Warm days are here again, and it’s time you got serious about your home’s exterior. It could use some work, and while a paint job would do wonders, you’re thinking about taking a different routeÑvinyl siding. That’s right. You’re ready to shell out some bucks to rid yourself of the hassles of painting. No more hauling five-gallon buckets of paint home, hoisting everything up the ladder and spending long hours under the sun with a paintbrush in hand. You’ve found a siding installer. You’ve selected a siding style. Now all you need to do is choose the right siding color for your home.

Vinyl siding is easy to install, requires very little maintenance and lasts a long time, making it a popular choice among homeowners. It costs more than paint, however, so you will want to make sure you choose the right color the first time around. If the exterior of your home has been the same color since you bought it and you like that color, then the choice might be a no-brainer. Look for a siding color similar to the paint color already on your home. If you are not real fond of the color of your home’s exterior and are ready for a change, the decision might be a little more difficult. Here are some tips to ensure you select the right color.

Consider your neighborhood

Study your neighborhood. What color are most of the homes in the area? Brown, white and gray? If so, then you might want to stick to a neutral shade. A bright pink home in a sea of brown, white and gray will get the neighbors talking and might even bother some of them. Take your color cues from your neighbor’s homes. If there is quite a mix of colors, then you may have more leeway. Just be careful that you don’t pick a color that draws unwanted attention.

Consider your landscape

Study your yard and the yards around your home. What do you see? Lush, green lawns? City streets? Desert landscapes? Select a siding color that will accentuate the landscape. A lavender home might look out of place in a desert landscape but work well in an urban landscape, especially one known for its array of colors.

Consider your home’s architectural style

Study the architectural style of your home. What colors would suit it best? Some architectural styles lend themselves to a certain color palette. Colonials, for example, look best in white, cream or beige, while Craftsman homes look best in darker colors like browns and reds. Do a little research on the architectural style of your home and find out what colors traditionally work best on the exterior.

Consider your home’s features

Study the features of your home. What do you see? Red brick? Ornate columns? Rustic window boxes and shutters? Black shingles? White gutters? The siding color you select should complement the features of your home. Red brick and black shingles might not work with buttercup yellow siding. While you could paint the brick, you don’t want to cause undue work for yourself. Do yourself a favor and choose a siding color that will complement all of the features of your home.

Consider your own preferences

Study your preferences. Do you want your home to stand out or blend in? Do you have a color in mind for your home’s exterior that you can’t live without? It’s your home, so choose a siding color you can live with for years to come. If you want your home to stand out and complement your rose beds, go ahead and choose the rosy pink siding. If you want your home to blend in and complement your red brick, choose the reddish-brown siding. If you cannot bear the thought of your home being any color but yellow, then go ahead and choose the buttercup yellow siding.

Consider the limitations of vinyl

While vinyl siding does last, it will fade over time. Understand that the siding color you select today may not be the same color years from now. That deep blue could be a much softer blue 10 years from now and a really pale blue 30 years from. Try to choose a siding color that will fade less or you can live with as it fades.

Selecting the color of vinyl siding takes time. Don’t rush it. Study the color choices carefully, select the ones that appeal to you most and start narrowing down the options based upon the criteria above. When you have three or four choices in mind, ask for a list of homes featuring those vinyl siding colors and drive by them to see what the colors look like in the sunlight. Vinyl siding is a costly endeavor that you do not want to have to redo. Make sure you choose the right color!

Warm days are here again, and it’s time you got serious about your home’s exterior. It could use some work, and while a paint job would do wonders, you’re thinking about taking a different routeÑvinyl siding. That’s right. You’re ready to shell out some bucks to rid yourself of the hassles of painting. No more hauling five-gallon buckets of paint home, hoisting everything up the ladder and spending long hours under the sun with a paintbrush in hand. You’ve found a siding installer. You’ve selected a siding style. Now all you need to do is choose the right siding color for your home.

Vinyl siding is easy to install, requires very little maintenance and lasts a long time, making it a popular choice among homeowners. It costs more than paint, however, so you will want to make sure you choose the right color the first time around. If the exterior of your home has been the same color since you bought it and you like that color, then the choice might be a no-brainer. Look for a siding color similar to the paint color already on your home. If you are not real fond of the color of your home’s exterior and are ready for a change, the decision might be a little more difficult. Here are some tips to ensure you select the right color.

Consider your neighborhood

Study your neighborhood. What color are most of the homes in the area? Brown, white and gray? If so, then you might want to stick to a neutral shade. A bright pink home in a sea of brown, white and gray will get the neighbors talking and might even bother some of them. Take your color cues from your neighbor’s homes. If there is quite a mix of colors, then you may have more leeway. Just be careful that you don’t pick a color that draws unwanted attention.

Consider your landscape

Study your yard and the yards around your home. What do you see? Lush, green lawns? City streets? Desert landscapes? Select a siding color that will accentuate the landscape. A lavender home might look out of place in a desert landscape but work well in an urban landscape, especially one known for its array of colors.

Consider your home’s architectural style

Study the architectural style of your home. What colors would suit it best? Some architectural styles lend themselves to a certain color palette. Colonials, for example, look best in white, cream or beige, while Craftsman homes look best in darker colors like browns and reds. Do a little research on the architectural style of your home and find out what colors traditionally work best on the exterior.

Consider your home’s features

Study the features of your home. What do you see? Red brick? Ornate columns? Rustic window boxes and shutters? Black shingles? White gutters? The siding color you select should complement the features of your home. Red brick and black shingles might not work with buttercup yellow siding. While you could paint the brick, you don’t want to cause undue work for yourself. Do yourself a favor and choose a siding color that will complement all of the features of your home.

Consider your own preferences

Study your preferences. Do you want your home to stand out or blend in? Do you have a color in mind for your home’s exterior that you can’t live without? It’s your home, so choose a siding color you can live with for years to come. If you want your home to stand out and complement your rose beds, go ahead and choose the rosy pink siding. If you want your home to blend in and complement your red brick, choose the reddish-brown siding. If you cannot bear the thought of your home being any color but yellow, then go ahead and choose the buttercup yellow siding.

Consider the limitations of vinyl

While vinyl siding does last, it will fade over time. Understand that the siding color you select today may not be the same color years from now. That deep blue could be a much softer blue 10 years from now and a really pale blue 30 years from. Try to choose a siding color that will fade less or you can live with as it fades.

Selecting the color of vinyl siding takes time. Don’t rush it. Study the color choices carefully, select the ones that appeal to you most and start narrowing down the options based upon the criteria above. When you have three or four choices in mind, ask for a list of homes featuring those vinyl siding colors and drive by them to see what the colors look like in the sunlight. Vinyl siding is a costly endeavor that you do not want to have to redo. Make sure you choose the right color!