Infographic: How Home Improvement Financing Works

Back to Blog

how home improvement financing works infographic at Evergreen

(View as a downloadable PDF version)

Nobody loves to talk about money. But when it comes to making your home a more efficient and comfortable place to live, you want to know how much it is going to cost you, and what your options are! Let’s walk through financing this example of how a home improvement project that cost $10,000 could actually end up as a monthly payments well below $100, using the available Efficiency Maine rebates and financing options.  

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Project

In this example project, Evergreen Home Performance performed an energy audit and found this Mid Coast Maine home was in need of:

  • Attic Air Sealing & Insulation

  • Basement Insulation

  • Entry Door Replacement

The total initial cost of the project: $10,000

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Savings & Rebates

You stand to save between $50 and $$3,500 on qualifying energy upgrades through Efficiency Maine Rebates. (You must be a Maine resident to qualify, and depending on the loan type you may need to meet minimum credit score and debt-to-income ratio requirements.)

$10,000 Project Cost – $2,500 in Efficiency Maine Rebates (basement & attic zones) = $7,500

_____________________________________________________________________________________

For the remaining balance of your project, the Efficiency Maine Home Energy Loans and the National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF) offer both low and no interest financing options. $5,000 of the project is in home efficiency projects that Efficiency Maine Home Energy Loans can be used for. NEIF EnergyPlus Loans can be used for the entry door replacement portion of the project, at $2,500.

Efficiency Maine Home Energy Loans: borrow up to $15,000 over 10 years with no fees, and interest rates as low as 4.99% APR. 

NEIF: borrow up to $35,000 when using a NEIF approved contractor, at a fixed interest rate ranging from 7.99% to 12.99% APR, based on your credit. 

Estimated monthly payment of remaining balance of $5,000 to be financed through Efficiency Maine over 10 years: $53

Estimated monthly payment of remaining balance of $2,500 to be financed through Efficiency Maine over 10 years: $33

After rebates and employing both financing products this $10,000 project will give you a more comfortable & beautiful home for just $86 a month!

*actual monthly payment will vary based on program(s) used, and approved APR.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Efficiency Maine & National Energy Improvement Fund (NEIF)

Nationally recognized lenders that we trust & so can you. No gimmicks, no closing costs and we do most of the paperwork for you! 

Evergreen Your Home For Low Monthly Payments

Want to know what your monthly payment would look like for your home improvement project? Get in touch with the Evergreen team today! Learn about all your options by giving us a call at 207-594-2244 or get in touch here.

Want to know how to finance your next home improvement project?

Talk to Evergreen today! 207-594-2244

We initially contacted Evergreen through Efficiency Maine for an energy audit, which was conducted promptly and professionally by Justin McEdward, one of their Energy Advisors who is BPI-certified. After a thorough inspection of our newly purchased home, Justin explained in great detail what we needed and did not need. It was agreed that Evergreen would remove all of the existing attic insulation, which was not adequate, and replace it with blown in cellulose, to a rating of R-60.

Thomas W.

Scarborough

I never leave reviews, but had a great experience with Evergreen and wanted to spread the word! In short, we worked with them to insulate our roof this winter and have noticed surprising immediate results. The constant ice dams I have wrestled with are completely gone, and the home is noticeably more comfortable. It's a little too early to tell if our oil bill is going to reduce, but I imagine we will see an impact there as well.

Joel W.

Portland

Evergreen is the "go-to" company for improving the efficiency of your home. There are others to choose from but none so effective, honest, and capable as Evergreen. They did a great quantity of dense packing cellulose to improve our home (both for energy efficiency and for sound insulation) and it was totally successful. They are on-time, helpful, and caring. They clean up to a level that can't be over emphasized. This was the second time we employed them and we'd use them again if the opportunity came. You'll not be sorry to select Evergreen.

Dirk F.

Belfast

Evergreen was so helpful in securing us Efficiency Maine funding for a big attic insulation project early this winter. They did all of the paperwork, and totally guided us through a vermiculite removal process that included a payment from a trust for the procedure. I could instantly feel the second floor being so much warmer than before. The boiler does not kick on nearly as frequently since they completed the job. It was worth every penny! Brian Robinson was so thorough throughout the whole process including a full walk through after the job had been completed.

Todd W.

Camden

Evergreen removed and replaced the insulation in my attic. They did a great job!, Crew was excellent, and the whole thing went smoothly, and the attic was NOT easy to get into or work in, so kudos to some hard work done well!

Joel A.

Portland

We had Evergreen energy do blow-in cellulose. I was very happy with the result. They tested with blower-door before and after. House is now MUCH warmer. Also, in the time since when I've had to open walls for various access, I've been impressed with how they got the insulation packed in everywhere. I'd use them again.

Noah

Peaks Island

Great company. Very professional and thorough. They take the time to explain everything and offer options to fit your budget. Wonderful experience from start to finish.

Bonnie Eustace

Evergreen Home Performance shows its expertise from start to finish. Evergreen did three house projects in winter/spring/summer 2020 for me, attic insulation, crawl space under a porch insulation, and basement foam/vapor barrier. From my initial discussion with Bryan, I understood the reasons for choosing different types of insulation, the associated costs, and time estimates. Evergreen scheduled in advance, came when they said they would, and the crews were highly professional in their work and demeanor.

Iris S.

Portland

The crew members from Evergreen Home Performance each made sure to greet us every day, while maintaining their distance in this time of the pandemic. Their work took a total of nine days, spread over three weeks. Even though they were working in multiple rooms of our house, as well as the basement and attic, they were unobtrusive and always cleaned up after themselves every day. The on-sight manager kept us informed of their daily schedule so we'd know which parts of the house they'd be working on.

Bob & Sue

Whitefield

Thorough, smart, informative, integrated, and communicative -- that's how my experience was with Evergreen even with the covid interruption midstream. The team picked up where they left off, insulated basement and air sealed attic and knee wall in 100' temps under the eaves! This business group was a pleasure to work with.

Karen W.

Gray

I had gotten estimates from several other companies, but Evergreen was in another league entirely with their professionalism. If you want the job done correctly, I couldn't recommend this company enough.

Rayna Mayo

Freeport

Update 12/2018: Evergreen has completed Phase II of my house (insulating and installing air/moisture barrier on exterior walls, replacing old windows) and now that heating season is upon us, the difference is astonishing. The house is tight as a drum and so easy to keep warm. Worth every penny. Thank you all! Working with Evergreen was a positive experience from start (no charge energy audit) to finish (a MUCH more comfortable home). Brian Robinson spent a lot of time with me on the audit, explaining clearly what he was finding in my ca.

Rebekah W.

Rockport

We are so pleased with the work the team from Evergreen Home Performance did in our home. The project included encapsulation of our basement with a reinforced vapor barrier, installation of a sump pump, spray foam insulation on the walls and insulation of the heating duct work. Everyone at Evergreen was friendly and professional. The project was completed on time and in budget. Our home is much cozier and warmer since the project was completed.

Linda Metzger

Several years ago Brian Robinson evaluated the crawl space at my summer home on Islesboro where I knew moisture was becoming a problem. I had done quite a bit of work in the space many years prior with mixed results. When Brian offered some suggestions, they were ideas that incorporated work previously done, and would be a relatively low cost effort to improve the situation. He offered this advice over several phone conversations of some length, informally, and at no charge.

Cliff R.

Islesboro

Very easy process, start to finish.  Friendly, professional, and really know their stuff.  They made some improvements to our condo and we were very happy with how it played out.  Would definitely recommend them.

Clayton Eames

Portland Buy Local
Efficiency Maine
EPA Lead-Safe Certified
Building Performance Association
BPI Certified