A HELOC is another way to borrow against the the value of your home, but unlike a refinance, it doesn’t pay off the original mortgage. Instead, you get a line of credit — usually up to 80% of your home’s value, minus the amount of your home loan.

HELOCs come with a draw period and repayment period. During the draw period, which often lasts about 10 years, you can spend the money in your credit line. Your monthly payments would cover mostly the interest and a little bit of the principal on any outstanding balance. During the repayment period, which typically lasts around 15 years, your monthly payments would probably be higher because they’d include more principal.

>> MORE: Best HELOC lenders

A home equity loan is another way to tap your equity without refinancing. Instead of getting a line of credit, as you would with a HELOC, you’d receive a lump sum of money. A home equity loan could make sense if you don’t want to refinance your first mortgage — if it has a very low interest rate, for example. But the interest rate would probably be higher with a second mortgage like a home equity loan than with a cash-out refinance.

>> MORE: Review the best home equity loan lenders or calculate how much home equity financing you can qualify for

Personal loans are an alternative to using your home’s equity for financing and putting your home up as collateral. In fact, you may not have to put up any assets for collateral, but you’ll generally need good or excellent credit to qualify for the best rates.

Interest rates are usually higher with personal loans than with home equity financing. There’s also a shorter time frame to repay the money, about five to seven years. The shorter window could mean your monthly payments are larger than they’d be with other loan options.

If you have good credit but not much equity in your home, or you’d prefer a shorter repayment period, a personal loan could be a good choice.

>> MORE: Best personal loan lenders

Plastic allows you to make purchases if you don’t have the cash up front, and certain credit cards give rewards for every dollar you spend. But you’ll want to make sure you can pay off your balance over a short period of time, because credit cards generally come with higher interest rates than other types of financing.

>> MORE: Best 0% interest cards

It may require time and patience, but saving your money until you’re able to pay outright for a renovation eliminates finance charges. Paying with cash can also make it easier to stay within your budget.