Estimate for Hardie? I didn't but only b/c we got got the painting done for "only" $8k (note that I have a dutch colonial: brick 1st floor, only painting to be done was 2nd floor (white cedar shingles) and tiny kitchen porch railings and 6 window shutters.) This was after estimates for $15k and $12k IIRC. If we were planning to stay here long term I'd definitely reside next time. (Would research to see whats new first. There's a faux cedar shingle called "Cedar Impressions" another 1920s house used. They also have color choices like Hardieboard. That home looks new still - been at least 5 years since they resided. In another part of my town with tear downs/new construction: all have composite siding - so I'd go find out what they have. I don't ever see new builds with wood siding here.) As I get older anything I can do to make maintenance easier/less often is worth considering. I'd guess that the labor hours for residing is similar to that of painting - so probably wouldn't cost that much more. (Labor is, by far, the biggest cost to paint - sounds like in your area too as goodness knows paint doesn't cost $15k.) But finding a skilled carpenter is probably harder than finding a painter here.

Your house looks to be in very good condition, and is a very nice looking house, that lacks curb appeal. You really need landscaping there. What you have is almost non existant. Put in some bright colored flowers, and some nice shrubs. Maybe add a few flowering trees to your front yard, etc. It will change the look a whole lot. Maybe also a brighter color on your front door, too. It just looks very plain and bare there, but, your house itself is very nice.

We painted some samples on the house and now we are leaning towards Sherwin Williams Backdrop on the body of the house. We like that it looks a little grayer than Warm Stone. We feel like we have to go with something at least that dark because the house is surrounded by trees that drop a ton of stuff on it, and we have the Georgia red clay to deal with, too. Now we are struggling with deciding what colors the garage doors, fascia and gutters should be. Should we use the window trim color (Morris Room Grey) or use the body color (Backdrop)? We have plans to replace the garage door and roof eventually, but we need to figure out what looks best for now until we can do that. All advice is welcome!

If I were to consider fiber-cement siding for a traditional New England house I would look at Hardie Artisan siding. Its a bit more than 40% thicker (5/8 vs 7/16) than regular Hardie siding. The Lap (4, 6 & 8" exposure) and Beaded Lap (7" exposure) versions have T&G end joints so the seams should not be an issue. The other versions (7" V-groove, 9" Shiplap, 9" Square Channel, 9" Bevel Channel) all have horizontal "lock joints" so they're easy to install and the end joints should not be an issue. All of these versions can be mitered at the building corners. The window trim should be 1" (5/4) cellular PVC or composite with a similar sill added. The Artisan sidings are primed and will need to be field painted and eventually repainted so I don't know why they are considered low maintenance; I would call them moderate-maintenance. As for cost I suggest not asking if something is more expensive than another thing but competitively bid both designs and see what happens. For me the alternative would be factory dipped stained white cedar shingles. They will not need to be stained after installation and should be restained every 20 years whether they need it or not. For more specific advice you should post the design of your house.