Unimportant Things to Look Past During a Condo Search

Choosing to buy a condo in New Orleans may be a dream come true. However, if you go into the search with specific things in mind and you don’t understand what’s important and what not so important, you could miss the perfect condo for you.

Often, home buyers seek condos because they want to live a specific lifestyle or they want to stretch their dollar further. Condos often come in at more affordable prices and they don’t require the same maintenance as a single-family home.

While there are some things that simply are not that important, there are some things that are. When shopping for a condo in New Orleans, always pay attention to:

•          The information provided about the HOA
•          The association fee
•          The number of vacant condos or condos for sale in the building

The HOA could make or break your decision and the association has to be factored into your budget. It’s also important to pay attention to the vacancies and condos for sale. There could be a reason why so many residents want out.

While you want to pay attention to these important factors, along with the location, amenities and overall feel of the building, some things are simply not important. Here are a few things to look past when you’re searching for a condo for sale in New Orleans.

Anything Cosmetic

Walls can be painted to fit your needs, small cosmetic issues can easily be fixed and lighting issues causing the condo to feel dark can also be fixed. The paint color can make a condo look great or horrible in a hurry. However, it can be changed for a few hundred dollars and you can truly get what you want before you call the condo home.

Anything Personal

If the condo has personal items in it from the current owner, ignore them. Those knick-knacks and collections will be gone before you move in. While it can be hard to look past some of these types of items, it’s important to do so as the condo could be great, but cluttered with junk you won’t have when you move in.

Great Staging

While sellers should use stagers to make their condo look appealing, as a condo buyer, you have to look past the staging. It can be easy to buy into the fantasy, and then you move in only to find out the condo doesn’t look nearly as appealing.

Stagers may set up the condo with luxurious items, such as silk drapes, beautiful throw pillows, fresh flowers and other items. These can make you feel like you’re in a luxury condo when it’s really not as luxurious as you think.

In addition, don’t fall for the trick of the smaller furniture. Some stagers will purposely use smaller furniture to make you feel like the room is larger than it really is. You can figure this out pretty quickly just by getting out a tape measure and checking to see if your furniture will fit.

It’s also important to note that stagers will often use certain items to divert your attention away from damage or something in need of repairs. Make sure you look past the cosmetic items and see the condo for what it really is.

The cosmetics of a condo for sale shouldn’t matter much, unless there are holes in the walls or other major issues. However, you don’t want to simply walk in, think it’s pretty and sign on the dotted line. Make sure everything works properly including faucets, appliances and lighting. Remember, you can add lighting to take away the darkness, but lights that don’t work could be a sign of a larger issue.

Hire a Real Estate Agent

Sometimes, condo buyers in New Orleans neglect to have a real estate agent help them because the condo building has a sales staff. While the staff at the building may be helpful or seem helpful, they represent the seller or building, not you. It’s important to hire your own representation so that you get a fair deal without feeling taken advantage of after the sale.

With a good New Orleans real estate agent on your side, you won’t have to worry. Your agent will know what to look for and they are more immune to the pretty and shiny from staging than you may be. As an expert, your agent will make sure everything has been fully inspected and you’re buying a good condo perfectly fit to your specific needs, wants and your budget.

While there are some things you should look past and ignore when searching for a condo in New Orleans, hiring a local real estate agent isn’t one of them. Always hire an agent to help you and you’ll gain the protection, negotiating skills and sound advice you truly need when making such a large financial decision.