How To Sell Your Home As Fast As Possible

Curb appeal matters most when it comes to the price point of your home. Most homebuyers will spend 7% more (Guthmann) on a house with a beautiful exterior. Unsightly and outdated siding can easily give homebuyers the wrong impressions and will have them forming opinions about the house before even stepping inside.

Your home has to be appealing enough to give potential buyers a reason to look inside. Updating your siding with beautiful modern options is an ingenious marketing tool. It can help create that “wow” factor and entice buyers to want to look inside.

Installing new siding is a significant investment. Which is why it’s a project that can sometimes be overlooked. However, installing new siding gives homeowners one of the highest return on investments (Morien) compared to other home renovations and improvements. An attention-grabbing property will attract higher bids, and it gives you the option to negotiate a better price.

Pro Tip: According to The National Association of Home Builders, fiber cement siding material has the potential of increasing your Return On Investment (ROI) by 83% (“Does James Hardie Siding Increase Your Home’s Value?”).

In today’s world, potential buyers will likely have concerns about a home’s energy efficiency. Many people know that old siding with cracks can lead to energy loss (“What You Need to Know about Home Siding and Energy Savings”), as the HVAC systems have to run longer and work harder to maintain comfortable temperatures. New siding will help keep homes insulated and decrease the amount of energy used. Even if you were not selling your home, inspecting old siding for leaking hot and cold air is a good idea.

Of course you want your house to impress homebuyers in the online listing photos, but how do they feel when they arrive on the property? People typically take 8 to 12 seconds (“First Impression on Buyers Can Mean $”) to form their thoughts on a house when they arrive to check it out. With a boosted curb appeal from a new siding installation, the appearance of your home will sell itself.

One of the main factors in deciding to buy or not to buy a home is the neighborhood in which it’s located. A well-maintained home adds value to your property but it also adds value to your neighborhood. When a single home is improved, it improves the whole community (“Why your neighbors’ renovations matter”), and may even inspire your neighbors to upgrade their homes as well.

Promoting cost-saving features to potential buyers is an excellent way to make your house marketable. New siding saves homebuyers money by ensuring they don’t have to get it installed themselves. Choose a quality siding material like fiber cement, which lasts up to 50 years (“What Is The Lifespan Of Your Vinyl Or Fiber Cement Siding?”).

Pro Tip: Signs you should replace your siding include:

• Rising energy costs
• Holes
• Mold/rot
• Cracked panels
• Loose panels

Vinyl is the most popular siding (“What Makes Vinyl Siding the Most Popular Type of Siding?”) option for homes. It’s affordable, durable, long-lasting, easy to install, and comes in a wide variety of colors and designs. What’s not to love about vinyl siding? It’s a great low-maintenance option for homeowners—but it is also one of the most easily damaged siding materials (“8 Common Siding Problems and How to Fix Them”), so keep that in mind if you live in an area with frequent wind, storms, or hail.

Fiber cement is the way to go if you want a siding that’s as tough as nails. It’s moisture and rot-resistant, non-combustible, pest-resistant, and weather-resistant (“20 Benefits of Fiber Cement Siding for Builders, Contractors, and Homeowners”). It can take a hit from virtually any external element and end up just fine; probably why fiber cement siding can last for up to 50 years. Not to mention it is also low maintenance. As far as aesthetics, fiber cement siding can be molded to appear like almost every other type of siding, in color, size, shape and texture (Trautmann).

The downside to fiber cement is that it’s hard to install (“Can Anyone Install James Hardie Siding?”). You definitely can’t do it yourself, but don’t worry, a lot of siding installation companies can’t do it either! Installing fiber cement correctly requires professionals who have worked with that material using proper tools and safety precautions.

Wood is a beautiful material that can make your home look like a charming and rustic cabin, but this luxurious siding comes with a price. Along with being expensive, wood siding is vulnerable to moisture damage, pests, and can raise home insurance costs since due to it being flammable (“Disadvantages of Wood Siding”). Wood siding also requires more maintenance (“Disadvantages of Wood Siding”) than other siding materials to keep it in good shape — it should be cleaned and resealed regularly. For many, however, the aesthetics of wood siding is worth the cost and time commitment.

The next popular siding type is brick. Brick siding is beautiful and durable. It’s hard wearing and resistant to fire and pests. If you live in a busy area, brick siding can dampen the volume of outside noise. A negative worth noting, though, is that when brick siding is cracked or punctured it’s complicated and costly to fix, doesn’t adapt well with a changing climate, and is susceptible to water damage (“Brick Houses: 3 Major Disadvantages with Brick Homes”).

Stone veneer looks exactly like real stone, but it’s actually made from a mix of Portland cement, particulate material, and pigment (“What is Stone Veneer? A Quick Guide to Faux Stone”). Stone veneer siding is aesthetically pleasing, durable and low-maintenance. It’s also an inexpensive alternative to real stone. If you want an authentic stone look for the exterior of your home, get stone veneer. You won’t get the same durability as real stone, but it will be just as durable as fiber cement which is still great durability.