When you first walk up to a new building, you can tell a lot right off the bat by looking at everything around it. That first impression right off the street will tell you the age of the building (or last major remodel), the general condition of the infrastructure and how well you will be able to deal with the building managers.
- If a building maintains their landscaping budget they are likely maintaining their budget for all building maintenance items.
- A sparse exterior (when there is room for greenery) implies a very bare bones approach to managing the building.
- An overly ornate and decorated exterior may show an eye for sales and marketing but miss on the details of running the building.
- General cleanliness notes a staff on top of the details and likely the same throughout the entire facility.
These are not hard and fast rules but indications that can ensure that you ask the right questions as you go through a tour and think about the building as a final home.