Expert: Dave Johnson - 8/30/2009

Question
Hello again.  I'm still trying to buy a house and I know that it's this is the time to buy.  However, the only house that I have liked to the t is an older home built in 1943.  It doesn't have an attic, so the air conditioning has been added under the house.  Well, the vent where you change the filter is in the living room on the floor. (My husband didn't like that.) We had seen a house where the air conditioning was run through the inside of the closets and that looked very sloppy.  This house does not look like the work was done sloppy, but it worries my husband.  Would this be costly to fix in the long run? I must admit that this house is the cutest, most liveable house so far without any visible repairs needed.  It doesn't have that musty smell that a lot of the older homes has. And then there's the addition in the back that has a separate air conditioning unit outside. So would the electric bill run high because of this? (total living space is 1850 sq.ft.) I noticed that the house had been bought in 2006. I think that it was flipped and now is for sale.  It is a lovely house, except for the problems that I stated above. And could another electric meter be installed to read the electricity being used in the back? ( I would like to rent it to my 21 year-old college student who wants to live independently and who has to pay rent and utilities like any renter has to.) Or what advice can you give me asap as this house has been shown all day long because it is well-maintained, and is centrally located?  I would greatly appreciate your prompt response.

Answer
Esther,
This would be so much easier for you if you contact local people for prices on such things as A/C and electricity costs.
As far as another meter, there has to be all separate wiring in the area that the new meter will service.
I hope you don't think I'm "blowing you off", its just that costs vary so much from area to area and company to company...
Dave