When it comes to your health and wellness, a hot tub is just about one of the best investments that you can make. Of course, quality hot tubs don’t come cheap.
Fortunately, there are a few different realistic ways that you can enjoy a top-notch spa without a major financial commitment upfront.
We’re here to take you through our hot tub financing options so that you can figure out what your monthly payments will be when financing a hot tub.
WHAT WILL MY MONTHLY PAYMENTS BE IF I FINANCE A HOT TUB?
Your monthly payment is primarily dependent on the interest rate that you get with your loan and the overall length of the payment.
If you have the ability to buy a hot tub with zero percent hot tub financing, we highly recommend doing so.
It simplifies the monthly payment, as you will then be paying the price of the hot tub divided by the number of months in the length of your loan.
For example, if you buy a hot tub for $5,000 with a 40-month loan and 0% financing, you will have a monthly payment of $125.
If you buy a hot tub for $10,000 with a 40-month loan and 0% financing, your payment per month will be $250.
Make sense?
Now that we’ve accounted for a situation with 0% hot tub financing, let’s look at a situation where there is a 10% interest rate.
For example, if you buy a spa for $5,000 with a 40-month loan and 10% APR financing, you will have a monthly payment of $148.
If you buy a spa for $10,000 with a 40-month loan and 10% APR financing, your payment per month will be $295.
So yes, when you deal with interest rates anywhere above 0%, your monthly payment is going to be much higher. How do you know what interest rate you are going to have? Well, that is all going to depend on the personal credit you have.
The best way to figure out what type of financing options will be available to you is by contacting the hot tub dealer of choice and talking to them. They’ll usually provide you with some type of financing form to fill out so that they can give you a good estimate.
No matter what spa you are looking at, we highly recommend searching for the lowest interest rate possible, even if that means checking out more than one dealer. You can save yourself hundreds of dollars over the life of the loan if you get a good financing option.
If you are ready to get started, see our hot tub financing page here.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUR PAYMENTS
INTEREST RATES & APR
There are a few factors that will affect your interest rate for your hot tub financing plan, including:
- The United State Prime Rate
- The Dealer Who Is Financing Your Loan
- Your Personal Credit History
Of course, there are many spa dealers who offer 0% financing during different annual promotion, so make sure to watch out for those deals!
0% interest rates will allow you to pay back the amount on which you borrowed without having to pay anything extra unless you have financing fees attached to your initial hot tub purchase.
In looking to understand your interest rate, you’ll need to understand the APR (Annual Percentage Rate).
APR can be used by borrowers to compare different loans and their interest rates.
Lenders are legally obligated to provide borrowers with consumer loan APR across the board.
Even if your loan has a 0% interest rate, your APR might still be greater than zero dues to those additional fees or costs.
HOT TUB PRICE
The monthly payments will be greatly affected by the overall cost of the hot tub. Like we said before, spa prices can range from about $3,000 to $16,000, though there are a few outliers. Prices vary due to different sizes, designs, performance features, and materials.
For the most part, we can categorize hot tub prices using four different spa types, including:
Entry-Level Hot Tubs
The purchase price for an entry-level spa runs between $2,500 and $5,000. They are simple in design, have fewer features than top-notch tubs, and have basic jet options. They are typically made out of molded plastic or acrylic for a very basic look overall. With that said, they can be just as relaxing as luxury tubs depending on what you need.
Value-Priced Hot Tubs
Value-priced spas typically run between $4,000 and $8,000. These kinds of tubs will typically come with high-quality features, though in terms of performance, they can be a bit limited. If you’re in the market for a new hot tub that is durable, has powerful pumps and energy-efficient features, and looks good, this is a solid range to look in.
Premium Hot Tubs
When you get to premium spas, the purchase process is based on design and performance above all. A high quality hot tub usually runs from $6,000 to $10,000 and comes with top-notch performance features and intuitive, energy-efficient designs. You can expect total comfort and relaxation from premium spas.Luxury Hot Tubs
If you’re looking for the best of the best, luxury spas are where it is at. These hot tub sales prices usually run from $9,000 to $16,000. They have some of the strongest jet systems, the most elegant designs, and the most energy-efficient performance. In terms of durability, you can count on luxury tubs standing strong for many years. You’ll typically find state-of-the-art features, innovative water care options, and even entertainment elements, such as stereo or video systems.
Though these prices might look a bit frightening at first glance, a good financing option can make them far more affordable. If you are going to buy a 240V spa or swim spa, you'll need to factor installation costs into your total costs. 120 V plug-and-play models, on the other hand, will not require you to hire an electrician.
LENGTH OF FINANCING AGREEMENT
Most hot tub financing agreements have terms that range anywhere from 36 to 60 months, meaning it will take you anywhere from three to five years to fully pay off your hot tub. Great spas can last you about 20 years, meaning you’ll be able to soak it all up far after you make your last payment.
However long your term on the agreement will have the biggest effect on how much you will pay monthly.
LOAN FEES
Beyond interest rates, there are many dealers out there that will tack on a financing fee to the initial cost of your hot tub. This fee is to cover the loan service charge that they get from the bank. You’ll find this fee in your APR once you sign the loan agreement. The fee correlates to the overall interest that you will be charged over the life of the loan.
Again, we highly recommend going to multiple dealers to try and find the best prices that you can possibly get. That dealer may have a special 0% interest financing promotion on the way, so make sure to inquire!
HOT TUB FINANCING WITH BAD CREDIT
Unfortunately, if your credit score is not above 640, you may have a hard time qualifying for a personal loan to finance your hot tub. If your credit is on the lower end, you may have incredibly high interest rates that aren’t worth it, that is if you end up qualifying for a loan at all.
Depending on your situation, we highly recommend saving up some cash until you have enough to purchase the spa upfront. If you'd rather not go that route, then it would be a good idea to improve your credit score before your new hot tub purchase. That way, you'll rest assured knowing that your interest rates will be lower and you'll end up paying less in the long run.
HOT TUB FINANCING NO CREDIT CHECK
When applying for a hot tub loan, there aren’t very many dealers or lenders that will allow you to make a hot tub purchase without doing a credit check.
With that said, there are a few smaller dealers out there that market themselves as dealers who don’t check credit. One of the most popular is the Spa Guy. They make use of a rent to own process. We recommend checking them out if you are nervous about your credit getting in the way of your purchase.
Need a Hot Tub?
4 HOT TUB PAYMENT OPTIONS
PERSONAL LOAN
Personal loans can be used for just about anything that you can think of. The process of obtaining a personal loan is very simple and speedy as well. You’ll likely end up getting an unsecured loan, which means that you won’t have to put anything on the collateral if you are unable to make the necessary payments. If you have good credit, you’ll be able to qualify for a low-interest rate too!
You can pick between a long or short repayment term depending on how much you can afford to pay monthly. Remember, the shorter the repayment terms, the lower your interest rate payments will be.
Personal loans don’t come without their drawbacks, though. Depending on your lender, you may not get a personal loan that is able to compete with a hot-tub loan in terms of interest rates.
HOT TUB LOAN
Yup, there are such things as hot tub-specific loans, though there are not very many lenders who utilize them. We recommend checking out LightStream, as they are one of the most prominent lenders that specialize in hot tub loans thanks to their understanding of hot tubs.
The hot tub loans can be put towards anything that is related to the installation and use of the hot tub, including landscaping, enclosure building, lighting, etc.
Hot tub loans typically provide buyers with lower interest rates when compared to regular personal loans too.
If you would like to learn more about hot tub loans, visit our page here to see financing details and qualifications.
CREDIT CARD
If you decide to finance your hot tub with a credit card, know that you might have a better chance and getting ahold of a 0% APR Promotion, though it is totally dependent on the card that you ultimately use. There are some credit cards out there that offer 21-month, 0% interest financing on large purchases if you are able to pay them off in that time.
This may be one of the best options if you are purchasing an entry-level hot tub! Make sure to look into some of the best credit card options on the market right now so that you can find the best one for your needs!
PAY IN FULL
Paying in full is easily the most cost-effective way to pay for your hot tub. This is because you won’t need to worry about any added fees or interest payments. Plus, you won’t need to account for any monthly payments besides your increased electricity bill. In general, if you have debt already, paying in full will provide you with the confidence that you aren’t putting your credit on the line.
Of course, the major disadvantage of paying in full is that you won’t have that cash upfront for any other present financial goals you might have.
HOME EQUITY LOAN
Most people don’t even consider how much of a home value increase that a spa can provide. We recommend getting a home equity loan if you’re looking for the lowest interest rates possible, as the hot tub will correlate to your living space.
Of course, you’ll need to make sure that you have the proper amount of equity in your home to cover the cost of a hot tub with a home equity loan. What is "equity," you ask?
Equity is the amount that your house is worth minus the outstanding loan amount.
Let’s say you have a $400,000 home appraisal, though you still have $100,000 left to pay on your mortgage. This means that you have $300,000 in equity. Keep in mind that you will have your home as collateral on this loan, meaning that you could lose your house if you can’t pay for your hot tub.
Also, note that home equity loans have high fees. You need to decide whether or not you believe the low-interest rate will balance out those high fees. If not, a home equity loan might not be worth it.
NEXT STEPS
We now hope that you have a better understanding as to how you can finance your hot tub purchase.
As you continue to search for your dream spa, make sure to shop for the best hot tub brands.
You don’t need to purchase from a high-end brand just because they have solid marketing.
There are an abundance of models out there that have similar features to high-end brands for a fraction of the price.
When it comes to financing a hot tub, you need to consider all of your options and compare them carefully, whether you are using hot tub in-house financing or lender financing.
This way, you’ll be one step closer to finding the hot tub you have always wanted!
Want to get quotes from dealers near you without spending hours calling around? Our FREE time saving service takes your spa preferences into account and brings the lowest quotes directly to you. Just answer the few quick questions below.
About The Author
Meredith Kiley
Full-time staff writer at wyllz.com and stay-at-home mom.