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Actively maintaining your home can keep small repairs from turning into major (expensive) ones and can help enhance the value of your property. Whether you plan to sell in the near or far-off future, here are some simple (and relatively low-cost) ways to protect the value of your home over time.

Update, Update, Update

If a home that’s for sale has an updated anything, the real estate listing will scream it out in ALL CAPS. This can apply to appliances, cabinetry, countertops, flooring, bathroom remodels, kitchen remodels, and more.

If your kitchen is due for an update, try to keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean stripping it to the studs and starting from scratch. A small kitchen update may do the trick. Are the cabinets in good shape? Consider a fresh coat of paint or stain to reflect the latest color trends.

In addition, something as simple as upgrading to matching appliances or installing a garbage disposal or water filtration system could help maintain value — even if they’re not top-of-the-line.

Also keep in mind that “update” means bringing the home’s aesthetics into line with current styles — replacing brass fixtures for brushed bronze, for example, or swapping out carpet for wood. For instance, a recent Zillow survey found that painting a kitchen graphite gray can boost the selling price of a property by more than $2,500.

Other, more expensive updates might adjust the actual layout of the home. If your current house only has one bathroom, is it possible to find a space for another half bath? Are there unused rooms or wasted space that could be updated to become more functional?

Recommended: 10 Small-Bathroom Remodel Ideas

Keeping Your Roof in Good Repair

Replacing a roof is costly, so it’s a good idea to do what you can to extend the life of your current roof as long as possible. A roof that shows signs of wear and tear can also be a big red flag to potential home buyers.

To maintain the value of your roof (and avoid other costly problems like leaks), you’ll want to replace any missing shingles or damaged areas as soon as possible. It’s also a good idea to have your roof cleaned regularly to remove any algae, moss, and mold that can damage the roof over time. Finally, be sure to get your gutters cleaned regularly so water can drain rather than collect on your roof.

Recommended: The Ultimate House Maintenance Checklist

Keeping Your Exterior Paint in Good Shape

Maintaining your home’s exterior paint not only helps your house look attractive and well cared for but also protects it from moisture. When paint starts peeling, water can find a way in, which can cause your siding to rot over time. Replacing sections of your siding can end up being a much costlier project than periodically freshening up your paint.

It’s a good idea to give your exterior paint job a look-over once a year to see if you any areas may need attention. This can help your paint job last longer and save money in the long run.

Pruning Your Trees and Shrubs

Maintaining your yard is a lot of work if you do it yourself and costly if you hire a landscaper. But neglect can cause dead branches or an entire tree to fall in a heavy rain or wind storm, and can cause significant damage to your home. Overgrown shrubs can also bring unwanted bugs close to, and eventually inside, your home (more on that below).

It can be worth hiring a tree expert to evaluate and, if necessary, prune your trees once a year. You can regularly trim back hedges and bushes yourself or hire a landscaper to do the job.

Upgrading Energy Efficiency

Making your home more energy efficient is one of those goals that’s great not only if you’re selling, but also if you want to reduce spending on utility bills. And it doesn’t just mean big investments like switching to solar or wind-powered energy. Making your home more energy efficient can also be as simple as replacing bad weather seals, ensuring that the attic has sufficient insulation, paying attention to the air and heating systems, and using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances.

Upgrading the energy efficiency of your home is something that might even be rolled in with another project, such as maintenance or updating.

Installing Smart Tech

Even if your home is more than 100 years old, adding smart tech can make your property future-ready. Smart home devices (like Nest systems) and apps can also allow you to remotely control your heating and air temperatures, make sure the oven is actually turned off, and even give you a sense of security with security systems or video door bells.

While some types of home tech are hard-wired into the house and others are more portable, even being able to say “wired for surround sound” can be a bonus on a home listing.

Smart home tech is not only quickly becoming a must-have for many homebuyers, adding it to your home can be a perk even if you have no immediate plans to move.

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Keeping the Bugs at Bay

One important job that comes with homeownership is keeping unwanted critters outside where they belong. Public enemy No. 1 in this category? Termites. They can wreak havoc on a home’s wood structures leading to costly repairs.

The problem is so widespread that some home loan companies require buyers to get a “termite letter,” which is basically a guarantee that the home is free from termite damage.

DIY recommendations for keeping the pests at bay can also check off items on the home maintenance list, including keeping gutters and downspouts flowing, filling in any places where water pools around the home or in the yard, filling in cracks in the foundation, pruning shrubbery close to the home, and keeping air vents free and clear.

Beyond termites, there are a variety of other living creatures that can cause damage to a home or surrounding property, including attic squatters like mice or raccoons, carpenter bees, moles, mosquitoes, and even grasshoppers that brunch on beautiful landscaping. Eliminating these pests can be an important step in maintaining the value of your home.

Recommended: What Are the Most Common Home Repair Costs?

Making Improvements Affordable

While some home maintenance projects are relatively low-cost, others require a more significant investment. Before sinking a lot of money into a home maintenance or improvement project, it can be a good idea to use an online home project value estimator that can help determine whether it’s a smart investment.

If you decide to move forward on the project, you’ll want to get estimates from at least three different contractors. Once you know the cost of the project, your next question may be, how are you going to pay for it?

For a small to midsize home maintenance project, you might consider using a home improvement loan. Unlike a home equity loan, these are unsecured personal loans — meaning your home isn’t used as collateral to secure the loan. Lenders decide how much to lend to you and at what rate based on your financial credentials, such as your credit score, income, and how much other debt you have.

With a home improvement personal loan, you receive a lump sum of cash up front you can then use to cover the costs of your home project. You repay the loan (plus interest) in regular installments over the term of the loan, which is often up to seven years.

The Takeaway

Maintaining your property is an important part of being a homeowner. It can help your home function better, be more comfortable for you and your family, and also maintain or increase the value of your investment. A personal loan can be a valuable way to finance home maintenance projects.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. See your rate in minutes.

FAQ

What lowers property value the most?

Among the main issues that lower property value are deferred maintenance, poorly done home improvements, and outdated kitchens and baths.

How can I maintain my house’s value?

To maintain your house’s value, clean and declutter; update kitchen and baths; paint as needed; and work on curb appeal and energy efficiency.

What adds the biggest value to a house?

While the feature that adds the biggest value to a house will vary with each property, typically, a new kitchen and/or bathrooms and an attic or basement remodel will add the most to a home’s potential price tag.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL-Q225-082

Today’s burgeoning bathroom trends range from bold wallpaper and maximalist touches to sleek Art Deco lines and natural materials. Whether you’re gut-renovating a primary bathroom or freshening up a powder room, you’re bound to find plenty of inspiration at all price points and levels of difficulty.

Keep reading to find bathroom remodel ideas for 2025, plus tips on how to budget for the home spa of your dreams.

8 Bathroom Ideas for 2025

The dominant bathroom remodel trends for 2025 skew modern in nature with clean lines, organic materials, and a lot of warm, natural wood. At the same time, some homeowners are taking cues from their grandmothers, incorporating throwbacks to the 1960s with pink tile and patterned wallpaper. Whichever route you take, there’s little denying these bathroom ideas 2025 have a little something for everybody.

1. Opt for Statement Wallpaper

Price: Low
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Varies

Wallpaper with a major pattern is a quick way to give a bathroom loads of style. This isn’t a moment for small-scale patterns or neutral colors. Rather, designers and homeowners are embracing rich colors and bold imagery. For example, you might choose an exuberant Victorian floral against a black background or a mural-like forest motif.

Wallpaper prices can range from $10 to over $1,000 a roll, with an average of around $100. If you are DIYing it, you might want to choose from among the many forgiving peel-and-stick options on the market today.

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2. Get Wet

Price: High
Difficulty: Professional
Style: Contemporary

One big trend in bathrooms for 2025 is to have a bathroom that’s a wet room. This means the tub and shower are in their own zone, typically behind a glass partition. There’s a drain in the floor by the shower since it’s not enclosed by a door or curtain. In this open and flexible set-up, there’s more room for tile, giving you the freedom to make more of an impact with color and pattern, if you like, rather than plain white subway tile.

3. Design for the Senses

Price: Moderate
Difficulty: Varies
Style: Contemporary

Who doesn’t want their bathroom to be an immersive space that soothes their senses? That’s what this 2025 trend is all about. It could involve installing a rainfall shower; handcrafted, tactile ceramic tiles that add texture; and adjustable ambient lighting. Smaller touches can include plants and soundscapes, courtesy of a next-gen audio system.

4. Double Up on Showerheads

Price: Low
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Contemporary

Adding side-by-side showerheads is one of many shower remodel ideas you may choose to add to your bath remodel. Not only does it add symmetry to your shower, but it allows more than one person to shower at a time. That can come in handy if you have children you’re trying to bathe simultaneously, or spouses who get ready for work at the same time.

5. Embrace Art Deco

Price: Moderate
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Style: Retro

Designers are finding the vintage appeal of Art Deco style from the 1920s and 1930s is a hot way to make a bathroom look chic. That can mean anything from adding the era’s signature sunburst mirrors to one wall or updating your faucets with sleek, curvy chrome ones. Larger projects could include geometric black and white tile floors or marble counter tops. Want a quick hit of retro style? Swap a utilitarian lighting fixture for a chandelier.

6. Add Touches of Black

Price: Varies
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Style: Contemporary

Black is back in bathroom trends 2025. Taking a page out of Scandinavian design (which is fond of mixing black with natural wood), interior designers are using black walls, floors, and stone to make a strong statement. It looks newest and freshest paired with white fixtures and brass touches. This works well for those who love the color but don’t want their entire bathroom to be a single color.

7. Be Bold

Price: Varies
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Varies

On the flip side of the sleek black trend of 2025, you’ll also find maximalist color and design. Adding a splash of color to your bathroom is one way to up the wow factor. Dare to go all pink — from a dusty rose floor tile to a blush-dominant floral wallpaper. Or mix mega-patterned wallpaper with towels in bright, saturated colors. Or cover the walls with framed prints and drop a sink into a reclaimed antique chest so it becomes your vanity. This will add loads of signature style to the space.

8. Go High-Tech

Price: Moderate
Difficulty: Moderate
Style: Contemporary

As home technology continues to advance, so do homeowners’ desires to operate everything via apps and devices. Many homeowners opt for wall-mounted digital interfaces that operate everything from the shower heads to stereo speakers. Adding heated flooring and high-tech bidets are also among the top bathroom ideas 2025.

Recommended: How To Pay for Emergency Home Repairs

How To Budget for Your Bathroom Reno

According to the home improvement site Angi, the average bathroom remodel in 2025 costs $12,119. If you are, say, gutting your space, moving plumbing lines, and buying new, high-end fixes, the amount could be considerably more.

As you might guess, budgeting wisely is a key part of your bathroom update (and any remodeling project, for that matter). When researching materials, start with what you know you need: tile, faucet, paint, etc. For things like tile and paint, plan on purchasing 20% more than your square footage requires. It’s always better to have a little too much in case of installation errors vs. too little. Then consult DIY sites to make sure you include all the necessary incidentals to complete the project. For a DIY tiling project, for example, you’ll need grout, a grout float, thinset, sealant, drop cloths, etc.

The most expensive part of a bathroom reno can be a combination of materials and labor. Angi’s latest data indicated that cabinets and shelving can account for 25% of a budget; the shower and tub 22%; and the contractor 13%. However, full bathroom updates typically require a number of specialists, such as plumbers, electricians, and tile installers. That can mean labor costs wind up being 40% or more of your budget. Even for smaller updates, a general contractor can cost $50-$150 an hour.

Keep Resale Value in Mind

The good news is that bathroom updates do increase your home’s value — but there are limits. Typical updates recoup about 70% of their cost, according to Angi as of 2025.

The upshot: You’ll enjoy a better bang for your buck by keeping updates modest and avoiding anything too trendy or unique (ahem, red bathtub).

Recommended: Your Guide to Unsecured Personal Loans

Consider Your Financing Options

Before you commit to any of these bathroom remodel ideas, you’ll need to figure out how you’re going to finance your home improvement project. A personal loan, credit card, savings, or home equity loan are all ways you might finance your bathroom remodel. No matter how you pay for your bathroom upgrades, it’s wise to weigh your options and compare terms, conditions, and interest rates upfront.

One of the most flexible ways to finance a bathroom remodel is with a home improvement loan, which is a kind of personal loan designed to help finance this kind of project. It offers a lump sum of cash that is then repaid with interest in installments, typically over a term of two to seven years. These loans usually offer more favorable rates than credit cards.

The Takeaway

Taking advantage of bathroom trends for 2025 can give your home a style refresh, make it function better, and improve its resale value. Current directions for bathroom design include everything from retro Art Deco lines to maximalist patterns, and from high-tech fixtures to glossy black accents. Whichever way your tastes lean, make sure you have the budget to do things right. A home improvement loan, which is a kind of personal loan, could be a better choice than relying on credit cards, since it typically offers a lower interest rate.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. See your rate in minutes.

FAQ

What color faucets are in?

When it comes to faucets, currently matte black and chrome are popular. But if you prefer, say, brushed bronze or polished brass, go for it. It’s your home, and you want faucets that will make you happy as you use them daily.

What is the trend in bathrooms 2025?

There are several bathroom designs currently. Some are about installing high-tech fixtures with spa-worthy functions; others are about using bold colors and patterns to enliven the space or adding Art Deco style for drama. There’s not one single look but rather options to suit every sense of style and performance goals.

How much does the typical bathroom remodel cost?

According to the home improvement site Angi, the average bathroom remodel costs around $12,000 in 2025. That said, there’s a huge range of prices possible. If you are just repainting or adding a bit of wallpaper, the price tag would be much lower. If you are doing a major overhaul with top-of-the-line fixtures and materials and a lot of work is needed by plumbers and electricians, your tab will be much higher.

Photo credit: iStock/LeoPatrizi

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Siding helps protect your home from weather and pests and plays a major role in the look of your home. If yours has seen better days, or you’ve never liked the look of your siding, it may be time to consider replacing it. Yes, it can be a big (i.e., expensive) job, currently averaging $11,529, according to the home improvement site Angi. But you will likely get a significant portion of what you spend back when you sell your home, since this home renovation generally has a high return on investment (ROI).

Read on for a look at a few different siding ideas at a variety of price points and their expected ROI.

Eco-Friendly Options

One way to live more sustainably is to choose eco-friendly siding options that reduce the carbon footprint of the project. For example, using recyclable siding materials is one way to be more environmentally friendly, as is selecting material known to be more energy-efficient.

Wood can be a good choice because it’s a renewable and sustainable material that can be sourced locally. Manufacturing processes of wood siding can be more environmentally friendly as well.

Aluminum or steel siding can be a green choice when made from recycled materials. It’s also considered to be an energy-efficient option since metal reflects the sun’s rays, unlike materials that absorb them. In addition, metal siding can be a low-maintenance material.

Fiber cement siding is eco-friendly, crafted from natural materials. Although vinyl siding isn’t formed from the most environmentally friendly materials, there is little waste with this type of siding, and insulated options can be energy-efficient.

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Colors with Curb Appeal

Siding color plays a big part in a home’s curb appeal. Combinations of colors and textures can evoke certain feelings, such as using green siding with wood accents to create a natural feel to a home.

When selecting a color scheme, personal taste enters in, but an overall goal might be a compromise between your favorite hues and materials and blending in with the neighborhood.

Some communities may have homes with more subdued hues while others boast more colorful options.

Colonial homes may look best in a single classic color, while cottage-style or Victorian homes may provide a homeowner with more freedom of expression.

Recommended: Four Ways to Upgrade Your Home

Realistic Textures

In the past, siding materials could look “plastic,” rather than mimicking natural grains and textures. Today, though, siding materials often look more attractive and realistic.

When on a budget, vinyl siding can masterfully imitate wood siding at a lower cost with a greater ease of installation. If on a mid-range budget, an option might be fiber cement siding, which combines sand, cellulose and cement; comes in a variety of colors; and can be imprinted with various patterns.

With a bigger budget, stone and brick veneers are an option, as are stucco and new materials that mimic stucco. These choices can give a home a distinctive appearance.

Costs of Home Siding

The cost of new siding will depend on the size of your house, the type of siding you choose, and where you live. Generally, new siding costs as follows:

•   Vinyl siding: $3-$12 per square foot

•   Stucco: $7-$9 per square foot

•   Wood: $1-$15 per square foot

•   Aluminum: $3-$6 per square foot

•   Brick: $10-$20 per square foot

•   Brick veneer: $3-$10 per square foot

•   Stone: $7-$30 per square foot

•   Stone veneer: $5 to $11 per square foot

•   Fiber cement: $7 to $18 per square foot

As of mid-2025, a full replacement job, on average, can run $11,529, according to Angi. Keep in mind, though, that each project is unique and older homes may have additional issues that will need to be addressed during a home renovation process. Plus, if a home is old enough to be designated as historic, there will likely be guidelines that need to be followed, which can add to the price tag of improvements.

Beside the materials used and the size of the home, other factors that impact cost include the shape of the house, with those having multiple stories or with eaves and turrets typically being more expensive than a home with a more streamlined structure.

Another factor can be the time of year when the siding is installed, with peak seasons usually more expensive than off-season projects.

It can make sense to get a customized quote for a siding project because there are so many factors that can affect the price.

It may be helpful, too, to compare quotes received to what it costs to paint the exterior of a home.

The cost to paint a home’s exterior ranges from $1.50 to $8 per square foot. Although painting is typically less expensive, siding can last for decades, while the exterior of homes often need to be painted every five to 10 years.

Siding ROI

Replacing your old siding can significantly increase the value of your home. Exactly how much it will add to the value will largely depend on the type of material you choose.

Going with fiber cement siding, for example, could add about $17,000 to the value of your home, which translates into about a 88% return on investment.

You may want to use an online ​​home improvement ROI estimator to get a sense of how much your choice of siding will impact the resale value of your home.

Paying for House Siding

If you run the numbers and the cost of your home siding project is more than you can comfortably cover in cash, you may want to consider some type of financing.

One option is to take out a home equity loan or line of credit. These loans are based on the equity you have built up in your home and use your home as collateral for the loan.

Another option is a home improvement loan. This is essentially an unsecured personal loan that is used for home repairs or upgrades. You receive a lump sum up front which you can use to pay for new siding; you then repay the loan (interest plus principal) over a set term, often one to seven years, with regular monthly payments. Interest rates are typically fixed.

Recommended: How to Apply for a Personal Loan

The Takeaway

Siding is your home’s first line of defense against weather and pests and also establishes the look and feel of your property.

Replacing your siding can seem like a big undertaking with typical costs more than $10,000, but fortunately you typically only have to do it once. Plus, you can often make up much of the out-of-pocket cost when you resell your home, thanks to the relatively high ROI on this type of remodel. If you’re interested in replacing your siding but not sure how to cover the costs, a personal loan could help.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. See your rate in minutes.

FAQ

What is the cheapest siding to put on a house?

The most affordable kinds of siding are typically vinyl, wood, brick veneer, and aluminum.

How much does new siding cost?

As of mid-2025, new siding for a house costs an average of $11,529.

Does new siding have a good ROI?

Yes, new siding typically has a good return on investment. Currently, the ROI is 80% of the money spent redoing siding.

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

SOPL-Q225-074

The latest figures put the average honeymoon cost at about $5,000, Brides.com reports, adding that the average honeymoon lasts around seven days.

There are plenty of ways to save on or save for a honeymoon, though.

Here’s what you need to know about the average honeymoon cost and paying for a trip you’ll never forget.

The Honeymoon Tab

The Knot, a wedding-planning platform, cited a pre-pandemic average honeymoon cost of $5,000, based on an internal study of more than 27,000 couples who married in 2019. That is atop the average cost of a wedding, which The Knot put at $33,000.

The average cost of a honeymoon has increased since then, reflecting couples’ desire for more experiential travel, The Knot says, with 59% of American couples traveling outside the continental U.S. for their honeymoon.

Of course, the honeymoon outlay could be much higher if a couple goes on a luxury getaway or takes an extended trip.

Big-Ticket Honeymoon Items

The cost of a honeymoon can depend on location, amenities, and even the season couples decide to travel. Typically the cost will include:

• Plane, train, or automobile travel

• Accommodations

• Any excursions

• Food and beverages

• Taxes, tips, and fees

Essentially, it’s the same as any other big trip. The only extras may come because you want to make this trip the best it can be (and we don’t blame you).

Ways to Cut Honeymoon Expenses

There are still plenty of ways to save money on a honeymoon. As mentioned, location can play a major factor in the cost of the trip, but there is a secret a lot of travel insiders know and don’t share: Shoulder season.

Shoulder season is that awkward time between the high and low seasons of different destinations. It’s not necessarily that a place is less desirable to visit, but merely a less popular time to go.

The shoulder season in the Caribbean is the early fall (in the Northern Hemisphere, September to November), which is the midst of hurricane season, meaning fewer people tend to book during this time. Honeymooners could score great deals on flights and accommodations, and find more restaurant and excursion reservations available.

Hawaii, a perennial honeymoon destination favorite, has shoulder seasons of April through June, after all the school breaks end, and September to December, right before the holiday travel rush.

Check to see when your desired location’s shoulder season may fall, and if you wish, book in this window for the chance to save a little money.

Two other ideas:

Forage for great fares. Another way to cut back on typical honeymoon expenses is to hunt for the best flights possible if you’re traveling by air. This can be done by signing up for newsletter or alert services like Next Vacay, which sends daily emails with cheap flight deals, or similar services like Going and Skyscanner.

Use points or miles. One more way to lessen the financial strain of a honeymoon is to dig into credit card rewards such as points or miles. Check to see if your points can be used on flights, accommodations, or activities, and use them as you please. Don’t forget to check on any of those frequent flyer miles you’ve got hanging around either.

Paying for a Honeymoon

There are a number of ways couples can finance their honeymoon. Here are a few.

Join a honeymoon registry. The first, and perhaps most festive for a wedding, is to ask your friends and family to get involved with a honeymoon registry.

A honeymoon registry is a new twist on the wedding registry tradition. Rather than ask for gifts like china that comes out of the closet once every 10 years, couples can instead ask their guests to gift them money that they may use toward their honeymoon.

Some couples take the honeymoon registry a step further by registering at places like Honeyfund or Zola for specific honeymoon items rather than a blanket ask. This can include a specific hotel stay or merely an upgrade, scuba lessons or ski tickets, or dining at one special restaurant during the trip.

Carve out a honeymoon savings fund. Another way to finance your honeymoon is by starting your own honeymoon budget. Once you’ve decided as a couple where you’d like to travel on your first trip as the newly betrothed, you can estimate how much the trip will cost.

From there, you can start a fund where you put in a little each day, week, or a month from income or through any cutbacks you’re willing to make to your personal budgets to turn this dream trip into a reality.

Decide to camp out in Uncle Jeremy’s backyard. And grill hot dogs for days. It will be unforgettable. Just sayin’.

Take out a personal loan. A personal wedding or honeymoon loan can be used for just about anything you want. Yes, that means it can be used to cover any and all costs of a honeymoon.

The Takeaway

The average honeymoon costs around $5,000. But clearly, that number can vary greatly depending on when and where honeymooners travel, for how long, and the level of luxury. With more couples lusting for experiential travel, the average tab has grown.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. See your rate in minutes.

Photo credit: iStock/DragonImages

SOPL-Q225-084

Buying property is a way to invest outside the stock market. Owning a rental can offer key benefits to homebuyers, including a potential stream of passive income and the possibility for real estate to grow in value.

When debating whether to invest in the home-buying process, the difference between a single family or multifamily home can matter.

Each home type comes with pros and cons, which investors may want to chew on before opting for a specific real estate investment.

Here’s a look at the major differences between single family and multifamily investment properties.

What Is a Single Family Home?

Single family homes are stand-alone structures with their own lot. They don’t share common space with another unit.

Generally, they’re meant to house one tenant or a family. In the real estate world, single family homes differ from attached properties, like condominiums or townhouses.

Those considering investing in a single-family home could start the process in much the same way as when buying a primary residence, enlisting the help of a real estate broker or home loan lender.

Below are some factors investors may want to think through when looking into single family properties:

Affordability of Buying

When an investor is deciding how much house to afford, single family homes are typically priced lower than multi-unit constructions.

Because they’re designed with one family or individual in mind, single family homes are generally smaller in size — and less square footage (and floors) can mean lower listed prices on the property.

Other costs, such as utilities, don’t necessarily add to the price of investing in a single family house. Rental agreements typically require tenants to pay all or nearly all of the utilities costs for a home.

In a multifamily unit, the landlord may have to shoulder more costs, such as the cost of electricity used in common spaces.

💡 Quick Tip: When house hunting, don’t forget to lock in your home mortgage loan rate so there are no surprises if your offer is accepted.

Fewer Tenants Can Mean Less Conflict

In multifamily units, landlords may be called in to resolve all sorts of conflicts between tenants. For example, landlords may have to mediate tensions if a neighbor is noisy or has a loud pet.

A single person or family living in a single-family unit lessens the chance for conflict between tenants. (In rare cases, landlords may deal with conflicts between single family tenants and neighbors in nearby buildings, though.)

Additionally, tenants who live in a stand-alone home may be more likely to treat the buildings as their own, taking better care of the house and lot.

They may closely monitor the condition of the whole home, letting landlords know when there are maintenance issues to take care of.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

Speaking of maintenance, single family units typically require less upkeep than multifamily buildings.

In a multi-unit property, things can get complicated. Landlords may be dealing with different sets of appliances or diverse tenant schedules, for example.

If something goes wrong in one unit, it may affect other units at the same time. For instance, in a multifamily building, plumbing or wiring may need to be replaced in multiple units at the same time.

Multifamily units are larger, so problems that feel more manageable in a single family home can become a bigger deal when scaled up.

Investors may want to compare the different costs (and logistics) of exterminating termites in a small home vs. a bigger multi-unit building (where numerous tenants may need to be relocated temporarily), to name one possibility.

Property Value Appreciation

Single family homes tend to be in higher demand than multifamily residences, which could mean the property is more likely to gain in value. Single family homes are priced largely based on supply and demand.

The more people want them, the higher home appreciation may go up. (Naturally, demand is just one factor among many that can impact a home’s valuation.)

Multifamily buildings, on the other hand, are priced in part on the condition of the buildings. One extra factor in calculating the value of a multifamily building is the potential rent revenue that this sort of property can bring in. If rents go up in the area, the value of the building can rise accordingly. (The opposite is also true.)

Cash Liquidity

There may come a time when a landlord wants to sell. Landlords might no longer want to deal with tenants, or they may need to access the equity wrapped up in their rental property.

Because of the high demand, sales for single family homes tend to be faster, providing investors with potentially easier access to their invested cash.

What Is a Multifamily Home?

Multifamily homes are buildings that have more than one unit and can house more than one family, such as apartment buildings. They could also be a duplex or a triplex.

Below is a list of factors investors might want to think about when deciding whether to pursue purchasing a multi-unit building:

More Rental Income

A multifamily building can be more expensive upfront to buy than a single family home. However, each unit in the building might produce rental income for the owner.

When combined, these rents can total more than the single revenue from a stand-alone house. Opening up multiple streams of income is one of the main reasons investors opt for multifamily properties.

Fewer Vacancy Issues

When a single family home is vacant, the owner’s rental income stream dries up completely. Owning a multiple family building can mitigate this risk of lost income when a tenant leaves or breaks the lease. If one unit is vacant, even for an extended period, other units might still bring in regular rental income.

Economies of Scale

In some ways, property management costs can be simpler for multifamily homes, especially when it comes to economies of scale. For example, say a landlord needs to replace the roof on a 10-unit building. The cost of replacement may be lower, per unit, than if a landlord needs to replace the roof on just one single family home.

Recommended: Guide to Buying, Selling, and Updating Your Home

Diverse Investment Options

Multifamily buildings can offer more property options to investors, too. Potential landlords might invest in anything from small duplexes to large apartment buildings with dozens of units.

Investors can take a more passive role in multifamily investments, as well. Real estate syndication allows a group of investors to pool their resources to buy more expensive buildings than they could afford on their own.

Investments like these used to be the purview of the very wealthy. Since the passage of the JOBS Act in 2012, real estate crowdfunding has increasingly become a more popular option. Buildings funded in this way are generally managed by a professional management company and profits are passed along to investors.

Multi-family investors might want to pursue shares of a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). REITs invest in multifamily properties. They trade much like regular stocks, which makes them easy to buy and sell (offering investors more liquidity).

Investors in REITs have no contact with the day-to-day operations of the underlying investment properties. REITs could be a better fit for long-term investors who aren’t aiming to buy and then resell quickly.

💡 Quick Tip: Generally, the lower your debt-to-income ratio, the better loan terms you’ll be offered. One way to improve your ratio is to increase your income (hello, side hustle!). Another way is to consolidate your debt and lower your monthly debt payments.

Financing a Real Estate Investment

Financing an investment property is a little bit different than financing a first or second home, whether it’s a single family home or a multifamily building. As with the buying of a first house, investors may want to check credit scores and review their financial assets before applying for a mortgage loan.

Potential buyers should also examine their debt-to-income ratio, which shows lenders how much debt borrowers have acquired compared to their income. Lenders review this as one among many factors when evaluating mortgage applications.

It’s likely that prospective buyers of investment properties may need to put down at least 15-20% of the property’s listed value — but it’s not uncommon for lenders to ask for a down payment of 25-35%.

Single family homes can be financed with a conventional mortgage. However, because investment properties pose more risk to loan lenders, interest rates are typically higher than they would be for primary or secondary residences.

Loans for single family houses, duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes, collectively known as “one-to-fours,” don’t differ very much. In other words, investors looking to buy a building up to four units can do so with a conventional loan.

Loans for apartment buildings with more units, however, may be a bit more complicated. Lenders may consider factors such as:

•   Debt service coverage (cash flow relative to debt)

•   Net income generated by the property (revenue minus expenses)

•   Loan-to-value ratio (the loan amount compared to the value of the property)

There are different, federally backed apartment building loans that certain investors may want to consider, including:

•   Fannie Mae Apartment Loans offer loans of as little as $1 million with 20% down. Fannie Mae offers conventional loans and specialty loans, such as green financing or senior housing.

•   Freddie Mac Apartment Loans offer loans beginning at $1 million, including conventional loans, small balance loans, targeted affordable housing loans, and senior housing loans.

•   Bank Balance Sheet Loans are loans that banks keep in-house. Both traditional and online banks may offer these loans, which they do not repackage and sell to government-sponsored enterprises, such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The loans remain on the banks’ balance sheets. These loans don’t require owners to live in the same community as the building they’re buying. They are becoming less prevalent, but some banks still offer them.

•   FHA Apartment Loans, aka HUD 223(f) loans, start at $2 million. They’re insured by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and they are available for the purchase of buildings with five or more units.

The Takeaway on Comparing Mortgage Options

Purchasing a rental property, whether a single family home or a multi-unit building, could be one way to diversify an investment portfolio. A mortgage loan from a private lender may help investors to purchase a stand-alone rental home or multifamily building.

Looking for an affordable option for a home mortgage loan? SoFi can help: We offer low down payments (as little as 3% - 5%*) with our competitive and flexible home mortgage loans. Plus, applying is extra convenient: It's online, with access to one-on-one help.

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