DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
How to pay for home improvements in the UK without overpaying
How you pay for a home improvement can quietly cost or save you a fair bit on top of the work itself. Your main options are savings, a personal loan, a credit card, or finance offered by the installer, and each one suits a different size and shape of job. The real prices on this page give you a sense of what these projects actually come to, which is the first thing you need before you can work out how to fund one sensibly.
The quick version
- Saving up and paying cash avoids interest completely, but putting at least the deposit on a credit card can add valuable protection on bigger jobs.
- Section 75 can make your card provider jointly liable with the trader if a firm takes your money and fails to finish the job, on a qualifying spend.
- Installer finance is offered on the spot and feels easy to say yes to, but it can carry interest that a plain personal loan or savings would not, so compare the total cost, not the monthly figure.
- Match the funding method to the size of the job. Borrowing to cover a small repair rarely makes sense, while it can be reasonable on a large project.
- Get a firm price for the work agreed first, separately from any finance discussion. Do not let a finance offer set or shift the price of the job.
- Check who you are actually borrowing from. Finance arranged through an installer is often provided by a separate lender, and it is that lender's terms, not the installer's promises, that govern what happens if things go wrong.
What people actually paid
Real prices, in people's own words
- £70,000“So far we have spent nearly £70k on: Roof replacement £25k. Asbestos removal £4k...”
- £170,000“Extension, bit of landscaping, loft and full refurb just cost us about £170ish.”
- £200,000“Friend did similar last year for just over 200k and A LOT of time spent”
- £450,000“It's cost us the best part of £450k.”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
The right way to pay changes with the size of the job, how much cash you have to hand, and how much risk you are prepared to carry if the trader lets you down. For a small job, drawing on savings is usually the cleanest route because there is no interest and no paperwork, and you are not tied to a lender for months or years afterwards. For a larger project, the picture gets more nuanced. Paying at least the deposit by credit card can give you Section 75 protection, where the card provider is jointly liable with the trader if something goes wrong on a qualifying transaction. That is genuinely valuable if a firm takes your money and folds before finishing, because you have someone else to turn to besides a trader who has disappeared. Personal loans spread the cost with a fixed rate and a fixed term, which can suit a big one-off spend where you would rather know the exact monthly figure than dip into savings all at once. Installer finance is offered on the doorstep and feels easy because someone else does the paperwork for you, but the headline monthly figure can hide interest that makes the whole arrangement dearer than a straight loan once you add it all up. Who actually owns and underwrites that finance matters too. It is frequently a separate lender working with the installer rather than the installer itself, which shapes what protection you have if the job goes wrong versus if the finance itself goes wrong. There is no single best answer here, which is why it pays to look at the total cost of each option against the actual price of the work, rather than the monthly number a salesperson leads with.
How to pay less
- For small jobs, pay from savings where you can. There is no interest, no credit check, and no paperwork to slow the job down.
- On larger jobs, put at least the deposit on a credit card so the spend carries Section 75 protection, even if you pay the rest another way.
- Before signing installer finance, ask for the total amount repayable over the full term and compare that figure against a plain personal loan, not just the monthly cost.
- Get the price of the work agreed and written down before finance enters the conversation, so a lender's monthly figure cannot quietly inflate what you end up paying for the job itself.
- If a trader offers a discount for paying by bank transfer instead of card, weigh that saving against giving up Section 75 protection. It is not free money either way.
- Read the small print on any 'buy now, pay later' or deferred-interest installer deal. Missing the deadline to clear the balance can trigger interest backdated to the start of the agreement.
Common questions
What is Section 75 and when does it help?
Section 75 makes your credit card provider jointly liable with the trader if a qualifying purchase goes wrong, such as a firm going under before finishing the job. It applies within set transaction limits, so paying at least a deposit by card on a larger job is a simple way to gain that protection even if you settle the balance another way.
Is installer finance a good deal?
It can be convenient, but the easy monthly payment can hide interest that makes the total dearer than a personal loan or paying from savings. Always compare the full amount you would repay against other options rather than judging it on the monthly figure alone, and check who the actual lender behind the deal is.
Should I save up or borrow for a home improvement?
For smaller jobs, saving avoids interest and is usually the better move. For a large one-off project, borrowing with a fixed loan or using a card for the deposit can make sense. Weigh the total cost of borrowing against the real prices on this page before deciding, so you know what you are actually comparing the finance offer to.
Should I pay a deposit before work starts?
A reasonable deposit is normal on larger jobs, but it should be proportionate to materials and the trader's commitment, not the full price up front. Paying that deposit by credit card rather than bank transfer keeps Section 75 protection in place in case the job is never finished.
Does the price change if I pay by card instead of bank transfer?
Some traders charge more for card payments or offer a small discount for bank transfer, since card processing costs them a fee. That saving can be worth having on a small job, but on a larger one it is usually worth keeping the card protection instead of chasing a slightly lower headline price.
What should I do if a finance agreement is pushed on me during the sales visit?
Agree the price of the work first and get it in writing before any finance is discussed, so the two decisions stay separate. Take the finance paperwork away and read the total repayable figure before signing anything on the spot, since a good price on the job can be undone by a poor finance deal attached to it.