Thirty-four percent of respondents to a national NAHB survey on homebuyer trends ranked brick as their preferred home exterior; vinyl siding placed second at 21 percent, followed by stone at 16 percent, stucco at 12 percent, wood at 7 percent and fiber cement at 5 percent. Ranked by price point, brick was tops among home exteriors in the $150,000 - $499,000 range, while vinyl was preferred in the $150,000 or less range; brick ranked second to stone in the $500,000+ range, with stucco in third place.

A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) showed a nationwide preference among consumers for clay brick exteriors. Brick ranked number one over vinyl siding, stone, stucco, wood and fiber cement, scoring highest nationally among all ages, races, income levels and household types.

The NAHB's Economics and Housing Policy Group conducted the online survey, titled "What Home Buyers Really Want," last July. Regionally, brick ranked highest in five out of nine census divisions including the South, West and Pacific areas, placed second behind vinyl siding in parts of the Northeast and Midwest, and was second to stucco in parts of the West.

"The study shows that home buyers trust brick to deliver on all fronts," said Gregg Borchelt, president and CEO of the Brick Industry Association (BIA). "There's no substitute for genuine clay brick."

Even though adding a brick front to a house could cost consumers more than aluminum, vinyl siding, wood or fiber cement, the study indicated that consumers preferred brick 60 percent more frequently as vinyl, and 4.5 times more often than fiber cement. Brick was preferred more than twice as frequently as stone, which is typically two-thirds more costly than brick.

An earlier 2010 study by the NAHB Research Center comparing moisture resistance among eight different residential exteriors also found that clay brick veneer was most effective in moisture resistance and dryness, performing the best overall in controlling moisture.