What to Look for When Buying a House in New Orleans

How to objectively and thoroughly check the house you’re considering buying for existing and potential problems.

If you’re looking for a home in a competitive market such as New Orleans, chances are you’ll be shown a deep-cleaned, well-staged, and nice-smelling house. Don’t be a passive observer and treat an open house like a museum trip. Look beyond the stainless steel and sparkling surfaces — under the rugs, inside cabinets, behind furniture.

Any home inspector worth his or her salt will detect roof leaks, old wiring, or wonky foundation, but there’s an array of less obvious issues that can negatively affect your day-to-day living.

There are many home-buying checklists available online, but how many include New Orleans-specific house requirements? Before you start putting money down for those home inspections, take advantage of our entire list, or skim for items particular to the New Orleans area.

Neighborhood Specifics

• Once you buy, you can change lots of things inside your house, but not the location. Depending on what’s important to you and your family, check the options for the school district, public transportation, libraries, shopping, navigation by bike, and parks.
• Are there vacant lots or abandoned properties nearby? You can view blighted property in New Orleans via blightSTATUS. Do you like what you see? If not, are you willing to live with it? Walk around at different times of the day to get the feel of the neighborhood and how safe it is.
• Does your neighborhood have a Home Owners Association? What are the dues? Are there any restrictions to what you can and cannot do?
• Is privacy really important to you? How close are your nearest neighbors? Check the views from windows and walk around the house.
• Is the house close to the airport? A major highway? Train tracks? A music venue or bar? What’s the noise level going to be and what’s your specific tolerance level?

Exterior

• What is the orientation of the house? Its position will determine how much natural light it gets and can help you determine how hot and cold it will be inside during different seasons, which will affect your heating and AC bills.
• What does the yard look like? With our subtropical climate, having trees that provide shade in the warmer months can make a big difference; however, tree limbs that touch or hang just above a roof can prematurely age shingles and cost you thousands.
• Is the driveway big enough to comfortably fit your vehicle? Check the length and width of the driveway. If the size is not ideal, is there street parking?
• Is there a lawn irrigation system? It’s good news if there is one because it can significantly reduce the cost of watering your lawn.
• What’s beyond the property line? Are there trees that’ll grow bigger? The greater New Orleans area is famous for its live oaks, red oaks, and crepe myrtles, but ask local homeowners how these specific tree roots have damaged patios, driveways, sidewalks, and even foundations. Also, tree roots on top of the underground water or sewer lines can translate into a future expensive fix.
• Is this a busy street with lots of traffic? This could mean lots of noise and may keep your kids from playing outside.
• Take considerable time to closely examine the exterior of the foundation and walls for potential termite tunnels. Formosan termites, which cost the New Orleans area $300 million in damage every year, run rampant in some areas of the city. (Indoor signs of infestation include paint bubbles, sagging floors, hollow sounding studs, or actual termite wings.)
• Is it wood, vinyl, or metal? These will last varying amounts of time before having to be replaced. Wood needs to be painted and maintained every 5-10 years. Vinyl doesn’t need to be painted but lasts much longer (30 years is common). Metal lasts even longer and typically doesn’t need to be painted either.

Interior

• What are the sizes of the rooms? One of the purposes of staging is to make the rooms appear bigger. Have your own furniture sizes handy to make sure the pieces would fit, and measure the rooms with a tape measurer if necessary.
• Does the outdoor-to-indoor flow feel comfortable? Can you move inside from the outdoor areas with ease? Are there sliding doors? French doors? Do they open easily? Are they in good condition? If one day you’ll want to add a pool or a deck, would it be possible with the current layout?
• How much light does the house get? Are the windows well placed? Are there enough of them? See the house at a different time of day after the initial viewing to get a better idea of how much light it lets in.
• Is there adequate closet and storage space? Historically, a lot of older New Orleans homes didn’t have any closets so this could be an issue. Can you live with what’s available? Would you be able to add more if necessary?
• Where are the ports and the outlets? Are there enough of them? Would you have to put in additional ones?
• How many thermostats are in the house? Ideally, there should be at least one per level for adequate heating and cooling on each floor. Does the house come with a smart thermostat?
• Are there any extensions? Those could mess up the original construction and the drainage, causing leaks. Make sure you know exactly what’s been done, by whom, and when.

Electrical

• Are there smoke detectors? Test them. Newer houses usually have the more modern versions with longer life batteries and better alert systems.
• Are there three-pronged outlets? The house may be historical, but the wiring doesn’t have to be. Find out if the home has outdated knob and tube wiring, common in older New Orleans homes, which can make a house more of a fire hazard than its newer counterparts.
• Is the circuit breaker properly labeled? This could save you time when you need to power things down and generally indicates that the previous owner was on top of routine maintenance.

Water

• What’s the pressure in the sinks? Shower?
• What are the capacity and the fill rate of the hot water tank? Small tanks and a low British thermal unit usually mean you’ll be running out of hot water faster.
• What’s the gallons per flush number (GPF) in the toilets? Older toilets can use up to 7 gallons, while the newer, high-efficiency models use only up to 1.28 GPF.
• Is the water heater gas or electric? Gas is cheaper and easier to maintain. Check that the efficiency is in the 80% range or higher. If it’s electric, also ensure that it meets efficiency standards.
• What is the average water bill? If it seems high, consider contacting the Sewerage and Water Board to schedule a meter reading or check for leaks.

Potential Red Flags

While mold and water damage are hard to hide, cosmetic enhancements and certain staging tricks can hide smaller problems. Those should be taken seriously, however, because they could slowly eat away at the house (and your budget).

Here are some common red flags to watch out for:

• Peeling paint or window condensation. What it means: Excess moisture due to poor interior ventilation, which could create mold and lead to allergies.
• Cracked concrete, stained hardwood floors, soft drywall. What it means: the house could have previously flooded. Be sure and verify the flood zone the house is located in, and look for signs of previous damage.
• Lots of rugs. What it means: Floor damage. Look under the rugs to see if there are any stains or scuffs, especially if there are pets in the household.
• Windows or doors stick when you try to open them. What it means: Improper installation or even foundation issues. Replacing windows is also expensive.
• Signs of neglect of routine maintenance. What it means: Windows that need recaulking, leaky faucets, a dirty air filter in the HVAC system, and burned out bulbs could mean that home maintenance was ignored and larger problems could be lurking behind.
• Uneven floors, cracked floor tiles, and large cracks in the walls. What it means: While tiny cracks in the walls, especially above windows, may mean that the house is simply settling, larger cracks are telltale signs of a foundation issue.
• Too much scent. What it means: What is the seller hiding behind that cloying scent of a candle, air freshener, potpourri, or fresh baked cookies? Could be smoke, pet odor, or mildew.
• Lots of houses for sale nearby. What it means: It could indicate that homeowners are fleeing some persistent issues in the neighborhood — something that’s definitely worth researching and asking neighbors about.

Even the house of your dreams could end up being a money pit and a major time investment if you don’t consider certain details before you buy. Sure, you’ve probably done your homework and have a list of needs and preferences — but how can you be sure the house you’re looking at is the right one?

If you know what to look for — thoroughly, objectively, and quickly — you can identify existing issues and signs of potential problems. By doing so, you’ll be able to evaluate what you could and couldn’t live with, and whether you should put in an offer and pay for a full home inspection. Enlisting the help of an experienced New Orleans real estate agent would allow you to assess the property realistically — and without emotional attachment — and move away from the wrong fit towards the good potential buys.