When you bought your house, you probably loved its curb appeal. Over time, however, paint can fade and siding can warp, crack or come loose. If the outside of your home could use a facelift, you need to decide whether to paint it or install siding. Your decision could impact your home’s market value.
Pros and Cons of Painting
If your top concern is price, painting is the way to go. Painting a house costs much less than installing siding. You can give your home a fresh coat of paint that will last several years for a fraction of what you would pay for new siding.
Repainting a house can involve a lot of work, depending on the current condition of the home. All of the existing paint will need to be removed by scraping or by using a pressure washer. The wood may need to be sanded and primed so the new paint can go on smoothly. If there’s any mold, that’ll need to be removed first.
If you choose to paint your house, you can either hire a professional or do it yourself. Painting the house yourself can dramatically reduce the overall cost, and you may be able to afford to buy a higher-quality paint that’ll last longer. Just be sure that you have all of the supplies you’ll need and that you know how to prepare the wood before you start painting.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Siding
Siding typically lasts much longer than paint, often 20 years or more. This means that you might never have to pay to replace the siding again for the remainder of your time living in your house. If you decide to sell in the future, you’ll be able to get a higher price than you would if you painted the house because the new owners will not need to worry about fixing up the exterior for quite a while.
However, siding costs much more than paint. Depending on the type of siding you choose and where you live, the price could be several times what you would pay for paint. If you can afford it now and plan to stay in your home for the foreseeable future, siding may make more sense as a long-term investment.
It’s much harder to install siding yourself than it is to paint a house. Siding needs to be measured, cut and installed carefully to prevent warping and cracking. If you don’t have experience siding houses, it’s best to leave that type of work to professionals.
