Air Cooling Systems to Add Value to Your Home
October 15th, 2009 at 05:40 am
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I know it seems like a scary decision to put air-conditioning into your building. it is a large investment, and many people ask me the question, does this air-conditioning installation add price to my building?
I then answer the question with a question. I ask them, If you were looking at a building that you liked that had central air-conditioning and then look at another building of similar price and that building does not have ductless air throughout the building, which building would you feel more inclined to purchase?" The one with the air conditioner unit system of course.
As to the question of does it add price well the answer is that is generally adds a higher perceived price to the building. you know what i mean, the thoughts go through your head "Oh , wont it be lovely never to worry about the temperature outside ever again. I can be warm and cosy or cool and calm. This leads me to the concluding that in what I think, if you install a ductless air-conditioning system into your building you will increase the price of your building, and at the very least, make it a lot easier to sell.
Photo credit: ductlessairconditioners.org
While there are certainly many ways to cool a house (window systems and open windows work for us on good days), we made a decision back when we bought the house that we'd install central air conditioner unit. The basic reason was our own comfort (Chicago+August=Yuck!), but long term resale price and controlling humidity was also a consideration. Knowing this, we started our research early on, including a visit to the vendor expo at the Renovation & Restoration Expo last summer at Navy Pier. It turns out that finding reliable information is tough, but in the end we did find good answers and helpful folks out there.
Another option for cooling your building is to use window systems. These are small, semi-portable systems that are installed in the bottom section of a window and draw air through the system cooling the temperature and blowing it into the room. The condensation is drained outside from the back of the unit as is the heat vented out of the room. These small window type air conditioner unit units are effective for small rooms but typically are not powerful enough to maintain a consistent temperature in a larger room or throughout more than one room. For older buildings or buildings that currently don’t have the duct-work and space needed to install a conventional or whole house air conditioner, these window systems may be all that is required. Since they are not a permanent fixture in the house they may or may not be included in the sale, however they also don’t add any price to the house.