What is your utility bill? (Wichita, Topeka: mobile home, neighborhoods, buying)

[Roccaluma]

I am considering a move from where I am, in California. When homes are 500k for a junky small lot home and mobile home parks charge $700 a month for space rent, that is the time for me to leave. I have lived in Kansas in the past. To get a better idea of costs, what does it cost in the winter and summer for heat and ac. I imagine getting a house with 800 sq feet. I would run the ac enough to be very comfortable as well as heating it to be comfortable. So could you please tell me the sq footage with your monthy cost?

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by Roccaluma

I am considering a move from where I am, in California. When homes are 500k for a junky small lot home and mobile home parks charge $700 a month for space rent, that is the time for me to leave. I have lived in Kansas in the past. To get a better idea of costs, what does it cost in the winter and summer for heat and ac. I imagine getting a house with 800 sq feet. I would run the ac enough to be very comfortable as well as heating it to be comfortable. So could you please tell me the sq footage with your monthy cost?

To where in KS are you moving? That will make a difference.

Regardless, 800 sq ft houses (that aren't run down shacks) are pretty tough to find. Basic starter homes in most areas of the state be it the more dense areas of Wichita, Topeka, or the burbs of KC or the smaller towns around the state, are typically 12-1500 sq feet. But the good news is that you will find housing much more affordable here.

For a small house, I'd budget about $150 per month for utilities (gas/electric/water - sewer and trash is sometimes included with water, sometimes not, just depends on where you live) That should do it for most months.

In most places you can also request "level" billing where they average you over the whole year and charge you the same every month. They adjust it once a year based on actual usage, but some people prefer this over swings in their utility bills.

[Roccaluma]

Denver was 240 a month for everthing, which is very reasonable. That covers electricity, phone, gas(propane), cable, and internet. That is very reasonable. Denver gets me a good figure for the winter, I dont know if it really gets hot enough in Denver to run the ac all the time in the summer. Dallas was $340 for its average. However those figures average in very large homes with smaller ones so I am thinking that my utility bill electricity and gas(propane) in Kansas for a small home might be at most $120 in the summer.

[Roccaluma]

Thankyou for the input. I am trying to be as careful as possible about my possible move. And I am very into shacks. I worked in construction and can do or learn everthing. I could reroof, reinsulate, paint and put up sheetrock all day long if that is what is needed.

[geekychick]

There are some smaller track homes in Derby, KS like on ElPaso drive. You will spend about 125 tops for gas and elec.

In Andover, I have a 2200 sq ft all -electric home and the electric avgs out to 100.00 but during a really cold or really hot month it could go up to 150.00.

An 1250 sq ft appt in Topeka avgs 55.00 for elec and 55.00 for gas.

[quesera]

It all depends on how well insulated the home is, too. Our house is about 1500 sq ft with a full basement. During the summer, electric runs around 270/month, and propane is virtually nothing (only heats water in summer). In the winter (propane prices fluctuate, of course), we paid as much as $2.60/gal for propane, with a 200 gallon minimum purchase, and that lasted about 6 weeks. Propane is now $1.30/gal, so it won't be such a kick in the seat. Water/sewer/trash, propane and electric are all separate bills, from separate companies, here in tiny town, north of Topeka. W/S/T averages $110/month.

[Samantha S]

Originally Posted by Roccaluma

Thankyou for the input. I am trying to be as careful as possible about my possible move. And I am very into shacks. I worked in construction and can do or learn everthing. I could reroof, reinsulate, paint and put up sheetrock all day long if that is what is needed.

That's great! But honestly though, you will still want to be careful about buying a "shack".

It's one thing to buy a starter house that needs work in an otherwise nice neighborhood. But you don't want to sink money and muscle into rehabbing a house in an area where you are surrounded by other run down shacks, crime, drugs, etc. That's not worth the investment.

But I'm probably not telling you anything you don't already know ...

Best of luck to you!

[WildcatNmyheart]

I have a 2800 sq foot 4 bedroom home that is ALL electric....summer it runs about 180 a month and winter it runs about 250 to 300 a month to heat....mind you that this is for a family of five and we work opposite shifts so there is no break in regards to turning down the heat when no one is home. Water bill/trash is about 110 a month. Our first house was a little house with about 745 square feet......was over 60 years old and in the winter the gas bill alone ran about 300 a month. The windows were so bad that you could sit on the couch and feel the air coming through them. My advice is to call when you find a house you like and see what the average utility bills run on it. I found a house one time and did that and we ran for the hills when we found out the average pay. We paid the price our first house for not doing this.

[seastorm]

Lots of homes of this size in topeka ...they are in anywhere from 50,000 on up range in good areas if you look for them.... Some need work and some are in great shape...I have seen lots the last several months as my son is looking....I recommend calling as above blog mentioned...also depends on insulation and how warm or cold you like it. Certainly cheaper than California. I have a good sized house 4+ BR'S so my amts really wouldn't apply...

[Roccaluma]

I did see a few high numbers but they were for big houses, and the water sewage trash seems high. And I have lived in all black neighborhoods(90%), and it was not that bad, I only had one incident in 2 years. I am white. It might have helped that my car was a complete disaster, so no one wanted to steal it. I do everthing myself, so if a window was bad, i would spend the $200 or so to replace it myself with a double paned window.