Very few people can afford to purchase an in-ground swimming pool outright. When planning to build a swimming pool, you’ll want to consider your pool financing options carefully. While the exact details vary depending on your unique financial situation, there are three alternatives.
HOME EQUITY FINANCING
If you own your home, you may be able to use the equity that you’ve built up to secure a home equity loan, a home equity line of credit or a second mortgage. This type of financing comes at a lower interest rate, but it’s not an option for every homeowner. If you haven’t owned your property for very long, you may not have sufficient equity to qualify. With swimming pool loans, your credit score matters. Better credit means that you’ll qualify for better terms. Before pursuing a loan, check your credit report to make sure that it’s accurate. If you’d like to give your credit score a bit of a lift, consider paying down your credit card balances to reduce your credit utilization.
UNSECURED PERSONAL LOANS
An unsecured loan is one that does not require any collateral. If you have good credit, this can be an affordable option, but if your credit rating is poor, then you may find it difficult to secure a loan with a reasonable interest rate.
CREDIT CARDS
Credit cards may seem like an easy way to pay, but they are rarely a good option for financing a major purchase like a pool. When compared to the other options, credit cards have high-interest rates. Unless you can pay off the pool quickly, using a credit card to purchase a pool is likely to increase the total amount that you’ll pay substantially. Make sure to ask before using this option. Not all pool builders accept full payment for a swimming pool on credit card because of fees.
