5 ms·

The other problem is utility bills. These anti-big-house people complain how people don't need giant houses, but they completely ignore how horribly inefficien

by Arizhel 10y ago

The other problem is utility bills. These anti-big-house people complain how people don't need giant houses, but they completely ignore how horribly inefficient older houses are. It probably costs a lot less to heat and cool your McMansion than it would a 50-year-old house that's half the size. I really wish it were easy to find nice, well-built, efficient, modestly sized houses in neighborhoods where you don't have ex-cons living next to you, vicious dogs running loose, etc. That just doesn't seem to be the case.

nommm-nommm 10y ago
That seems suspect. How much does it cost to heat and cool a McMansion in dollars? I live in a 2000 square foot 75 year old house and my utilities are very reasonable.
- hfsktr 10y ago
  When I lived at my grandmother's house (rented from her), the utility bill was almost as much as rent through the winter (I think the highest I saw was about $500 one month). The house is from like 1890 or whatever and they did add insulation and all but the heater was on a lot.
  - nommm-nommm 10y ago
    How many square feet was the house? I don't know if that's compatible to heating a McMansion though. I just did the math with my past bills and, amortized, I spend about $200 total on utilities a month. That's water, electricity, and oil. I have no special upgrades to my house. It gets fairly cold here. I have the aforementioned 2000 square foot (which I consider big) 75 year old house. I keep the heat on 68 when we are home. It gets hot in the summer and we use window air units.
    - hfsktr 10y ago
      I just looked up the realty listing and it says it's 2100 sq ft. In the summer the bill was < 100. We get a lot of snow up here and I am betting that even though they added insulation the roof leaked ridiculous amounts of heat. I don't live there anymore luckily.
      - nommm-nommm 10y ago
        In climates with seasons you really have to do a yearly amortization to get a true idea of utility costs. A lot of oil and propane companies around here actually let you sign up for a plan that lets you pay them your amortized costs year-round. A few friends of mine love those plans, I prefer to pay the upfront cost to fill the tank and not bother. My grandma's house had exactly the same problem, the roof was rotted and actually had a hole in it, you could see the outside from the inside. She didn't have the wherewithal to get it fixed though, unfortunately. She would just put down buckets to catch the water when it rained. All houses need regular roof maintenance!
pc86 10y ago
My house was built in 1920 and I spend more on my car payment that I do on all my utilities combined. Even if you buy a house that costs a lot of heat or cool, it's at most a weekend project per room to rip down drywall or plaster, put in new/better/any insulation, and re-drywall.
- Arizhel 10y ago
  You can't do that if you don't own the house. A lot of us are renters because we have no intention of staying in the same place for 10 years.
- RUG3Y 10y ago
  That depends. In a lot of places, if you expose any wiring (aka, rip out drywall) you need to get a building permit and inspection for the work you're doing.

by Arizhel 10y ago

nommm-nommm 10y ago

That seems suspect. How much does it cost to heat and cool a McMansion in dollars? I live in a 2000 square foot 75 year old house and my utilities are very reasonable.

hfsktr 10y ago
When I lived at my grandmother's house (rented from her), the utility bill was almost as much as rent through the winter (I think the highest I saw was about $500 one month). The house is from like 1890 or whatever and they did add insulation and all but the heater was on a lot.
- nommm-nommm 10y ago
  How many square feet was the house? I don't know if that's compatible to heating a McMansion though. I just did the math with my past bills and, amortized, I spend about $200 total on utilities a month. That's water, electricity, and oil. I have no special upgrades to my house. It gets fairly cold here. I have the aforementioned 2000 square foot (which I consider big) 75 year old house. I keep the heat on 68 when we are home. It gets hot in the summer and we use window air units.
  - hfsktr 10y ago
    I just looked up the realty listing and it says it's 2100 sq ft. In the summer the bill was < 100. We get a lot of snow up here and I am betting that even though they added insulation the roof leaked ridiculous amounts of heat. I don't live there anymore luckily.
    - nommm-nommm 10y ago
      In climates with seasons you really have to do a yearly amortization to get a true idea of utility costs. A lot of oil and propane companies around here actually let you sign up for a plan that lets you pay them your amortized costs year-round. A few friends of mine love those plans, I prefer to pay the upfront cost to fill the tank and not bother. My grandma's house had exactly the same problem, the roof was rotted and actually had a hole in it, you could see the outside from the inside. She didn't have the wherewithal to get it fixed though, unfortunately. She would just put down buckets to catch the water when it rained. All houses need regular roof maintenance!

pc86 10y ago

My house was built in 1920 and I spend more on my car payment that I do on all my utilities combined. Even if you buy a house that costs a lot of heat or cool, it's at most a weekend project per room to rip down drywall or plaster, put in new/better/any insulation, and re-drywall.

Arizhel 10y ago
You can't do that if you don't own the house. A lot of us are renters because we have no intention of staying in the same place for 10 years.
RUG3Y 10y ago
That depends. In a lot of places, if you expose any wiring (aka, rip out drywall) you need to get a building permit and inspection for the work you're doing.