What Remodeling Research Actually Tells Us

The National Association of REALTORS® and National Association of the Remodeling Industry study remodeling demand, homeowner satisfaction and estimated cost recovery. Their 2025 Remodeling Impact Report found that 46% of buyers had become less willing to compromise on a home’s condition.

That finding supports a practical conclusion: visible deferred maintenance can matter to buyers. It does not establish that installing Gentek shakes or scallops will recover a particular percentage of its cost.

NAR also cautions that remodeling cost recovery varies according to design, materials, location, property age, condition and homeowner preferences. National remodeling statistics should therefore be treated as broad market evidence—not a Quad Cities appraisal or a promise for one property.

Five Ways an Exterior Can Influence Buyer Perception

1. Condition: Does the exterior appear clean, intact and professionally maintained?
2. Architectural fit: Do the siding profile and accent locations make sense for the house?
3. Color coordination: Do siding, trim, roofing, masonry and exterior fixtures form a coherent palette?
4. Installation quality: Are courses level, transitions deliberate and trim details properly finished?
5. Documentation: Can the seller explain what was installed, when it was installed and what warranty information remains available?

Buyers may not know the technical vocabulary for these details. They can still notice when an exterior feels balanced, recently maintained and free of obvious unfinished work.

Where Shakes and Scallops Usually Have the Strongest Visual Role

Gentek offers Fairhaven Sound in Traditional Shake, Scallop, Cape Cod Shingle and Hand-Split Shake profiles. The manufacturer also describes varied molds and extended panels intended to create a natural-looking surface with longer visual lines.

For broad buyer appeal, specialty profiles often work best as a deliberate secondary material rather than an all-over decorative treatment. Logical locations may include:

• A front-facing upper gable
• Dormers with clear termination points
• A projecting bay or secondary mass
• A porch gable that needs greater definition
• An addition that should relate to, but remain visually distinct from, the main house

Random accent rectangles can make the exterior appear remodeled in pieces. Specialty siding should explain the architecture, not merely announce that another material was purchased.

Resale-Friendly Does Not Mean Colorless

A resale-oriented exterior does not have to be beige, gray or stripped of personality. The safer objective is controlled contrast. A distinctive accent can make the home memorable without requiring every buyer to embrace an unusually complex palette.

Installation Quality Can Matter More Than the Upgrade Story

A buyer is unlikely to be reassured by premium material if the exterior shows crooked courses, uneven transitions, loose panels or poorly resolved penetrations. Visible workmanship problems can raise questions about the concealed wall assembly.

PEPA, formerly the Vinyl Siding Institute, provides installation resources for polymeric cladding and emphasizes following manufacturer instructions. For polypropylene siding, product-specific requirements take priority over generic habits developed on other siding materials.

• Confirm that the substrate is flat and suitable.
• Address deterioration before covering the wall.
• Integrate the water-resistive barrier and flashing correctly.
• Keep courses level across visible elevations.
• Allow required movement at fasteners and terminations.
• Use deliberate trim at profile and material transitions.
• Leave the site clean and retain labeled spare material when practical.

Documentation Can Reduce Buyer Uncertainty

A clean project file is not visually dramatic, but it can make the improvement easier to explain during a sale. Keep:

• The signed contract and final invoice
• The installer’s business and contact information
• Permit and final-inspection records, where applicable
• Product name, profile and factory color
• Installation and completion dates
• Before, during and after photographs
• Gentek warranty documents and claim instructions
• Care and cleaning instructions
• Labels from any retained replacement panels

Documentation does not certify that every installation detail is correct. It does help distinguish a planned improvement from an unexplained recent alteration.

Understand the Warranty Before Advertising It

Gentek describes Fairhaven Sound as carrying a lifetime limited transferable warranty. The complete warranty governs, including transfer procedures, coverage periods, exclusions, claim requirements and available remedies.

Sellers should not advertise the siding as having an unrestricted “lifetime warranty” without reviewing those terms. A transferable limited warranty is not the same as unlimited coverage for every future owner, every kind of damage or every associated labor cost.

Before listing the home, confirm which warranty version applies, whether a transfer action or deadline exists, and what documents should pass to the buyer. If uncertain, contact Gentek’s warranty department and retain its response.

Repairs May Offer a Better Pre-Sale Decision Than Full Replacement

If the existing exterior is fundamentally sound, a complete specialty-siding project immediately before listing may not be financially justified. A seller may receive more practical benefit from correcting obvious defects, cleaning the exterior, improving trim transitions and addressing water-management concerns.

Ask a local real estate professional whether the current exterior condition is affecting marketability. Then compare that opinion with written contractor estimates. The relevant question is not simply, “Will new siding add value?” It is, “Which exterior problem is preventing this particular property from presenting well in its expected price range?”

When Full Replacement May Be More Defensible

A larger project may deserve consideration when several conditions exist together:

• The existing cladding has widespread damage or failure.
• The wall requires access for water-management corrections.
• The current combination of materials visibly fragments the house.
• Replacement will resolve unfinished additions or incompatible repairs.
• The homeowner expects to remain long enough to enjoy the improvement.
• The budget does not depend on recovering the full project cost at sale.

Even then, specialty shakes and scallops should be selected for architectural fit—not because they are assumed to generate a premium dollar-for-dollar return.

Questions to Ask Before Designing for Resale

1. Is the exterior solving a condition problem or merely following a trend?
2. Which features already give the house its strongest identity?
3. Would one shake or scallop accent be more effective than several?
4. Does the palette coordinate with fixed materials that will remain?
5. Will the proposed trim preserve depth around windows and doors?
6. Has the wall been inspected for concealed deterioration?
7. Can the project be installed, permitted and documented properly?
8. What does a knowledgeable local real estate professional think buyers in this price range expect?
9. Does the project remain affordable if the eventual cost recovery is lower than hoped?

The Bottom Line

Gentek shakes and scallops may support resale by improving architectural definition, exterior condition and curb appeal. Their contribution cannot be isolated from the quality of the design, installation, documentation, neighborhood and broader housing market.

Design for coherence first. Resolve defects, use specialty profiles selectively, coordinate permanent exterior materials and retain the project records. A buyer may never calculate the value of each shake panel, but that buyer can recognize an exterior that appears intentional, sound and responsibly maintained.