When you add siding to your home, it can add value when it protects your house against the elements and improves the appearance and architectural character of your house.
In some case, the cost of adding new siding to your home can be recovered when you sell your home later. For example, adding vinyl siding generally recoups more than 80% of its initial cost at resale.
The Value of Vinyl
Vinyl is the most popular choice for siding on new homes in the US. That’s because it’s tough, durable, affordable, and comes in many colors and styles. The color of vinyl siding goes all the way through the material, so it is less likely to reveal knicks and scratches.
Vinyl is lightweight, so it’s easy to install. Plus, it’s easy to retrofit it over nearly any existing surface. And it will last anywhere from 30 to 50 years under normal use conditions.
Fiber-Cement’s Growing Popularity
Fiber-cement siding’s return is even higher at 84% on average. It’s made from a mixture of wood fibers, Portland cement, clay, and sand.
More homeowners are choosing fiber-cement siding because of its rugged durability, low maintenance, and weather resistance. It also can be molded to resemble painted wood, stucco, masonry, or other materials.
Wood Siding’s Benefits
Wood siding gives a home a more natural look. Most can be stained different shades and finished with sealants that can protect the siding from the weather.
Wood siding is easy to shape and isn’t difficult to install, so labor costs are typically lower. With proper care, wood siding can last up to 100 years, or even longer when combined with synthetic materials. Plus, it looks great.
But wood siding generally requires more maintenance than other types of home siding materials. Usually, it needs to be repainted every 5 to 7 years or re-stained every three years.
Whichever siding you choose, you probably can recover much of your investment in the resale value of your home.
