Is that even a question?

Every condominium resident has his or her own feelings towards what to spend the Corporation’s money on and why or when to take money out of the reserve fund.

But when it comes to preserving the value of the asset, I don’t think it’s a good time to be cheap…

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.”

That’s something we’ve all been taught since childhood, and it can be applied to all walks of life other than reading, such as dating, or searching for real estate!

Perhaps you should actually go inside the house before you make a snap judgment about it from standing on the sidewalk!

Well, there is something to be said for curb appeal.

When it comes to condos, I feel that curb appeal is far less important than with houses, and I may go as far as to say there should be little or no value applied to curb appeal.

Who really cares what your building looks like from the outside, anyways?

Well in the case of one of my favorite buildings in the St. Lawrence Market, I think a lot of people are being turned off by how it looks from the outside.

330 Adelaide Street East is in the heart of the St. Lawrence Market and is one of the most affordable buildings that I know of.

It doesn’t have a cool name like “Mozo” or “Rezen,” even though it sits directly across the street from those two condos.

But the prices in this building are very reasonable, and the units are well laid out, spacious, and all have very large kitchens and grand principal rooms.

I have put three clients into this building in the past 18 months, and all are happy as clams.

So what is my issue with the building?

It’s dirty.

Really, that’s it.

The building looks awful from the outside as it is covered in soot and dirt from God knows what.

Brick buildings have given way to sleek glass towers as developers change pace for 2010, but I used to think the pink-brick style of 330 Adelaide Street was rather unique.

A quick look at the building in its current state, however, shows it to be in need of a serious power-wash:

Does this look like a ten-year-old building to you?  It looks a heckuva-lot older from this photo!

This building used to sparkle with its beautiful pink brick!  Why not restore its former lustre? 

So what would be the cost involved with doing so?

What would it cost to hire a few thrill-seekers to dangle on ropes from the top of the building and spray the brick with water at 2100 pounds per square inch?

I’m of the mindset that the cost is negligible when you’re talking about preserving the value of this building via the residents’ individual units.

The maintenance fees at 330 Adelaide Street are probably the lowest in the area; around $0.47 per square foot.

And while most people believe the fees are low because there is no full-time concierge to pay, and minimal facilities to look after, I think it’s because there are a few upgrades and renovations that should have or could have taken place, but haven’t.

The decor in the hallways isn’t the nicest to speak of, and it could stand to be upgraded.

Every condominium is different, but most buildings in the St. Lawrence Market area have replaced their carpets in the past 5-7 years; although it would seem that 330 Adelaide Street has not.  The striped yellow wallpaper doesn’t tickle me the way it surely is intended either.

Sitting on a Board of Directors at a condominium is no easy task.

You have to answer to residents who shoot first and ask questions later, and then you have jerks like me who get on their blog and call out the Board’s actions…..or in this case inactivity.

But I think that the Board at 330 Adelaide Street should investigate what it would cost to clean the front of the building, as I can speak to the fact that a few of my clients have recently turned their thumbs down when looking at the condo from the outside.

I always preach, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but many already have their minds made up.

I’ve always been a huge fan of 330 Adelaide Street.  I literally live kiddie-corner on the block of King/Sherbourne/Adelaide that makes up King’s Court.

I’m not knocking this building, and I don’t want the residents to think I am!  For the record – I love 330 Adelaide!  The location is great, the layouts and floor plans of these units are probably the best in the area (I’ve yet to see a “bad” layout), and the prices are super competitive.

But the time has come for the Board to spend some money, and if maintenance fees rise, then so be it.

They’ll still be the lowest fees in the area, and the residents will have a shiny new building to show for it…