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Guide to Using a Personal Loan for Landscaping

Using a Personal Loan for Landscaping
Susan Guillory
Susan GuilloryUpdated August 13, 2022
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Good landscape design can add beauty to your yard and increase your property value. The costs can add up, however. The national average of landscaping a yard is $3,415.The good news: Even if you don’t have cash in the bank to cover a landscape design, you can take out a personal loan to pay for it. Here’s what you need to know.

How Does Landscaping Improve Your Home? 

There are plenty of good reasons to update the landscaping around your home. It can add to your enjoyment of your property, for one thing. It can also improve the curb appeal of your house, and add 5% to 12% more value to your home, which means that when it comes time to sell, you may be able to command a higher price.If you’re thinking about other projects around your property in addition to landscaping, these home renovation tips may help.  

What Is the Average Cost of Landscaping? 

Landscaping costs can range from $1,362 to $5,640, with an average nationwide of $3,415. The price you’ll pay depends on such factors as:
  • Cost of labor
  • Scope of the project
  • Size of your yard
  • Types of plants and trees you select
  • Other landscaping materials used like rocks and irrigation
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What Are Your Options for Financing a Landscaping Project? 

There are many options for financing your landscaping project, including loans. Here are some to consider. 

Credit Card 

Using your credit card can be an easy way to pay for your landscaping project, especially if you’re doing the work yourself and buying supplies and plants at a local home improvement store. You may even be able to open a store card that lets you accumulate points for your purchases — and then use the cash back to cover future additions to your yard. Just be sure to check the terms and interest rate before opening a credit card.

Home Equity Loans

An alternative to a home improvement loan is a home equity loan. This is money you borrow against the equity you’ve built in your home, and it may offer more affordable interest rates. A home equity loan may also be fairly quick to obtain, since you already have a history with your mortgage lender.The downside to a low-interest loan is that you run the risk of losing your home if you default on the loan. However, given the average cost of landscaping, your home equity loan may not be large enough for this to be a major concern. Just be sure to pay your loan on time each month.HELOCUnlike a loan, a HELOC or home equity line of credit gives you access to a certain amount of money. You can borrow from that line of credit, pay it back, and borrow again. But a HELOC does have some disadvantages. Here are the pros and cons.
ProsCons
Borrow what you need when you need itIf you can’t pay what you owe, you risk losing your house

Savings 

Instead of taking out a loan for landscaping, you can pay for it with your savings instead. Just make sure to leave enough money in your bank account to cover any emergencies that might come up. 

Personal Loan 

Another option to consider is a personal loan for landscaping. A personal loan can be used for any number of home improvements to your property. Credit requirements for personal loans may be easier to meet than those for home equity loans or HELOCs, but interest rates are usually higher. There are personal loan risks and rewards to consider, such as:
ProsCons
Allows you start on your landscaping project soon, rather than saving up for it.May charge high interest if you don’t have great credit
Easy application and fast fundingMay also charge additional fees

Things to Consider Before Getting a Personal Loan for Landscaping 

If you’re interested in taking out a personal loan, it’s important to know the personal loan basics. In addition, here are some other things to think about before moving forward. 

Scope of the Project

Start by determining your goals for the landscaping project. Are you looking to add a few plants and shrubs to your backyard, or do you want to redesign it? Would you like to create an outdoor living space for your family or make your home more attractive to potential buyers? Also, consider whether you may have additional landscaping projects down the road. You might want to do them all at once, or break them into phases to spread out your financing over time.Recommended: How Much Does a Pool Resurfacing Cost?

Budget 

Landscaping can get expensive if you aren’t careful. It’s easy to say yes to expensive plants and an irrigation system if you know you can borrow the money with a home improvement loan. Just remember: You have to pay the loan back, so you only want to borrow as much as you can afford to pay monthly.

Credit Score 

There are certain personal loan requirements to meet, and one of the biggest is your credit score. The higher your credit score, the lower the interest rate you may qualify for. If you have bad credit, you might have to pay a lot more in interest, so consider whether it’s the right time for you to take out a loan.

Financing Term 

Loans have different terms. There are those you pay back in a year, or you may opt for one that has a financing term of five years. The shorter the financing term, the larger your monthly payments may be. The longer the term, the lower the monthly payments, but you may pay more in interest over time.

Personal Loan Options

Taking out a personal loan for your landscaping project can give you the funds you need to make your yard a showplace. Just be sure to explore the different loan options available to determine which is the best fit for your financial situation.If you think a personal loan is a good option for your project, Lantern by SoFi makes it easy to shop for loan rates. By using our online comparison tool, you can find the right fit for your landscaping needs. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use a personal loan for landscaping?
What should you know before applying for a personal loan for landscaping?
What type of landscaping projects do personal loans cover?
Photo credit: iStock/OlenaMykhaylova
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About the Author

Susan Guillory

Susan Guillory

Su Guillory is a freelance business writer and expat coach. She’s written several business books and has been published on sites including Forbes, AllBusiness, and SoFi. She writes about business and personal credit, financial strategies, loans, and credit cards.
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