The exterior upgrades with the strongest return in Woodbury and Stillwater right now are fiber cement siding, energy efficient window replacement, a new garage door, and a redesigned front entry, in that order. Homeowners in these two east metro communities are asking for the same thing for different reasons: Woodbury’s 1990s and 2000s builds are aging out of their original materials, while Stillwater’s older river town homes need updates that respect the historic character of the neighborhood without looking out of place next to it.
Why Exterior Remodels Look Different in Woodbury vs. Stillwater
Woodbury and Stillwater sit next to each other on the east metro map, but the housing stock could not be more different. Woodbury is largely newer construction, built from the late 1980s through the 2010s, with a lot of vinyl siding, builder-grade windows, and garage doors that were never meant to last 25 to 30 years. Stillwater’s core neighborhoods include homes from the 1880s through the 1950s, many with wood lap siding, original trim details, and a downtown historic district where exterior changes are visible from the street and from the river.
In Woodbury, the conversation is almost always about replacing materials that have reached the end of their service life: siding that is fading or warping, windows that fog between the panes, and garage doors that no longer insulate or operate quietly. In Stillwater, the conversation is about matching or improving on original character, choosing siding profiles, trim widths, and window grille patterns that look correct on a home built a century ago.
What Exterior Upgrade Gives the Best ROI?
According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2024 Cost vs. Value report for the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, garage door replacement returns the highest percentage of cost at resale among exterior projects, followed closely by fiber cement siding replacement and a new steel or fiberglass front entry door. Vinyl window replacement also performs well, particularly on homes where the original windows are single pane or original to construction.
| Exterior Upgrade | Best Fit For | Typical Timeline | Resale Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Hardie fiber cement siding | Woodbury homes with aging vinyl or wood siding | 2 to 3 weeks | High, among the top returning exterior projects nationally |
| Energy efficient window replacement | Both markets, especially pre-2000 construction | 1 to 2 weeks | Strong, plus lower heating and cooling costs |
| Garage door replacement | Woodbury builder-grade doors 15+ years old | 1 to 2 days | Consistently the highest returning exterior project |
| Front entry and door redesign | Both, high visual impact for the investment | 1 week | High, especially paired with siding or trim work |
| Deck replacement or addition | Both, especially homes backing to green space | 2 to 4 weeks | Moderate to strong depending on materials |
How Do You Match Siding and Trim to a Historic Stillwater Home?
Matching an older Stillwater home starts with the original trim profile and siding reveal, not the material itself. Fiber cement siding is manufactured in narrow lap profiles that closely mimic the original wood clapboard found on most pre-1950s Stillwater homes, and it takes paint the same way wood does, which matters for a neighborhood where color choices are often visible from the bluff or the river.
“On a historic home, the goal is never to make it look new. It is to make it look correctly maintained,” is the standard New Spaces gives homeowners in Stillwater’s older neighborhoods, where a mismatched trim width or the wrong window grille pattern stands out immediately next to a century-old neighbor.
Windows: Energy Performance Without Losing Character
Modern double and triple pane windows can be built with historically accurate grille patterns, deep-set profiles, and trim that matches original millwork, so homeowners get Minnesota’s winter performance requirements without a home that looks like a modern retrofit. This matters most on Stillwater’s bluff-facing and river-facing homes, where wind exposure makes window performance a real comfort issue, not just an energy bill line item.
Woodbury: When Siding and Windows Need Full Replacement
Woodbury’s newer housing stock generally needs full material replacement rather than character-matching. Original builder vinyl siding installed in the 1990s and early 2000s is frequently past its expected lifespan, and the same generation of vinyl windows often has failed seals showing as fog or condensation between panes. A full siding and window package addresses both at once and is the most requested exterior project New Spaces sees in Woodbury.
What Does the Exterior Remodel Process Look Like?
New Spaces follows the same Needs, Wants and Wishes® process for exterior work as for interior remodels: a discovery conversation about what is failing or frustrating about the current exterior, a design phase with material and color options, and a fixed-price build. Our design-build process means the same team that specs the siding and windows also manages the crew on site, so there is no gap between what was designed and what gets installed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an exterior remodel take in Woodbury or Stillwater?
A siding and window package typically takes 2 to 3 weeks from start to finish, weather permitting. Garage door replacement is usually a one to two day job, and a full exterior refresh combining siding, windows, and an entry door redesign generally runs 3 to 4 weeks.
Do I need a permit for exterior remodeling in Stillwater’s historic district?
Homes within Stillwater’s designated historic district may require design review before exterior changes are approved, particularly for anything visible from a public street. New Spaces coordinates this review as part of the design phase so it does not delay the build schedule.
Can I do siding now and windows later?
Yes, though doing both together typically reduces total cost through shared scaffolding, permitting, and crew mobilization. Many Woodbury homeowners choose to sequence siding first and windows the following season if budget timing requires it.
What siding color options work best for a Woodbury home?
Woodbury’s newer architectural styles generally support a broader range of contemporary colors, from warm grays to deeper navy and black tones that have become popular on 2000s and 2010s construction. New Spaces brings physical siding samples to the design phase so homeowners can see true color in their own light.
How Does Curb Appeal Affect Resale in the East Metro?
Curb appeal drives the first impression in every buyer’s decision, and appraisers and agents in both Woodbury and Stillwater consistently note that exterior condition affects perceived home value even before a buyer walks through the front door. In Woodbury, where inventory tends to compete on similar floor plans across a subdivision, a distinctive, well-maintained exterior separates a listing from three others on the same street. In Stillwater, a historically appropriate exterior on an older home signals to buyers that the rest of the property has likely been maintained with the same care, which supports pricing at the top of the local range.
New Spaces has completed exterior remodels across the full east metro footprint, including Woodbury, Stillwater, Lake Elmo, Cottage Grove, and Oakdale, giving our design team direct experience with the material and code expectations specific to each community. See finished exterior work alongside kitchen remodels and basement remodels in our project gallery, since many homeowners pair an exterior refresh with an interior project during the same build season.
Ready to Plan Your Exterior Remodel?
Whether you are replacing aging siding and windows in Woodbury or matching original character on a historic Stillwater home, New Spaces designs and builds exterior remodels across the east metro with the same fixed-price, single-team process used on every project. Learn more about our exterior remodeling services or contact us to schedule a design consultation, or call (952) 898-5300.