4 ms·

But it doesn't get cold... why do you need insulation? /s (Yes, I realize that northern California can be snow-bound in the higher elevations) Seriously thou

But it doesn't get cold... why do you need insulation? /s (Yes, I realize that northern California can be snow-bound in the higher elevations) Seriously though, I watch a few builders on YouTube, and the amount of insulation they put on spec homes is the minimal amount they can get away with. A shame, considering how you can get a home well enough insulated that you could heat it in a Canadian winter with a hair dryer.

kayodelycaon 4y ago
Temperatures in Silicon Valley can easily get into the low 50s. That gets pretty uncomfortable inside. My uninsulated 1930s house in Ohio holds heat better than my friend's Palo Alto apartment.
- boldlybold 4y ago
  Low 30s in Palo Alto and Menlo Park where I live. Cold enough to have frost on windshields or grass early in the morning. Biggest change for California weather was the delta between day and night!
Gravityloss 4y ago
Do people calculate total cost of living, including heating and cooling electricity? Or AC size? There's some SAAS opportunity there...
- falcolas 4y ago
  Sadly, right now people are happy to have the roof, regardless of the ongoing cost. And landlords... they'll just pass those costs on to the renters.
  - Gravityloss 4y ago
    But surely, if you're thinking of buying house A or B, the actual monthly costs should be a very big part of the decision, and affect the price you can pay for each house (size of mortgage payment). Say, after salary, taxes, food you have 1000 euros per month that you can spend. There are two houses, where in one, you can spend 500 on mortgage and 500 on energy bills, and in the other, you can spend 700 on mortgage and 300 on energy bills. But if you just buy the house that has 500 on mortgage because "it's cheaper", it's not actually cheaper in total. This should also interest banks that give people mortgages. Also, if you rent that house out, if the energy cost is directly part of the rent, the house with the higher energy cost has a higher rent, hence it's less attractive. Again, market forces. So in reality, you can get more profit out of the house that has the lower energy cost, because in reality, the cost is not be passed directly to the renters.

kayodelycaon 4y ago

Temperatures in Silicon Valley can easily get into the low 50s. That gets pretty uncomfortable inside. My uninsulated 1930s house in Ohio holds heat better than my friend's Palo Alto apartment.

boldlybold 4y ago
Low 30s in Palo Alto and Menlo Park where I live. Cold enough to have frost on windshields or grass early in the morning. Biggest change for California weather was the delta between day and night!

Gravityloss 4y ago

Do people calculate total cost of living, including heating and cooling electricity? Or AC size? There's some SAAS opportunity there...

falcolas 4y ago
Sadly, right now people are happy to have the roof, regardless of the ongoing cost. And landlords... they'll just pass those costs on to the renters.
- Gravityloss 4y ago
  But surely, if you're thinking of buying house A or B, the actual monthly costs should be a very big part of the decision, and affect the price you can pay for each house (size of mortgage payment). Say, after salary, taxes, food you have 1000 euros per month that you can spend. There are two houses, where in one, you can spend 500 on mortgage and 500 on energy bills, and in the other, you can spend 700 on mortgage and 300 on energy bills. But if you just buy the house that has 500 on mortgage because "it's cheaper", it's not actually cheaper in total. This should also interest banks that give people mortgages. Also, if you rent that house out, if the energy cost is directly part of the rent, the house with the higher energy cost has a higher rent, hence it's less attractive. Again, market forces. So in reality, you can get more profit out of the house that has the lower energy cost, because in reality, the cost is not be passed directly to the renters.