Our Top 8 Low-Maintenance Upgrades: #1 Swap Your Siding

Love your home even more AND increase the resale value by replacing old siding with fiber-cement!

A fantastic improvement for curb appeal and exterior durability, fiber-cement comes in many shapes and forms such as vertical boar-and-batt, shingles, and horizontal lap boards. Did you know that simulated wood graining is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing at half the cost?

It's low-maintenance because: Fiber-cement siding (think Roman Colosseum - it's still standing!) is long lasting because it hardens into a rocklike mass once it cures. This helps paint finishes last longer and provides for better insulation during weather changes, so your home is cooler when it's hot, and warmer when it's not!

Useful life: 50+ years, or 15 years for pre-painted and finished siding

Maintenance: Just repaint every 15 or so years

Cost: $5 to $11 per square foot (installed)

Affordable alternatives: Vinyl siding is the next-best thing, being low cost (20%-40% cheaper than fiber-cement) and never needs to be repainted, it's water and bug proof, and it's super lightweight and easy to install. It has an average life expectancy of 35 years, but it isn't fireproof, nor is it easy to repaint, so you might be stuck with your original color choice.