mortgage for a few years, you’ll have built sizeable equity into your home. Assuming you have decent credit, most banks will give you a line of credit based on that equity.
This works just like a credit card where you have a limit to borrow against based on how much equity your home has accumulated. The interest tends to be lower on home equity lines of credit; plus, any interest you pay is tax deductible.
In some cases, you might be able to get interest-free lines of credit, so long as the money is used for home-improvement projects.
3. Refinance Your Mortgage
There are two ways to cover your mortgage with a refinance. The first is to refinance your home at a lower interest rate. This will reduce your monthly mortgage payment, so instead of spending the extra, you may save it for future renovations.
You can also get a cash-out refinance. This will enable you to refinance your existing loan for more than you actually owe on your home. Then you can take out the extra amount in cash to use toward your renovations.
4. Look into Peer-to-Peer Lending
Peer-to-peer lending is another way to get funding with a comparatively low barrier to entry. Investors put their extra cash into a peer-to-peer lending platform so you borrow from individual investors rather than a bank.
Interest rates can be attractively competitive, involving relatively low rates and low origination fees. It’s also a quick and easy process to shop for such loans, and you don’t have to have perfect credit to qualify.
You can easily qualify for this kind of loan if you’ve found you can’t get one through traditional lenders.
5. Apply for a Home Equity Loan
Similar to a home equity line of credit, this type of funding also enables you to tap into your home equity. But instead of operating as a line of credit, it’s a loan that lets you take out all of the cash you need at one time. The interest rate on the loan is fixed, and it can be higher than a home equity line of credit. It’s similar to refinancing your home or taking out a “second mortgage,” but you don’t have to refinance your entire loan to gain access to the funds.
6. Crowdsource the Money
If friends and family are sympathetic to your needs, you may be able to generate funds from them. It’s easy to collect money through crowdsourcing with platforms such as GoFundMe.
You can advertise your needs on social media, and people may donate anonymously if they prefer. Crowdsourcing works best if you need the money for a noble cause.
For example, if you’re updating your home after a flood or you just got married and are short on cash, people are more likely to donate.
7. Earn More Cash on Your Own
Sometimes, the solution to funding your home renovation simply involves making more money rather than trying to borrow it. Get creative and find ways to generate a little extra cash.
Here are some ideas:
- Tutoring
- Donating plasma
- Consulting on the side
- Blogging or writing
- Thrifting
- Renting out a bedroom
- Taking surveys
- Driving for Uber or Lyft
When all is said and done, you can bank a lot of extra cash through the above means and maybe even have plenty left over for your renovation.