For those who just can't stand the thought of putting vinyl siding on their home or want to maintain the original look, fiber cement siding may be a better fit. Fiber cement siding can look really good and even close up it imitates the wood grains nicely. If you live in an older neighborhood where the homes are preserved in the original state, fiber cement siding can be a great alternative. You wouldn't want to put siding up that will look completely different than your neighbor's, along with the worry that the vinyl siding decrease the value of your home as well as the value of the surround homes. This would be bad both for your resale and also your friendships.
There are still a few things that still should be considered when choosing siding. Fiber cement siding is pricier than, say, vinyl siding; however it is still a great amount less expensive than re-siding with wood planks. Also, fiber cement siding is far more fire-resistant than vinyl or wood siding. This would be something to mention when getting homeowners insurance, as there may be a discount available for having fiber cement siding. And, fiber cement siding is still much cheaper than re-siding with traditional wood planks. You can repaint fiber cement siding, giving you many more design options. This is a good selling point if you are ever planning on put your house on the market. However, it generally does take longer to install this type of siding and usually is not a do-it-yourself type of job. Repairs, though, are something that can typically be done by the homeowner.