When I built in late 2004, it was a no-brainer for me: block & stucco.
Perhaps influenced by having lived in brick houses for as long as I could remember. Perhaps influenced by a sense of strength and stability in a block & stucco property in an area where hurricanes might come!
I also made sure that my blocks were insulated, with a spray-in substance.
I no longer have any idea how much "extra" this may have cost me, and, frankly, that was not a consideration when I was making decisions about the new house which would be my very last one!
After six years, I'm beginning to see some issues that may well require a "substantial" repair/rebuild layout! I haven't yet done any "power wash," but I am thinking about a re-painting, at least at sometime within the next three years!
When I built, the stick/siding Designer homes were not all that terribly much less expensive. I've no idea how the difference might play out, today.
SWR
