By best, I really mean most cost effective. The current siding is the cheapy wood siding used for barns or storage sheds sometimes. The house is 25 years old, and the siding has started to rot in many places. We're looking to redo it this fall. We're considering vinyl siding, sheet metal (like on barns), or going with the same stuff that's currently on the house. I don't really want to go that route and have the maintenance it will require. But we are on a tight budget, and don't want to sink a whole lot of money into the house. We plan to build in 4-5 years, and this house will probably be torn down. I will be able to get the metal at builder's cost and we can do the work ourselves. Vinyl will have to be hired out.