Siding helps protects your home from weather and pests, and plays a major role in the look of your home. If yours has seen better days, or you’ve never liked the look of your siding, it may be time to consider replacing it. Yes, it’s a big (i.e., expensive) job. But you will likely get a significant portion of what you spend back when you sell your home, since this home renovation generally has a high return on investment (ROI). Read on for a look at different siding ideas at a variety of price points and their expected ROI.
Eco-Friendly Options
Interest in sustainable living is growing in the U.S. One way to live this type of lifestyle is by choosing eco-friendly siding options that reduce the carbon footprint of the project. For example, using recyclable siding materials is one way to be more environmentally friendly, as is selecting material known to be more energy efficient.
Wood can be a good choice because it’s a renewable and sustainable material that can be sourced locally. Manufacturing processes of wood siding can be more environmentally friendly as well.
Aluminum or steel siding can be a green choice when made from recycled materials. It’s also considered to be an energy-efficient option because of how metal reflects the sun’s rays, unlike some materials that absorb them. Low maintenance associated with metal siding is a plus.
Fiber cement siding is eco-friendly, crafted from natural materials. Although vinyl siding isn’t formed from the most environmentally friendly materials, there is little waste with this type of siding, with insulated options being energy efficient.
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Colors with Curb Appeal
Siding color plays a big part in a home’s curb appeal. Combinations of colors and textures can evoke certain feelings, such as using green siding with wood accents to create a natural feel to a home.
In addition, darker colors draw attention to parts of a home while lighter ones can help to de-emphasize areas.
When selecting a color scheme, personal taste enters in, but an overall goal might be a compromise between that and looking good in the home’s broader neighborhood.
Some communities may have homes with more subdued hues while others boast more color.
Colonial homes may look best in a single classic color, while cottage-style homes may provide a homeowner with more freedom of expression.
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Realistic Textures
In the past, siding materials could look “plastic,” rather than mimicking natural grains and textures. Today, though, siding materials often look more attractive and realistic.
When on a budget, today’s vinyl siding can masterfully imitate wood siding at a lower cost with a greater ease of installation. If on a mid-range budget, an option might be fiber cement siding, which combines sand, cellulose and cement, comes in a variety of colors and can be imprinted with designs.
Plus, shingles come in a variety of sizes to help create a personalized appearance. With a bigger budget, stone and brick veneers are an option, as are stucco and new materials that mimic stucco. These choices can give a home a distinctive appearance.
Mixed textures can be eye-catching, whether that includes mixing materials or the width of the siding boards themselves. Metal touches can also be attractive.
Costs of Home Siding
The cost of new siding will depend on the size of your house, the type of siding you choose, and even your local weather. Generally, new siding runs between $2 and $9 per square foot. However, solid materials like brick, stone, and a range of veneers can run closer to $50 per square foot.
A full replacement job, on average, can run $11,428, according to Angi (formerly Angie’s List). Keep in mind, though, that each project is unique and older homes may have additional issues that will need to be addressed during a home renovation process. Plus, if a home is old enough to be designated as historic, there will likely be guidelines that need to be followed, which can add to the price tag of improvements.
Beside the materials used and the size of the home, other factors that impact cost include the shape of the house, with those having multiple stories or with eaves and turrets typically being more expensive than a home with a more streamlined structure.
Another factor can be the time of year when the siding is installed, with peak seasons usually more expensive than off-season projects.
Costs of a square foot of siding, including installation, vary by material, with these as averages:
• Vinyl: $2 to $12
• Wood: $2 to $35
• Aluminum: $3 to $6
• Fiber cement: $5 to $13.50
• Brick: $10 to $35
• Stucco: $6 to $18
• Steel: $5 to $9
• Stone: $27 to $50
It can make sense to get a customized quote for a siding project because there are so many factors that can affect the price.
It may be helpful, too, to compare quotes received to what it costs to paint the exterior of a home.
The cost to paint a home’s exterior ranges from $1,800 to $13,000, with an average coming in around $3,000. Although painting is typically less expensive, siding can last for decades, while the exterior of homes often need to be painted every five to ten years.
Siding ROI
Replacing your old siding can significantly increase the value of your home. Exactly how much it will add to the value will largely depend on the type of material you choose.
Going with fiber cement siding, for example, could add about $15,000 to the value of your home, which translates into about a 68% return on investment.
Vinyl siding, on the other hand, could ratchet up the value of your home by roughly $12,500, giving you a potential 67% return on investment.
If you replace just a portion of your siding with manufactured stone veneer, you could possibly add around $10,000 to your home’s value, which can add up to a more than 90% ROI.
You may want to use an online home improvement ROI estimator to get a sense of how much your choice of siding will impact the resale value of your home.
Paying for House Siding
If you run the numbers and the cost of your home siding project is more than you can comfortably cover in cash, you may want to consider some type of financing.
One option is to take out a home equity loan or line of credit. These loans are based on the equity you have built up in your home and use your home as collateral for the loan.
Another option is a home improvement loan. This is essentially an unsecured personal loan that is used for home repairs or upgrades. You receive a lump sum up front which you can use to pay for new siding; you then repay the loan over a set term, often five to seven years, with regular monthly payments. Interest rates are typically fixed.
The Takeaway
Siding is your home’s first line of defense against weather and pests. It’s also one of the most visible parts of your house, so when it starts to look old and worn out, so does your home.
Replacing your siding can seem like a big undertaking, but fortunately you typically only have to do it once. Plus, you can often make up much of the out-of-pocket cost when you resell your home, thanks to the relatively high ROI on this type of remodel.
If you’re interested in replacing your siding but not sure how to cover the costs, SoFi can help. SoFi’s home improvement loans range from $5K to $100K and offer competitive, fixed rates and a variety of terms. Checking your rate won’t affect your credit score, and it takes just one minute.
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