Among the age group, 53% mentioned they might choose to color to enhance the appearance of their houses. In the over 55 age group, solely 35% mentioned painting was their hottest job. The most popular ways of going green included choosing energy-efficient appliances at 29% and low VOC paint at 27%. The third hottest House & Home Improvement News choice was putting in an energy-efficient furnace with 14%. Almost half of the owners (49%) stated they preferred to hold out most or all of the work themselves to get one of the best return for their investment.