Most siding conversations start with color and style, and those choices matter because you'll look at them every day. But the parts of a siding job you never see are what decide whether it lasts. Before you pick a profile, it's worth knowing what a proper installation includes.
Start behind the panels. Siding sheds most of the water that hits a house, but not all of it. The house wrap underneath and the flashing around windows, doors, and roof lines handle the rest. When those details are skipped or done carelessly, water gets trapped against the sheathing, and the damage stays hidden until boards are soft and the paint inside starts to bubble.
New Jersey's weather makes that especially important. We get humid summers, nor'easters that drive rain sideways, and freeze-thaw cycles all winter. Panels need to be nailed so they can expand and contract with temperature swings; siding nailed too tight will buckle and wave on the first hot afternoon.
Think about the trim at the same time. Soffit and fascia take a beating from overflowing gutters and are often the first place rot shows up. Replacing them with the siding gives the whole exterior a clean, finished look and closes the gaps where birds, insects, and water get in.
Finally, if your roof is also near the end of its life, consider planning both together. The joint where a roof meets a wall is one of the most common leak points on any house, and it's easiest to flash correctly when the roofer and the siding installer are the same crew.