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. There is saving up, borrowing, spreading it on a card or taking finance offered by the installer, and each suits a different size of job. The real prices below give you a sense of what these projects come to, which is the first thing to know before you decide how to fund one.
The quick version
- Saving and paying cash avoids interest, but a credit card deposit can add useful protection on bigger jobs.
- Section 75 can make your card provider jointly liable if a firm fails to deliver on a qualifying spend.
- Installer finance is convenient but can carry interest, so compare its total cost against a plain loan or savings.
- Match the funding to the job. A small repair rarely justifies borrowing, while a large project may.
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 and your own position. For a small job, drawing on savings is usually the cleanest route because there is no interest and no paperwork. For a larger project, the picture is 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, which is genuinely valuable if a firm takes your money and folds before finishing. Personal loans spread the cost with a fixed rate and term, which can suit a big one-off spend. Installer finance is offered on the doorstep and feels easy, but the headline monthly figure can hide interest that makes the whole thing dearer than a straight loan. There is no single best answer, 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, use savings if you can and skip interest entirely.
- On larger jobs, pay the deposit by credit card so the spend carries Section 75 protection.
- Compare installer finance against a plain personal loan on total cost paid, not the monthly figure.
- Get the price of the work settled first, then choose how to fund it. Do not let a finance deal set the price.
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.
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.
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 below before deciding.