Do you like to change your mind? Are you into low maintenance? The answers to these questions will tell you which way to go with your home's exterior. Paint or siding. Both are great choices for covering your home's exterior. Your decision should be based on a number of factors. If you're a homeowner who values the flexibility of being able to change the color scheme of your home's exterior, then paint is the way to go. But if the idea of repainting your home every few years is daunting, then siding may be your best bet. Either way, here are some things to consider when choosing the right exterior coverage for your home.

THINK EARTHY Earth tones enhance the richness of a home's architecture while not competing with its style. A Victorian home, for example, commands attention by the sheer intricacy of its lines, angles and trim. If you paint your Victorian home bright teal, you're forcing people to look away from the architecture and focus on the home's color.

STAND APART If your home looks like most of the others on your block, you may want to consider using color to set it apart. But don't go overboard. If you like blue, opt for a soft shade with gray tones and use a more vivid color on the trim.

CREATE A PALETTE Stick to two or three colors: body, trim and perhaps an accent. A pleasing, easy approach is tone-on-tone, which uses different shades of the same color for body and trim. In a five-color strip from the paint store, the body could be the fourth-deepest shade and the trim the second-lightest. Accent architectural highlights with a third color from the strip.