[MaShep]

We are looking at moving to Las Vegas (lots of sun) from Portland, OR (lots of rain). We recognize that the change in climate will be a drastic one for us, but we're also hoping to glean from the wisdom of long-time Las Vegas residents to figure out what we should look for in a home down there. Some "must haves" for a Las Vegas home would hardly be a consideration for a Portland home.

For example, how important are the following factors... and if important, what would be the preferable options(s):
- Direction the house faces (to get/avoid the sun)
- Gotchas with pools (i.e. things to look out for)
- Is it inadvisable to have any grass/shrubs/trees that you have to water?
- gotchas to look out for in regards to cooling your house as inexpensively as possible


In essence, I'm looking for hints so that when it does come time for us to buy a home, we don't move into it only to realize that we got "had" because we didn't know any better. If there are some things you wish you had known when you found the home you're in, please share!

Thanks in advance!!!

[jpk]

I live in the northwest and southwest too, so I can provide a few examples of things that are different between the two locations.

HVAC - In the NW it's optional. In the SW it's mandatory and having two units for the whole house is a plus. They will have less work and last longer by splitting the workload.

Window coverings - High-quality, solid hardwood shutters are considered an upgrade that adds to the value of the house in the SW. They block the sun and keep your house dark and cool during the peak sunlight hours. Some have external window screens installed. You don't generally pay up for nice curtains or anything not truly built in. If the house doesn't have any decent window coverings, consider that you will want to add them.

Roof - In the NW the roof takes a beating from rain and snow. You look for moss and mold and leaks and have to spend a fortune to replace cedar shake. Inspecting the roof in the NW is a big deal. I think it's less of a concern in the SW. In the SW, roofs are made of tile and you look for damage caused by heat and wind.

Insulation - In the NW you don't need any insulation (not really true, but almost). Older houses have shoddy insulation and folks do fine. In the SW it's critical to have plenty of high-quality insulation to keep your house cool. An attic fan to blow out hot air is a plus.

Yard/landscape - Trees that shade the house are a plus. Lots of grass is a matter of opinion, but will require lots of water to maintain. If you don't want a big water bill. consider removing the grass or buying a place with desert landscaping instead of a lawn. Yard sizes are similar in the NW and SW.

Natural gas - Having a nat gas hookup for dryer and outdoor BBQ is a plus. I don't see those often in the NW, but it's a plus you find in newer homes in the SW and saves you energy.

Carpet - I learned that due to the arid dry air, walking on nice plush carpet in your house will result in constant static electricity shocks every time you touch anything. Those zaps sting and drive me crazy! If the carpet looks really nice and brand new, it's not necessarily a plus in my book because you don't feel like ripping it out and putting in hardwood. Old crappy carpet isn't something you pay up for and screams to be replaced with hardwood or tile. The static electricity thing is just a pet peeve of mine.

Plumbing - The water in the SW is hard, whereas in the NW it's very soft. In the NW you just look to see if the pipes are old galvanized that might need to be replaced due to rust. (And the water heater is likely full of rust sediment too.) In the SW you want to look at the age of the home and see if it's been running without a water softener for many years. Even if the pipes are copper it may have loads of hard water buildup in the water heater and pipes.

I'm sure there are other things, but this is off the top of my head.

[Daddys///M3]

Originally Posted by MaShep

We are looking at moving to Las Vegas (lots of sun) from Portland, OR (lots of rain). We recognize that the change in climate will be a drastic one for us, but we're also hoping to glean from the wisdom of long-time Las Vegas residents to figure out what we should look for in a home down there. Some "must haves" for a Las Vegas home would hardly be a consideration for a Portland home.

For example, how important are the following factors... and if important, what would be the preferable options(s):
- Direction the house faces (to get/avoid the sun)
- Gotchas with pools (i.e. things to look out for)
- Is it inadvisable to have any grass/shrubs/trees that you have to water?
- gotchas to look out for in regards to cooling your house as inexpensively as possible


In essence, I'm looking for hints so that when it does come time for us to buy a home, we don't move into it only to realize that we got "had" because we didn't know any better. If there are some things you wish you had known when you found the home you're in, please share!

Thanks in advance!!!

Homes facing north/south will generally have less sun exposure than those that face east/west. Foliage is certainy feasible out here, and many homes have lawns and shrubbery. Automatic irrigation is definitely a plus. Solar screens, low E windows, and no air leaks around doors/windows will help keep down the cooling costs although depending on the size of the home it will still cost to keep cool.

[tortoise]

Where Does The Runoff Water Go?

If a pop-up monsoon season (July-August) storm dumps torrents of rainwater upgrade of your lot, will excessive flow migrate into your home?

[MaShep]

These are awesome tips! Thanks so much for your time and thorough responses. If anyone has others, I'm definitely still interested!

Thanks!

[rightonbro]

FWIW the master bedroom of the house I am in faces due east (I am in the SW and pretty much have nothing blocking the house in that direction). I keep getting woken up early due to the sun blasting into the room. It's a rental so I don't care as much, but when I buy, checking the orientation of the house is definitely near the top of my list.

[olecapt]

Any orientation can be lived with...some take more doing than others. Note that a south facing patio is the most difficult...you generally have to use roll down screens or something to block the afternoon sun. A north facing patio is the best in the heat.

One should in general block high sun from windows. So south, east and west windows should all be shielded from a high sun.

South and west windows are the most important. All of ours are treed as are the north and all but one east window. Trees work quite well. We use Mesquites which lose most leaves in the winter. The lower winter sun also gets into the south windows. Note that Mesquites are quite dirty and have to be cleaned up a number of times during the year. CA live Oaks are much cleaner though they do the acorn bit.

Any exposed southern or western window should have sun screens. They are not a good idea on the east and south where they just make rooms dark.

Interior shutters will save a little money...but they make the house dark.

Double pane windows with films are in order in Las Vegas.

You need heavy attic insulation. Newer homes are pretty much set but those more than fifteen years old should be checked. Attic fans are also common and effective in older homes.

In general single stories cost more to heat and cool than two stories.

Yards should in general have only limited turf. Some is nice but not a lot. In general plants should be individually watered with xeriscape heads. Spray heads only on turf and then not much. Buried soaker tubes can also be used on beds and such. The object is to avoid water in the air or exposed so it can evaporate.

I don't care for all desert yards but that is a matter of taste. I like a little grass for the dog and to sit on.

Note that it is quite easy to over water in these systems. I just had a friend diagnose some sickly roses as over-watered. Sure enough. Cut it back and they are coming back like mad. A trickiness of the xeriscape systems. You never see any puddles so you need to judge from the plant conditions.

[lvkewlkid]

Originally Posted by olecapt

In general single stories cost more to heat and cool than two stories.

shouldnt it be the other way around, in every 2 story we had to run the a/c/heat even harder because all the warm air rose to the top and the bottom floor was still 20 degrees cooler, and when the a/c was on, it was only cooler on the bottom level...

our first 2 story in seven hills (3500 sq ft) cost 350 a month for electric

the second one in gvr (1600 sq ft) cost 275 a month

now we are in a single story (1000 sq ft) costs 100 a month, maybe it has to do with the sq footage but we have always been told the opposite...especially since 2 stories nowadays have been cheaply constructed with only 1 zone a/c

[jpk]

Originally Posted by lvkewlkid

shouldnt it be the other way around, in every 2 story we had to run the a/c/heat even harder because all the warm air rose to the top and the bottom floor was still 20 degrees cooler, and when the a/c was on, it was only cooler on the bottom level...

our first 2 story in seven hills (3500 sq ft) cost 350 a month for electric

the second one in gvr (1600 sq ft) cost 275 a month

now we are in a single story (1000 sq ft) costs 100 a month, maybe it has to do with the sq footage but we have always been told the opposite...especially since 2 stories nowadays have been cheaply constructed with only 1 zone a/c

See my point above about looking for 2 AC units. A single unit will work overtime trying to cool a two story.

[olecapt]

Zoned systems save money over unzoned ones. There are however ways to zone without having two units. It is the most common way however.

I see no actual advantage to two units rather than one other than zoning. If used efficently one unit is generally a little better than two...

Note that a two story simply has a smaller roof than a single of similar size. Effectively the top store acts a a second attic to the lower story. So the upper floor of a two story is insulated as well as the single story and the lower story is actually insulated a whole lot better.

This is also one of these "all things being equal" situations. It is easy to find a set of circumstances that may make a two worse than a similar one. But in general ones have higher A/C and heating bills than twos.