New Mexico first-time buyer finds a long list of repairs after a routine inspection

"Every single day something comes up."

A first-time homebuyer in New Mexico believed the home inspection had turned up nothing major. Once the move was complete, though, rain revealed leaks in six different places, adding to an already growing list of surprise repairs.

Here’s the situation

The seller had agreed to fix water damage downstairs, and the inspection also identified exposed wiring and railings that were not properly secured. In the buyer’s Reddit post on r/homeowners, they said the house had two previous owners and was more than 20 years old when they moved in during early June.

At first, the buyer felt the difficult-to-open windows were something they could live with. Other than that, the bathrooms seemed to work, and the heating and air conditioning were functioning at the time of the inspection.

But rain soon led to moisture damage around the windows, and water also came in through the pet door. Additional leaks appeared near areas that had already been repaired.

"Every single day something comes up," the original poster wrote. "I feel tired of hearing and seeing it. It just doesn't seem real."

More context

Settling in also brought doors that would not latch correctly and locks that did not match. Of the more than 10 keys the sellers left behind, only the mailbox keys worked. Part of the fence also fell down when the buyers first arrived at the property.

In the kitchen, the microwave light and vent did not work, and the dishwasher was not secured to the counter, causing it to tilt during use. A clogged dryer vent created another set of issues, including machine errors and a bad smell.

A broken smoke alarm appeared to need replacement of the entire unit. Elsewhere, the buyer found cracked stucco, uneven windows, and gaps under the doors.

The repairs, which also included repainting and taking apart a homemade storage structure, kept piling up. The experience left the buyers questioning a purchase they had once felt proud to afford in their early to mid-20s.

What can be done?

Commenters urged the buyer to focus on the most urgent repairs first instead of trying to handle everything at once.

One suggested a simple order of priorities: "First the water intrusion. Then the air intrusion. Then the windows."

In response to security advice, the buyer said they had already replaced all the doorknobs so the doors could be opened with one key. Another homeowner recommended having a locksmith rekey the locks and resetting the garage door opener.

For the confusing light switches, one commenter suggested smart switches. In their own home, they had used a label maker to mark what each switch controlled.

Another longtime homeowner said they still had attic insulation on their own project list. They explained that they handled essential systems first rather than trying to do everything at once, noting that removing wallpaper alone had taken a couple of years.

One commenter who had spent months uncovering problems wrote, "It gets better tho. after you fix the first 20 things you start to feel like you know the house, like its yours not just some strangers mess. still finding dumb stuff but now its more funny than soul crushing. you will get there."

Where can I learn more?

The New Mexico buyer is not the only homeowner to discover surprise repairs after an inspection. Similar cases have involved costly fixes, hidden damage, and water intrusion.

• A Maryland buyer paid $3,000 for an inspection, then faced $15,500 in repairs after moving in.

• A first-time homebuyer ran into roof, HVAC, mold, and sewer problems, leading others to warn them to walk away.

• After three floods and roof damage, a new homeowner advised buyers to inspect everything carefully.

• A homebuyer found $40,000 in hidden water damage, and commenters warned that insurance would not cover it.

• A Chicago condo buyer discovered rainwater entering a spray-foamed basement after closing on a duplex-down.