According to the National Association of Home Builders, in 1995 home equity accounted for 44.4 percent of the typical household's total net worth -- far more than any other investment.

Housing has outperformed most other investments, making remodeling an even more popular choice for homeowners. Home prices have more than doubled in the last two decades. The continual gains in home value and historically low interest rates are two strong factors in homeowners' decisions to remodel.

Investing in your home may be an easy decision. Deciding where to start can be another story. Homeowners look to update the interior of their homes and improve the exterior. A great place to begin your investment is on the most maintenance-intensive part of the home, the exterior.

Older homes did not have the siding options we have today. Most were painted or sided with cheap materials to keep the cost down. After years in the elements, the exterior of many homes need to be repaired or replaced.

Here are some things to look for if you think your home is in need of a makeover:

• Does the home need to be scraped and painted more often?

• Is the current siding rotting, chipping or flaking off?

• Is the current siding warping or fading?

• Does the siding require more maintenance than it once did?

• Has dirt and moisture gotten between the seams or behind the siding?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to look into a home inspection from a professional siding company.

Siding companies today offer alternatives to scraping and painting. Seamless steel siding has many advantages over other siding products. Because it is steel it has the strength to withstand significant changes in temperature. Vinyl siding, on the other hand, expands and contracts at an alarming rate. It needs to be overlapped to allow for the movement of the siding creating ugly seams.

Like any other investment, it is important to research your product. When investing in steel siding, ask for references of previous customers. A list of completed projects will help the customer decide what colors and styles they like the most. Homeowners should contact the Better Business Bureau, which can research a company and inform the homeowner if that company has received complaints and what kind they were.

Last but not least, a homeowner should ask the siding professional if they carry workers compensation insurance. If not, and if there is an accident on the property, the customer's homeowner insurance policy will be responsible for the cost.

Professionally installed seamless steel siding will save time and money. Your home will look freshly painted year-after-year, be more energy efficient and virtually maintenance-free.