Four routes, no referral fees
How Nashville homeowners actually pay for this
We do not lend and we take no commission from any lender. What follows is how our clients have financed their builds, what each route costs and what each lender will ask you for.
- Sample terms only
- Not a lender
- No referral fee
Four ways to fund the build
Rates, terms and payments shown on this page are sample figures for illustration. They are not an offer of credit and they will not match what a lender quotes you.
Unsecured home improvement loan
Best for: Most refacing and mid-size builds
No lien on the house and no appraisal, so funding can land within a week. Rates are higher than secured options because the lender has no collateral.
- Term
- 5 to 12 years
- Rate band
- 8.99% to 15.99% APR (sample)
- Amount
- $15,000 to $100,000
- No home equity required
- Funds in about 5 business days
- Fixed monthly payment
- No closing costs with most lenders
Rate is driven by credit score. A 60 point difference can move the payment meaningfully.
Home equity line of credit
Best for: Phased projects and larger scopes
Draw only what you use as the project progresses. Well suited to a build where allowances may adjust, or to work split across two seasons.
- Term
- 10 year draw, 20 year repay
- Rate band
- Prime plus 0.5% to 2.5%, variable (sample)
- Amount
- Up to 85% of equity
- Interest only on what you draw
- Reusable during the draw period
- Usually the lowest rate available
- Interest may be deductible, ask your tax advisor
Variable rate and an appraisal requirement. Closing typically takes three to six weeks.
Cash-out refinance
Best for: Homeowners with a high current rate
Replaces the existing mortgage with a larger one and returns the difference in cash. Only sensible when the new rate is at or below your current rate.
- Term
- 15 or 30 years
- Rate band
- Market mortgage rates (sample)
- Amount
- Up to 80% of value
- Single monthly payment
- Long amortization keeps the payment low
- Fixed rate available
Closing costs are real and the clock on your mortgage resets. Run the math before assuming it is cheapest.
Contractor milestone schedule
Best for: Anyone paying from savings
Our standard payment schedule spreads the cost across four milestones tied to real progress, so you are never far ahead of the work.
- Term
- Duration of the project
- Rate band
- No finance charge
- Amount
- Full project value
- No interest and no application
- Payments follow visible progress
- Final payment after the punch list walk
Requires liquidity at each milestone. We publish the schedule with the fixed scope document.
Illustration only
What a monthly payment looks like
Four sample loans at representative terms, so you can see how amount and term change the payment. These are not quotes and no lender has offered them.
| Amount | Term | Sample APR | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 7 years | 10.49% | $421 |
| $50,000 | 10 years | 10.99% | $689 |
| $85,000 | 12 years | 11.49% | $1,086 |
| $120,000 | 15 years | 11.99% | $1,440 |
Sample figures for illustration only. Actual rates depend on credit profile, loan type and lender. Copper & Co. is not a lender, a broker or a financial adviser.
Four things to do before you apply
- 01
Get the scope first
Lenders want a signed scope with a total. Applying before design means guessing at the amount and often re-applying.
- 02
Gather documents
Two years of tax returns, recent pay stubs, mortgage statement and a homeowners insurance declaration page cover most applications.
- 03
Compare the payment, not the rate
A lower rate over a longer term can cost more overall. Ask each lender for the total finance charge in dollars.
- 04
Keep a contingency
We recommend financing or reserving 10 percent above the contract amount for unforeseen conditions in older homes.
Straight answers
Money questions we get often
If you want an introduction to a lender we have worked with, ask. We will hand over two or three names and then stay out of the conversation.
All questionsWe do not lend directly. We work with local credit unions and national home improvement lenders and can introduce you to two or three, then step out of the conversation. We receive no referral fee.
Kitchen work generally recovers a meaningful share of its cost at resale, but the figure varies by neighborhood, scope and market timing. Treat any percentage you read online, including ours, as illustrative rather than a forecast.
Yes, and many clients do. A common structure is paying the deposit and design from savings and financing the construction milestones.
Not for an unsecured home improvement loan. Equity matters for a HELOC or a cash-out refinance, where lenders typically look for at least 15 to 20 percent remaining after the draw.
Get the scope first, then the loan
Two hours in your kitchen with a laser and a camera, then a budget band the same week. No pressure and no design fee to find out.
4.9 from 218 homeowners · 412 kitchens since 2009 · Five year warranty