If you’re looking to finance a home improvement this year, there’s still a good chance that you’ll be able to get the loan you need as long as you don’t rely on the more traditional forms of home improvement loans.

First, banks are still being very conservative about lending any money at all and since most banks specialize in secured home improvement loans, the news isn’t good. Housing prices are still dropping and leaving many homeowners without enough equity to take out the traditional Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). That means that banks aren’t going to be jumping up and down to hand out money.

Another whammy for people wanting home equity loans is the rising bank interest rates. The interest rates on most bank loans are still much lower than they’ve been in the past, but they’re starting to creep up, which means there will likely be even less home improvement financing though traditional bank loans in the upcoming months.

This does not mean, however, that home improvement across the nation has come to a standstill. Both large national home improvement stores The Home Depot and Lowe’s have recently stated that their outlook for the rest of the year is not quite as bad as they originally expected. Both home improvement stores are limiting expansion, trying to improve the customer experience and aiming to cut costs.

While large home improvement projects are still being delayed due to a lack of equity and the inability to take out a large home improvement loan, smaller home improvement projects, many that may require an unsecured home improvement loan, are still popular because there are so many people choosing to stay and improve their own homes rather than selling and moving to a new house. It doesn’t hurt that The Home Depot offers several low interest home improvement credit cards and Lowe’s offers their own home improvement credit options to entice customers into their own stores.

While banks may not be lending money for home improvements very readily, there are some alternative options. You may qualify for a Title 1 FHA home improvement loan depending upon your situation or, if you’ve got a small home repair or upgrade project you can try getting an online home improvement loan through the Lending Club. They offer rates better than most banks, but you do need to have a decent credit score.

Don’t shy away from doing home improvements if you can actually afford to do them. Most home improvements, even minor ones, can increase the value and pleasure you get from living in your house. When housing prices begin to rise again (and, don’t worry, they will) then you’re home’s value will rise faster than comparable homes in your area without those improvements.