What Should You Know Before Buying a Home in Peoria, Arizona?

Buying a home in Peoria means taking on some maintenance issues that can be easy to overlook during a normal home tour.

The roof, solar panels, pigeons, hard water, AC system, and exterior condition can all become important once you actually own the property.

Here are a few things worth checking before you buy.

Check the Roof Carefully

Arizona roofs spend years exposed to intense sun, heat, wind, and monsoon storms.

During the inspection, pay attention to cracked or missing tiles, damaged underlayment, previous repairs, and areas where water may have entered.

If the home has solar panels, some portions of the roof may also be harder to see during a normal inspection.

It is worth understanding the roof's condition before you inherit a repair that could become expensive later.

Find Out Who Owns the Solar Panels

Do not assume that solar panels automatically come with the house.

Ask whether the system is:

• Owned outright

• Financed

• Leased

• Covered by another type of solar agreement

If there is a loan or lease, understand what happens when ownership of the house changes.

You should also ask about the age of the system, warranties, previous repairs, and whether the seller has recent production information.

Look Under and Around the Solar Panels for Pigeons

Solar panels can create protected areas where pigeons are able to nest.

From the ground, you may not be able to see the nests themselves.

Instead, look for pigeons repeatedly entering underneath the panels, concentrations of bird droppings, feathers, or nesting material around the roof.

A pigeon problem that has existed for years can leave a significant amount of debris underneath an otherwise normal-looking solar array.

If pigeons are already established at the property, it may be worth addressing the issue before or shortly after moving in.

Cheetah provides pigeon control and pigeon removal in Peoria for homeowners dealing with these types of problems.

Check More Than Just the Solar Panels for Birds

Pigeons do not only use solar panels.

Look around roof eaves, rooftop AC equipment, covered ledges, patio covers, and protected roof openings.

If you see heavy droppings concentrated around one section of the property, look above that area to see where the birds may be spending their time.

Catching an established nesting problem before buying the home gives you a better idea of what will need to be corrected later.

Ask About the AC System

Air conditioning is obviously important in Peoria.

Find out the age of the system, maintenance history, and whether any major components have recently been replaced.

If the AC equipment is located on the roof, also check the surrounding area for bird activity and debris.

Look for Hard Water Buildup Outside

Arizona homeowners commonly deal with mineral buildup from water.

Look around exterior faucets, irrigation systems, windows, pool equipment, and other areas where water repeatedly dries on surfaces.

If sprinklers are spraying onto windows, walls, or solar panels, mineral deposits can become increasingly difficult to remove over time.

Adjusting irrigation early can prevent additional buildup.

Check the Solar Panels Themselves

Solar panels can accumulate dust, bird droppings, pollen, and other debris.

A dirty system does not necessarily mean something is wrong with it, but it is worth inspecting the condition of the panels and asking when they were last cleaned.

If you are taking over an existing system, starting with clean panels also gives you a better baseline for monitoring them going forward.

Understand the HOA Before You Buy

Many Peoria neighborhoods have homeowners associations.

Before purchasing, review the HOA documents and understand the rules that apply to the property.

That may include restrictions involving exterior modifications, landscaping, parking, paint colors, visible equipment, and other property changes.

Knowing those rules before closing is much easier than discovering them after you move in.

Walk the Exterior, Not Just the Interior

Buyers naturally spend most of their attention looking at kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, and flooring.

Spend some time outside too.

Walk around the entire property and look at:

• Roof condition

• Solar panels

• Bird droppings

• Stucco

• Windows

• Irrigation

• Landscaping

• AC equipment

• Patios and shade structures

Small exterior issues can tell you a lot about how the property has been maintained.

The Bottom Line

Before buying a home in Peoria, look beyond how the house appears inside.

Understanding the roof, solar system, AC equipment, exterior maintenance, and any existing pigeon activity can help prevent expensive surprises after closing.

And if the property already has pigeons nesting underneath the solar panels or elsewhere on the roof, it is much easier to plan for the problem when you know about it before moving in.

For Peoria homeowners dealing with an existing pigeon problem, learn more about Cheetah's Peoria pigeon control and pigeon removal service.