If you’re planning a home improvement project, you’ll first need to figure out what it’s going to cost. Once you have a price in mind, you can start comparing offers for the best home improvement loan. Below are a few factors to take into consideration when researching loans:
- Interest rate: Home improvement loan interest rates will vary depending on a few factors such as the type of financing, lender and borrower creditworthiness. However, these interest rates can range anywhere from 5% to 36% for personal loans, and 2% to 18% for HELOCs (Home Equity Line of Credit). If you’re interested in calculating the details of a personal loan, check out the free online Personal Loan Calculator.
- Loan term: The loan term is the amount of time you have to pay back the funds you borrowed. It’s important to note that home improvement loans typically have shorter loan terms than mortgages. This essentially means you’ll have larger monthly payments, but lower interest payments over time.
- Loan amount: The loan amount is the amount of money you borrow from your lender. It’s made up of both the principal amount and interest. Choose a lender willing to provide you with the funds you need, but don’t borrow more than necessary as this can lead to unnecessary interest charges and debt.
- Origination fee: Some lenders charge an origination fee to cover the costs of processing loans. Home improvement loans typically have an origination fee of 1% to 5% of the total loan amount. However, many online lenders now offer fee-free loans, so make sure to do your research and shop around!
- Prepayment penalty: Some home improvement loans come with a prepayment penalty. This means you’ll be charged a fee if you pay off your loan early. As with origination fees, many lenders are staying competitive by eliminating prepayment fees.