Should I Worry About Bad Curb Appeal

[Keith Chew]

I found a house in which the numbers look good but my real estate agent has told me it has really bad curb appeal and that it would take longer to sell. How much should I take this into account for a buy and hold property. Will the bad curb appeal make it less likely to rent out?

[Mitch Coluzzi]

Forever yes.  Location is the only thing that matters more.  Have you ever browsed property listings and noticed the properties that skip exterior photos and highlight the interior instead?  Those are generally poor curb appeal homes.  The problem is... Your prospective buyers/renters first impression is on the neighborhood, by the time they reach your home they've already made part of their decision.  When they pull up in front, they just made another part... They're not even inside yet, but those two parts will influence the rest of their tour.

Can a nice house, at a great price in an awesome neighborhood overcome an ugly exterior?  Sure... but don't expect to be top of market.