Utilities, Heating and Air Conditioning???? (Phoenix: apartments, lease, how much)

[enattitude]

I am moving to the Phoenix, AZ area in late Jan. I have found many Apts. that fit the Budget. Nothing to write home about.

Then I find a bit of paradise in the midst of all the jungle. The prices are above what I can afford, but they include utilities, which would sort of even things out.

But I can't decide if I have no idea how much the bills would be??

If I would come out the same in the nicer places, if they pay, rather than the less desirable and I pay. Easy choice, I'll take the nice place.

So does anyone have any ideas on what the monthly basic charges for a simple studio or 1 bedroom in the downtown/ north Phoenix area would run?

Electric/Gas, water, trash. Basic phone, cable and internet are luxuries.

I don't do the 35 degrees in the summer, or crank the heat in the winter. Clothes and layers work fine.

Help!!!! I am running out of time.

Thanks for any advice or ideas

[ivanabacowboy]

All depends on the location, what floor it is on, how well it is constructed, age of the building, which elevation gets the direct sun exposure...whole lot of stuff.

I have a 2 br south facing unit. About 1100 or 1200 sf. Second floor. My last electric bill was like $40. Gas was like $15 or something (and also I have gas heat, stove and laundry--this is one of the few buildings in Phoenix area I looked at that had gas, most were all electric). My water/trash bill (they bill them together) was like $16.

Cable/internet: Not sure. Havent gotten my first bill yet. But I know in Ohio I was paying like $105 so I suspect it will be in that range.

Phone: Dont know. I didnt get a land line. I only use my cell.

[sablebaby]

I have only seen the less desirable apartments to have utilities included, never the nicer more desirable ones.

[BillyBaroo]

Originally Posted by enattitude

The prices are above what I can afford, but they include utilities, which would sort of even things out.

An important thing to look at when you consider an apartment, especially with utilities included. A lot of people that move to Arizona aren't familiar with evaporative cooling. It's a different beast from real air-conditioning. They work during the drier months of summer but become less effective during July and August when the humidity increases. Make sure to ask what kind of cooling system the complex uses. Also, look for an actual thermostat on the wall. Avoid the places with a switch you set to low, medium, or high, that's a sure sign of evaporative cooling. You'll see that on a lot of apartments with utilities included.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by BillyBaroo

An important thing to look at when you consider an apartment, especially with utilities included. A lot of people that move to Arizona aren't familiar with evaporative cooling. It's a different beast from real air-conditioning. They work during the drier months of summer but become less effective during July and August when the humidity increases. Make sure to ask what kind of cooling system the complex uses. Also, look for an actual thermostat on the wall. Avoid the places with a switch you set to low, medium, or high, that's a sure sign of evaporative cooling. You'll see that on a lot of apartments with utilities included.

Close but no cigar, Billy

My Swamp Cooler has a thermostat very similar to the thermostat for the Heat Pump.

and you are absolutely correct . . . Swamp Coolers are fine except for July and August. I usually just use mine as a exhaust fan and rarely turn the water on . . . great when I burn something in the kitchen. ! ! ! !

[BillyBaroo]

I didn't know that you could hook up a thermostat to a swamp cooler. That would be nice. Ideally, I'd like to have a system with both types of cooling systems. I would think that could save a lot of money.

I remember in 1985 when we first moved to Phoenix, I moved into a utilities paid apartment with my friends. It was $325 a month and the four of us shared one bedroom. I was making $4.25 an hour and we were having the time of our lives with all that disposable income (beer).

That apartment had a swamp cooler (we were from Illinois and had no idea what that was) with a switch for low or high. It worked great, for a couple weeks, until the monsoon came. After that, I don't think the temperature ever got much below 90 degrees in there. The wall in the bedroom had a western exposure, we called it "the wall of heat". During the evening it would radiate so much heat from those block walls that we couldn't use almost half the bedroom.

Luckily, we were on a month to month lease. So we saved up our money (didn't buy beer one weekend) and moved into a three bedroom townhouse near 43rd Avenue and Thomas for only $425 a month. We were really moving up now after living near 23rd Avenue and Camelback. I'd love to show my kids the places where I first lived when I moved to Arizona, but I'm afraid we all could get shot while driving through there.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by BillyBaroo

I didn't know that you could hook up a thermostat to a swamp cooler. That would be nice. Ideally, I'd like to have a system with both types of cooling systems. I would think that could save a lot of money.

Yep, "dual cooling" is great . . . especially during Spring and Fall evenings when fresh cool air is available. I use it more for the fresh air than the electricity savings but that is something to be considered.

When I purchased this place about ten years ago, I had the entire system (Heat Pump and Swamp Cooler) replaced and the thermostat was part of the package. As I posted earlier, I usually use the Swamp for air only, rarely use the water option but it does come in handy when the humidity is in single digits.

[enattitude]

Originally Posted by BillyBaroo

An important thing to look at when you consider an apartment, especially with utilities included. A lot of people that move to Arizona aren't familiar with evaporative cooling. It's a different beast from real air-conditioning. They work during the drier months of summer but become less effective during July and August when the humidity increases. Make sure to ask what kind of cooling system the complex uses. Also, look for an actual thermostat on the wall. Avoid the places with a switch you set to low, medium, or high, that's a sure sign of evaporative cooling. You'll see that on a lot of apartments with utilities included.

I have had swamp coolers, window units, fancy units with a seperate thermostats for different parts of the house to none at all. Simple oscillating fans and ceiling fans work also. I am curious what you consider humidity? And I think all the apartments I picked to look at are in the areas mentioned.
Forest Park and Timbertree were two that offered utilities included.

I fell in love, if you can with an Apartment sight unseen, with Forest Park and even more with Fountains in the Green. Both out of my budget, but maybe possible?

I am a terminal transplant patient and a nice place to spend the next few years would be nice. Still, have to be practical. A fixed income is just that-fixed.

From what ivanabacowboy says, the utilities are much less than Vegas for basically the same climate.

Just hope I am headed in the right direction. I would really prefer a 1 bdrm vs. a Studio and of course an East West exposure. And washer/dryer hookups. Hey, I'm not asking for much

Any further ideas. Am I in the totally wrong area of town? No car, so public transport is very necessary. And of course a way to get to the Mayo Clinic.

Thanks all.

Peace Out

[enattitude]

BillyBaroo,

If the utility bills you posted are accurate for a almost 1200 sq. ft. apartment, that is darn cheap. Was that for a partial month?

What is the catch? Forrest Park looks like heaven, with utilities included. Am I going to go to be looking in a neighbor hood with gunshots every night?

Sorry to bother so much. This is a big move for me right now. I have lived in almost every State, but never when I was so ill. A challenge, to say the least.

Thanks again for all the input

[enattitude]

Or maybe I have Billy mixed up with Cowboy?

Anyway, Thanks all!