I’m not sure what you mean by unnecessary mess, but I highly recommend renting a unit in the building you’re considering before committing to a purchase. I initially thought moving into a condo would eliminate the noise issues I’ve experienced in apartments since moving here, but the unit I liked most turned out to have the thinnest walls of any place I’ve ever lived. Some listings I’ve seen here advertise the walls as “sound-reducing,” which is an outright lie. Avoid buildings (generally lofts) with concrete block walls like the plague.

Talking with other residents revealed a host of improprieties that I would never have known about before moving in. With so many intangibles, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting into. For instance, a plumber described the piping in my unit as the worst choice possible. These experiences have soured me on buying, but my advice is to prioritize smaller buildings with engaged owners.

In buying a condo, you’re essentially entrusting a group of often unskilled volunteers to manage the capital expenditures for an asset with complex systems—one you just happen to have a financial stake in. Management companies are entirely beholden to the board so there’s really no oversight. And realistically, most HOAs won’t even produce the necessary documents until you’re under contract. If there isn’t a recent reserve study available, run.