In the next year I am planning to turn my primary residence into a buy and hold rental. It currently has vinyl siding, and I'm trying to figure out how to keep the place looking good and being durable against the elements. I am weighing out whether I should change it for hardie board siding if it becomes a rental. Will it add to rental value? Does its durability justify its price? How much would I expect to pay to install hardie board on an 1100 sq. ft. house in FL?
@Alex Lebhar I have Hardieboard on my primary it rains as much here as you gat sunshine where you are. The house was built in 1992 the stuff has held up very well. I don't know the cost or how it compares to vinyl. It seems pretty indestructible to me. No, it won't get you any more rent only shiny objects do that!
I don't think it would add a nickel to your rental value. If you were the renter, how big a factor would it be for your decision? It will be miniscule compared to the neighborhood price comps, versus the skin of your house.
As to appraisal or resale value, maybe a bit more just for the fact of having some fresh updates.
Hardy is 3 times the cost, 10 times the maintenance and if it's nor installed perfectly, will cause mildew, mold and rot on your studs and rafters.
Vinyl should be a minimum of .44mil. The lighter the color the better it will age. Dark colors have gotten better, but still have more probs than lighter ones.