Saving One Penny at a Time: How to Pay Rent Without Paying Rent

Vinyl siding has got to be one of the nicest inventions ever made. It COMPLETELY transforms the look of a house. Well, after several years of having wood panel siding on my parents' house and shed, Dad made the executive decision to go maintenance-free.

Seeing as how I had my summers off, Dad enlisted my friend and me to do much of the work. Frankly, I found it a great idea since I don't pay rent and constantly eat Mom and Dad's food! I might as well pay my rent in the form of sweat.

Dad chose to go with Savannah Wicker for the color, and we first did the worst part of the house: the south side. The sun beat on this wood for years and years and years, and it was definitely time to be replaced. I don't have any "before" pictures, but the new look is quite nice.

The new siding. The house looks soooooo much better! (New geo-thermal just installed, too, hence the dirt!)

Due to the amount of time it took Dad and me to do this side just ourselves, he opted to hire a contractor to do the remaining work on the house. But he was left with a rather ugly brown shed in pretty poor shape. So while the house was going to be finished by a contractor, my job was to do the shed.

Fine by me!

Installing siding is really not all that hard. You need a good tape measure, a great pair of snips, time, and a helper (so much easier if you have one!). So my college friend and I tackled this project. The siding that went up, the easier it was to finish the project. This shed was being transformed before our very eyes.

Dad received some free windows from the building supply company, so those were a nice addition.

All in all, we had a great time replacing the siding and shingles. I acquired yet another skill, and Dad's shed is now good for another 30 years. My uncle came by and installed the soffit for a finishing touch.