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Exclusive Research: The First Impression

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Exclusive Research: The First Impression

Buyers seeking curb appeal and low maintenance for their homes head for fiber cement, vinyl, and brick as top choices


By Mike Beirne, Senior Editor June 28, 2017
Curb appeal_home design_home exterior_The Madison by The Cottage Company_Architect Ross Chapin
The Madison by The Cottage Company, designed by architect Ross Chapin, delivers a solid dose of traditional curb appeal that speaks of cozy comfort.
This article first appeared in the July 2017 issue of Pro Builder.

Builders are adding more choices to their exterior options portfolios with fiber-cement siding and composites gaining traction as an upsell opportunity with homebuyers.

Many Professional Builder readers and members of Builder Partnerships, in Littleton, Colo., noted that they’ve changed designs and raised the budget to build houses with combinations of exterior cladding materials—usually fiber cement, brick, stone veneer, and stone—in the pursuit of more detail and curb appeal. Fiber-cement siding was most popular with builders and architects in the Midwest, South Atlantic, and West South Central regions. 

Great design and curb appeal were cited by two-thirds of builders and architects surveyed as the most important concern for their clients, followed by low maintenance, and energy efficiency as the distant third benefit. More findings from the 2017 Curb Appeal Survey are in the charts that follow. 

buyer considerations for curb appeal

most successful selling home exterior upgrades

Biggest change in curb appeal design

cost percentage for curb appeal

exterior design/material changes

Curb appeal changes

curb appeal changes

Roofing material preference

Exterior cladding preference

multiple exterior materials

Methodology and Research

Written By
Senior Editor

Mike is the senior editor of Pro Builder and Custom Builder magazines. A two-time Jesse H. Neal Award winner, Mike has nearly 30 years of journalism experience plus numerous news and feature writing awards, including honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Business Press Editors, and the National Association of Real Estate Editors. He also operated a masonry restoration business for more than two decades. mbeirne@sgcmail.com

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