The easiest way to start siding your home is to pay next to nothing for the materials so you can hire someone to do it for you. Think about this for a second. You were already planning to spend some money on the materials and probably thought you’d save money by doing all the work yourself. This is a good idea, although you risk spending a lot of time and possibly getting it wrong. So the cost of cleaning up your mess will put you over your budget. So unless you really know what you’re doing or have a friend who does, you’re taking a pretty big gamble.
That brings us back to the question: Why not pay a professional to do the work for you? Sure, you originally planned to pay a high price for the wood or metal material you were going to use, but now that has changed. How can you save money on the purchase of materials? There are several ways. The easiest option is to use a synthetic material like vinyl instead of wood. It is less expensive and more durable, and can come in a variety of colors. Many people object because it doesn’t have that old-fashioned feel, but eventually this will go away as materials like Hardiplank and shingle will be a thing of the past.
The other option, and this one is much more difficult but necessary for those who refuse to give up wood, is to get some purchasing power. How can you do this? This is the same thing companies like Home Depot and Lowe’s do. They buy so much that the manufacturers sell them at a much better price. So you can post listings on eBay or Craigslist for anyone who is working with siding and paneling in their home. Gather them all together and plan to make one big purchase at a time. The savings will be so great that you will be surprised. Either way, you can afford to have someone install it for you.