AZ Real Estate Market Heating Up

Ok, so we had our first 100 degree day recently, big whup…. Around here, that is child’s play.

For many, the a/c has been cranking for weeks, but for some, they hold out as long as possible. I can tell you one thing, if you are selling a home right now, don’t try to “cheap out” and turn the a/c up to 85 or 90 when you leave for work in the morning. Try to keep it cool, it could help.

Last week, I was looking at homes in Tempe with a friend / client and was glad that many of them were occupied. As you know, there are many parts of town and a few price ranges where the majority of the homes are vacant. Not only are these homes vacant, they have no power on. No power means, no a/c. Ever step out of a car into the hot sun only to find the inside of a home to be hotter? Believe me, it’s not cool.

If a buyer needs to rush back to an air conditioned car with sweat dripping off of their forehead, he / she probably isn’t going to have a real fond memory of that home. Same thing when the sellers leave all of the blinds shut and the a/c up to barely bearable – it just doesn’t show as well.

From SRP we get this information that probably doesn’t have a home seller in mind:

“Q: Is it better to set the thermostat to a high temperature (85° to 90°) while at work all day and cool the house (two-story, approximately 3,200 square feet) when you get home to a comfortable temperature (approximately 80°), or to keep the thermostat just a degree or two higher during the day so that the cooling unit doesn’t have to work as hard during peak hours to cool the house?

A: You will save money anytime you can increase the temperature on your thermostat and cause the unit not to run. The old myth that says you will spend more energy bringing the temperature back down than you would have spent just leaving the thermostat alone is just that, a myth.”

So, you might save a few bucks by turning the a/c up to 90 when you leave for work, right? Well, if you are trying to sell a home, it could cost ya’ even more. If your home shows well and is priced correctly, leaving the a/c in a comfortable range during the day might just be money well spent…