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Stock the siding that sells
A RE YOU selling the siding that Ryour areas buyers prefer? Do you know what's important to them when they shop for siding? Preferences differ drastically by region, and }nowing your customer's priorities can help you stock the type of siding that will sell best for you.
Story at a Glance
Know what the builders and remodelers in your area demand ... what goes into their buying decisions predictions for vinyl, plywood, hardboard, OSB, cedar, brick and aluminum.
In new constluction, the West is dominated by plywood, especially in the north, and stucco, mostly in southern states. Hardboard use has increased in some areas, such as Utah, Arizona. New Mexico, and Nevada, though overall use has and will continue to decline.
Cedar siding's market share has been slipping but is expected to grow steadier. Plywood continues strong, with a trend toward the new PlYwood lap siding. OSB remains underutilized, yet use is expected to double in tle next decade. o Hardboard siding: start-up or move-up
Vinyl siding has also had trouble penetrating the West, because of the popularity of stucco and wood" though it is similady expected to double by the year 2000.
For repair and remodeling, plywood was the top material, but its lead has slipped slightly. It's followed by vinyl, rising rapidly; cedar, dipping minimally; stucco, holding steady; hardboard, slipping slightly; brick, holding; aluminum and steel, fading fast, and OSB, rising consistently.
Materials also vary by type of house being built, whether it's a new single family start-up, move-up or luxury home.
Cedar: luxury, some move-up
Plywood: start-up, some move-
OSB: start-up or move-up
Aluminum: start-up, with some
move-up
o Vinyl: all types o Brick luxury, some move-up o Stucco: all types
Finally, builders, remodeling contractors and architects base their siding buying decisions on various benefits of the product. Match the siding you cany with their intended price and quality level. The following chart displays the results of a recent phone survey by George Carter & Affiliates. Builders, remodelers and architects were asked to rate the importance of ten factors that could relate to their purchasing decision on siding. Results are recorded for the western region and nationally. Ratings are from I (unimportant) to 10 (very important).
In evaluating the scores, consider 9.Gr is excellent; 8.0-8.9, very good; 7.0-7.9, good; 6.0-6.9, fair, and 5.9 and below, poor.
Information for this article is compiled from a 1992 three volume "Siding Consumption in Residential Structures" sumey available from George Carter &, Affiliates, 767 Park Ave., Oradell, N.J. 07649.
