A/C use Costs: Small Place/Storage Unit vs. Renting Larger Place (Phoenix: to rent)

[argon76]

Hi All,


First time posting here. I am moving to Phoenix next month and I am torn between renting a small place which may be nicer (ie; 2 bed condo/townhouse with amenities) vs. renting a single family home (ie: 3 bed with more storage space).


Biggest concerns are small place has no storage (ie; have to rent offsite unit) but would be less $$ to cool in the summer.


Larger place has room for all the stuff but would be much more $$ I assume to cool (assuming a ranch house).


Am I overthinking this or what? Any advise is appreciated.

[patrick85395]

There are many factors (e.g., home size, ceiling height, sun exposure, tinted windows) I have a 2000 sq ft property, single story, 10 ft ceilings, a pool and a north/south orientation, 10 year old A/C. High Summer electricity bill is approximately $250+/month.

I also have a 3500+ sq ft single story, 10 ft ceilings, pool with 3 pumps, solar panels, new A/C, tinted windows, north/south orientation....pre-solar bill ran 650/month. Now bill runs about $300/month mid-summer...it just depends....in your case, I'd opt for the larger home...just becuase I hate storing stuff , but that's me.

[ElleTea]

I’d go with the bigger place, too. As already stated, how much you will pay to cool depends on many factors of the building itself, and your personal tolerance level of the heat. For instance, I am fine with the AC being on 80-82 during the day if I am inside watching TV with a fan going, 74-76 or so at night. Some people might not like it that warm inside. You didn’t say where you are moving from, but due to the general low humidity you can have the AC set at a higher temp than places in more humid climates. At my last house in the Midwest, 76 was the highest I could go with the AC during the summer. Also, you learn to cool the house down overnight when the sun is gone and to make sure you take advantage of your utility company’s best energy saving plan.

During the non-summer your utilities will be much lower, and once you factor in the cost to rent a storage unit, you probably won’t save much (if anything) in the long run.

[argon76]

Thanks for the replies.
I am definitely leaning toward the larger house. Nice to have all your things in one place.
I am moving from Ohio which is about the same temperature as Phoenix right now but with 30% more humidity. I am sure I would be able to tolerate the interior temperature a bit warmer than I would here due to the humidity factor alone.

[Ponderosa]

Annual average cost rule of thumb is $10 per 100 square feet (crude but reasonable). So a couple hundred square feet larger would cost you about 20 bucks more per month. You won't find a storage unit for that.