Homeowners in Norman, Oklahoma like their homes to work harder (and smarter!) for every hard-earned dollar they spend on maintenance and improvement. They're no longer looking for bigger spaces; instead, they want flexible, efficient spaces that create order. They're also looking for ways to preserve their weekends, by focusing on maintenance-free exteriors.

This week and next, we'll look at some home improvement trends which have been found by houselogic.com to improve the way homeowners live happily with their homes.

The hottest new thing is maintenance-free siding. It lives just as long as we do, and requires a lot less upkeep. One of the fastest-growing sectors of the siding market is a combination of cement, sand, and cellulose fibers, known as fiber-cement siding. It looks just like wood, but doesn't rot, burn, or fall prey to termites and other insects.

Fiber-cement siding runs around $5 to $9 per square foot, and has an 80% return on investment. Sure, it's a little more expensive than wood, vinyl or aluminum siding, but that's offset by the fact that it's virtually maintenance-free. Wood requires repainting every four to seven years; fiber-cement needs to be repainted every seven to 15 years. Other than that, you'll just need to clean and do a little caulking each spring!

Homeowners are no longer interested in “museum rooms” that are used twice a year (dining rooms and living rooms). Instead, we're looking for convertible spaces that change with our needs.

Foldaway walls turn a private study into an easy-flow party space. Walls can consist of anything from fancy glass panels ($600 to $1,600 per linear foot, depending on the system); or they can be simple vinyl-covered accordions ($1,230 for 7 ft. by 10 ft.). And don’t forget area rugs that easily define, and redefine, open spaces.

Lots of people are turning an extra bedroom into a laundry room. If you’re in the mood to remodel, that mudroom or extra bedroom can be used to house the washer and dryer, hang hand-washables, and store bulk boxes of detergent. A perfect space will already have plumbing hookups, or is adjacent to rooms with running water. This will save on plumbing costs.

Tune in next week for more hot remodeling tips. If you need help with refinancing your home in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Blanchard, Mustang, and Newcastle please contact me online, give me a call at 405-366-1111, or check out my website.