Finish your basement without touching your home equity.
You are already paying to heat that square footage. A fixed-rate loan turns an unfinished basement into living space — framing through flooring — without a second lien on the house or a HELOC’s moving rate.
Fixed rates from
7.24%APR with AutoPay*
Assumes excellent credit. Your rate is determined by your credit profile, amount, and term.
Checking your rate does not affect your credit score.
What it covers.
- Framing, insulation, drywall, and egress work
- A basement bathroom, wet bar, or kitchenette rough-in
- Waterproofing, a sump system, and moisture control
- Flooring, lighting, and a home theater or guest suite
Why a Lightstream loan.
No second lien on your home
Unlike a home-equity line, this loan does not attach to your house. Your equity stays untouched and there is no lender standing behind your mortgage.
A rate that won’t move mid-project
A HELOC’s rate can climb while the drywall is still up. A fixed loan payment stays flat from the first invoice to the last, however long the build runs.
Long terms for a big project
Basement finishes are house-scale work, so this purpose offers some of the longest terms in the program — sizing the payment to a real renovation, not a weekend job.
One draw, paid to you
Funds arrive in your account, so you pay the framer, the electrician, and the flooring crew on their schedules — not on a lender’s draw-request paperwork.
Loan amounts and terms.
- Loan amounts
- $3,000 – $100,000
- Repayment terms
- 2–20 years
| Loan term | APR range with AutoPay* | Example payment per $10,0002 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 7.24%–18.24% | $309.87/mo |
| 4 years | 8.04%–19.04% | $244.32/mo |
| 5 years | 8.94%–19.94% | $207.29/mo |
| 6 years | 8.94%–19.94% | $179.96/mo |
| 7 years | 10.04%–21.04% | $166.22/mo |
| 10 years | 10.04%–21.04% | $132.37/mo |
| 15 years | 11.44%–22.44% | $116.44/mo |
| 20 years | 11.44%–22.44% | $106.23/mo |
Funds can be received as soon as the same business day for applications approved before 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.¹
Frequently asked questions.
A HELOC is secured by your home and carries a variable rate, closing costs, and an appraisal. A fixed-rate personal loan skips the lien, the appraisal, and the rate uncertainty — you trade the very lowest possible secured rate for speed, a flat payment, and keeping your equity uncommitted.
Yes. Because funds land in your account, a single loan can pay for moisture control, framing, mechanicals, and finishes across multiple contractors. Size the amount to the full scope so you are not financing the project in pieces.
Not for the financing — a rough-in and fixtures are simply part of the amount you borrow. It may affect your permits and your contractor’s timeline, but the loan does not need to know the room layout.
This purpose supports the program’s longer term bands, which the calculator lists. Longer terms lower the monthly payment on a large renovation; the calculator shows the total-interest tradeoff so you can choose deliberately.
Related loan purposes.
Disclosures
*Loan terms vary by loan purpose, amount, term, and credit profile. The lowest advertised rates require excellent credit. 29.46% of approved applicants who applied for the lowest rate qualified for it, based on data from 01/01/2026 to 03/31/2026. The rate quoted includes the AutoPay discount; the AutoPay discount is only available prior to loan funding, and rates without AutoPay are 0.50% points higher. All loans are subject to credit approval; additional conditions and limitations apply. Advertised rates and terms are subject to change without notice.
¹Same-day funding is available if your loan is approved on a banking business day and, by 2:30 p.m. Eastern time, you complete these steps: (1) review and electronically sign your loan agreement; (2) provide us with your funding preferences and relevant banking information; (3) complete the final verification process.
²Example payments are per $10,000 borrowed at the lowest APR shown for that term, include the AutoPay discount, and assume excellent credit. Your payment is determined by your amount, term, and credit profile.
Payment example: Monthly payments for a $10,000 loan at 7.24% APR with a term of 3 years would result in 36 monthly payments of $309.87.
Maximum APR for a Lightstream loan is 25.39%. Loan terms range from 24 – 240 months depending on the loan purpose.