If you’re looking for the best home improvement loan for your money it can sometimes seem like an uphill climb. You may not know whether the offer that you’ve received is the best that you can get, or if you should try to find a better offer elsewhere… but you shouldn’t let finding the best home improvement loan stress you out so badly.
Getting the most out of your loan is easier than you might think; you just need to keep a few things in mind to help you to get the best home improvement loan.
Equity
When searching for the best home improvement loan, equity is a major factor. If you’re not exactly sure what equity is, it’s the portion of your home or real estate that you actually own… the percentage of the mortgage that’s been paid off. If you’ve paid back 10% of your mortgage, then you’ll have 10% equity; if you don’t have a mortgage or you’ve already repaid it then you’ll have 100% equity in your home.
The equity that you have is important in finding the best home improvement loan, since it’s the value of your home that’s acting as collateral for the loan.
The more equity you have, the better chance you have of getting low interest rates and a high loan amount.
Rates fluctuate
Obviously, interest rates play a key part in finding the best home improvement loan. Interest rates will fluctuate on a national level as a way to fight inflation, but they will also vary from bank to bank and finance company to finance company.
This is one of the main reasons that shopping around for a loan can be so important; getting multiple loan quotes for your home improvement or repair project can mean the difference between getting the best home improvement loan with a low interest rate and paying more because you took the first offer you received.
Look for special offers
Sometimes the easiest way to get the best home improvement loan is to simply watch for loan specials that some lenders offer.
It could be an anniversary or customer appreciation day, or perhaps a tactic to draw in new first-time customers; whatever the reason for the special rates, you should at least consider them.
Many specials such as this last for only a short period, such as six months, before reverting to a higher rate… but if you can make payments at a lower rate for that period of time that reduce the total amount you pay at the higher rate, it might be a good idea to give it some serious consideration.
You may not believe it but most burglars do not plan their break ins. They are crimes of opportunity. They pick what appears to be a simple target. If they see a greater risk than they anticipated, they move onto a safer target. Therefore the more effort you take to keep your home from seeming to be a simple target, the safer you will be.
A multilayered structure is the best way to approach arranging your home security, and the first layer is the landscaping and other features of your yard.
Landscaping and Yard Security
A few simple changes to your landscaping can help to protect your home from would be burglars. They are looking for a home they can get into and out of quickly; the more time they spend in your home the more chance of getting caught. Their best target is a home surrounded by tall hedges and shrubs, which restricts visibility from the street and your neighbours’ houses.
Trim your shrubbery and trees so that your doors and windows can be seen by neighbors, and from the street, by forgoing a little privacy you will not be providing a hiding place for a burglar. If you have more than one floor, prune trees away from upper floor windows to prevent an intruder using them as a ladder, also make sure any trellises won’t provide a convenient ladder to gain entry to the upper floors.
All planting close to the sidewalk, driveways, doors or gates, should be kept low say no more than two feet in height. As you move further away from the sidewalk you can increase the height but keep it down to no more than four feet.
Any plant under the window should be kept below the windowsill.
Trees should have their lower branches trimmed to at least seven feet off the ground.
Be sure to keep your lawn trimmed; an uncut lawn will indicate to a potential burglar that you have been away from your home for some time.
By placing gravel on the ground under windows you will be warned if someone walks on it, this can be a useful psychological deterrent. Remember not to have any large rocks or stones near glass windows or doors. There’s no point in providing a burglar with his tools!
Plant spiny (thorny) plants along fences and under windows, and on border fences, roses are ideal. Protecting your home with spiny plants is as good as using barbed wire, and it looks a lot better too.
Street Numbers.
Make sure your house number can be seen easily from the street. This can save time for the police and emergency services if they need to find your home.
It is best to use numbers made of reflective materials, or alternatively black on white, they should be at least six inches high to facilitate visibility from the street. Keep the number clean and trim any plants, so it can be seen. The number should be illuminated and near the front door or the garage entrance.
Limiting Access to Yards and Store Rooms:
The main thing burglars are looking for is an obstruction free and speedy exit. Fences will stop burglars from carrying away your larger processions, if the gates are locked. Gates should be locked at all times!
Make sure that any ladders and tools are stored in a garage or a storage shed, and these should be locked when not in use. To increase security chain your ladder to the wall of the garage when it is not being used.
The idea is to use the landscaping to control access to your property. Proper fencing hedges etc. create barriers that will make a potential burglar feel uncomfortable as they approach your home, but will not prevent a neighbour or passer by from seeing any unusual activity.
