Advice for newbie Phoenix house buyers? What are the "MUST HAVE's in Phoenix? (Tucson: landscaping, transfer)

[military spouse]

Originally Posted by RCR

Sunscreens attach to the outside of your house. They are much the same as the standard bug screen you get with your windows except the mesh design is different. You can order the screens in different percentages of darkening capabilities. I put on screens that block 90% of the sun and it really helps keep the rooms cooler. You can do less if you don't want your rooms that dark. In the winter when you want the sun to warm your house you just take them off. We have a 2000 sq.ft. single story house with 14 or 15 windows and did the entire place for about $600.

Cany you share the name of the company? I just got a quote for over $800 (single story) for 5 windows.
Thanks!!

[glamormom]

Originally Posted by military spouse

Cany you share the name of the company? I just got a quote for over $800 (single story) for 5 windows.
Thanks!!

We've lived here 7 years and our home is about 12 years old. We just replaced 5 sunscreens using Arizona Sun Screen (2nd time they've come out for us). 15802 North Cave Creek Road, Unit #1, Phoenix, AZ 85032. 602-971-7231. They have several finishes (ours are bronze) and high quality construction and clips (to the frame). Del is the person we deal with. Honest, very nice and did a great job. I paid about $350 for 5 new screens, which I thought was quite reasonable. They are supposed to last 12-15 years and they do not charge more for different finishes, all the same price, no matter what color you want (and there are several to choose from). HTH

[glamormom]

Originally Posted by Panks

Can everyone please advise on what are the must haves or must have nots when buying a home in Phoenix? What are the things that locals know that first time home buyers might overlook that are unique to a desert climate?

For example...make sure the house faces north or make sure you get a pool or make sure the roof is a certain type .or high ceilings are better/worse in the heat etc...

Thank you

We've lived here twice now, a total of 10 years+. Sunscreens on the windows, a must. Ceiling fans, a must. AC vs. evaporative cooling, a must. Evap doesn't work in late summer when it's humd and miserable out. Good insulation. Second the termite check, essential here, as is some type of insect control contract or DIY insect control (exterior spraying only now unless you have an infestation of some kind). We leave that to the pros who know how to protect themselves. Scorpions can and do get into homes (I was bitten last year in our bathroom), so ask if that's been a problem. It happens, no way to completely keep them out, esp if the home is in the "desert," or very natural area. It's their habitat. Spraying will only do so much. Their sting is extremely painful and in an immune-compromised person can be quite serious (I used tea tree oil on my sting and the pain stopped immediately. I told everybody!

SW exposure on a bedroom will make it very hot at night in the summer. Window coverings...plantation shutters are the most costly, they're custom, but beautiful and do keep the interior cooler. Otherwise, some type of good light blocking window covering, there or you do it later, will keep your carpet and furniture from fading, and the home cooler. ask if there is drip irrigation in the yard. Mostly that's what is used here, otherwise water just evaporates. Misters are nice, but unless you plan to spend a lot of time on the patio in summer, you probably won't use it much. It won't be a deal breaker kind of thing anyway, you can get them installed if they can tie in to the water line somehow. We stay indoors in the summer. The sun and heat are brutal (we're considering leaving for the summers), so we haven't invested a lot in our patio other than the usual furniture.

A covered patio will be cooler/shadier in summer, but cold in winter. In the winter, some sun exposed patio will be well used, when it's very nice out. In the shade it can feel quite cold. A pool can be a liability for some, a nice perk for others, esp with kids, but expensive to maintain, and they evaporate up to an inch a day of water. And the water must often be heated (it's so dry here), so that's an add'l and hefty expense. some people do "spools" here, a larger spa. Easier to keep covered and heated and filled. Pools here most often require a fence around them, if there is a pool, and no fence, it should be installed immediately if you buy, or ask the seller to assume the cost. Children drown here each year because of unfenced pools.

See if the garage is ventilated if there is a garage. I think the new building code requires a passive vent. Even passive ventilation will help reduce the heat load in there. Garages get incredibly hot here. We just installed an attic type fan in the wall of our garage, with a passive vent on the opposing side to assist air flow. It shuts off and on automatically when the temperature rises.

2nd the water softener. Water is extremely hard here, and some softener systems aren't designed to handle our type ofhard water (which does vary by area here, some is harder than others). Our softener doesn't work well, and we get spotting on fixtures and counters which is always having to be wiped up.

Ask about the age and maintenance of the AC system. It runs constantly in many homes during our long hot summer and if it dies on you on a 100+ day, it will be costly to replace it and next to impossible to get a guy to come out. He will be busy running to everybody else's house! This happened to us, so keep an eye on the AC units.

Obviously get a home inspection and home warranty and a separate termite inspection. we had a small termite tunnel on the stem wall in the garage of this home, which the sellers remediated before we signed. a monthly contract with a local insect control company will help reduce the risk of termites getting a foothold, but they are here and aggressive, so be aware. A termite contract should ideally be in place (not lapsed, so the barrier is intact).

Desert landscaping is much more water and environment friendly and reduces the use of allergenic plants (a huge problem here). It is "prickly" tho, so warn children about getting stabbed with cactus spines. Also educate children about dangerous wildlife here like coyotes, mountain lions (which are seen in outlying areas like ours sometimes), javelinas (look like pigs but are actually large rodents with sharp teeth and bad eyesight!), scorpions, poisonous toads and diamond back rattlesnakes.

There are major deals to be had in AZ real estate and a lot of homes on the market, new and used. Now is a good time to buy if this is where you want to be. Try to buy a home that is not too far from your job as commuting time can be excessive here. The valley is big and homes far from jobs means very high gasoline costs and wear and tear on your car, plus long, hot days sitting in traffic. It's only mid-March and it was 85 today. Rush hour is long. and it seems every other week some freeway is under construction (sometimes it seems like all at once!) we don't have as many freeways as older urban areas. And we've seen explosive growth in recent years, so there are a lot of cars on the road.

If possible, if you can find a home with trees nearby it will cut your cooling bill, along with sunscreens, good insulation, ceiling fans and a good AC unit (some homes have 2, as does ours). Some homes here use heat pumps, we have 2 combined AC/gas furnace units, something I'd never seen until I came here. You will cut down on scorpions getting into your house though if the home doesn't have (or you remove) vegetation that sits right up against the stucco. Although we get them anyway.

HTH a little

[Panks]

Thanks Glamormom! That was all superb information

[Great Joy]

Originally Posted by glamormom

Desert landscaping is much more water and environment friendly and reduces the use of allergenic plants (a huge problem here). It is "prickly" tho, so warn children about getting stabbed with cactus spines.

glamormom, wow, what a post! Lots of good info.

panks, about landscaping, please know you don't have to put cactus or other plants that are prickly in your yard. Since we have kids and a dog, we chose to put quite a few different types of non-prickly, beautiful, flowering, and low water plants and trees. Before we moved here, I was concerned that all we would see is brown, but there are actually many wonderful flowering desert plants and trees to choose from with colors encompassing the entire rainbow.

[Panks]

Thanks Great Joy! Thats really good to know since I've never liked cactus especially the polka dot one with the tufts of very thin brown spines! Takes hours to pull them out!

Can anyone please explain how a spool works? Do you keep it hot during the winter and cold over the summer? Does it have the currents that you swim against or is it just for splashing around to cool off? How much do they cost?

[RCR]

Originally Posted by military spouse

Cany you share the name of the company? I just got a quote for over $800 (single story) for 5 windows.
Thanks!!

I used Chandler Screen and Awning. We got a 10% discount through my Wife's work but the price was very good even before the discount.

[abmiku]

An appreciating housing market...if you buy be prepared to live there for at least 15 years before you can break even.

[RCR]

Originally Posted by abmiku

An appreciating housing market...if you buy be prepared to live there for at least 15 years before you can break even.

Where did you come up with that figure?? Perhaps you would like to share your crystal ball.

[sberdrow]

Originally Posted by SpeedyAZ

Basically everyone above summed it up.


-If you're thinking about solar panels, remember that it may or may not be cost efficient to do so depending on your initial cost, the size of your home, and the number of years you plan to live here.

-Heat rises so high ceilings are a plus in the summertime.

-Pools are a pro to some and a con to others, some like having a large yard while others appreciate the water in the summertime. Pools generally add little to the resale value of a home but sometimes help get a sale.

-Ceiling fans are a must-have down here.

-Skylights are very popular in kitchens of newer homes.

-Patio's are a must have if you like to entertain and are especially nice in the wintertime.

-Basements are rare and quite expensive to install but CAN be found if you absolutely must have one.

-Grass is usually found in the more upscale areas but remember if you have a home with grass and you want to keep it looking nice, you WILL have a high water bill.

-Open floor plans are quite popular, we like everything to flow from one room to another.

-Stone and Tile flooring is popular since hardwood needs protection from the sun.

If I can think of anything else, I'll add it.

who makes basement homes?