[quote=Eugene]It was 42 °F in Scripps Ranch last night. 39 °F the night before. Subtract a couple of degrees for Stonebridge. The smallest floor plan in Serenity is 4040 square feet. Unless builders go out of their way to insulate their houses (insulation thickness above what’s recommended for San Diego, triple glazed windows, hand-fitted weatherproofing strips on all doors), you’re looking at a $500/month cooling bill in the summer and a $500/month heating bill in the winter.[/quote]
I haven’t looked inside new developments but from what I’ve heard from people who have bought into them in South County, they are NOT very well insulated and DO NOT have triple-paned windows. In some cases such as in a condo, there is no insulation at all. I can tell by a drive-by how cheap some of the windows are and also the small size of windows used which pale in comparison to the older construction. I have also heard complaints of very narrow staircases, making it difficult to move larger furn. upstairs. And then you have the “space-saving” tandem garage design (3-car separated), that you can’t park in front of and still get into the other garage – LOL.
Our temperatures didn’t recently dip that low down here, even in 91914 and 91915. It does get hot out there though, probably at least ten degrees hotter than central Chula.
A $500 utility bill is astounding!!! Mine avgs. $55 a month year round and I have abt. 2200 SF. I would venture that the high ceilings, wasted alcoves/space and poor inland location are contributing to that problem.
Does anyone know how much an annual fire policy with a guaranteed-replacement-cost rider with $1000 deductible costs in Scripps Ranch for say, 2500 SF?? Just curious.
