WWYD: get a/c or a master bath?

[Minnie_me]

I'm buying a house soon, and there are two "issues" with it that I will have the money to fix. But I can only afford to do one.

Right now, there is no central air. To most people, I know this is no big deal. But DD and I have really bad allergies, and since moving into our current home with a/c, it's made a world of difference. We could, however, use window units.......I think.

The other problem is the bathroom situation. It's hard to explain but the full bath on the second floor is not very adult friendly. It's off of a "loft" sort of room, which will be the girls' lounge/playroom. The sink area is open to the room, with the toilet/shower being behind a pocket door. So if I wanted to take a shower when the girls had friends over, I would not have very much privacy. It's absolutely PERFECT for my daughters, but I would have a hard time using it. There is a tiny 4th bedroom right next to the master bedroom that would be a perfect master bathroom.

So..........wwyd? The a/c or the master bath?

 

[Vivianne]

Master Bath.

That's what we did. Now, when I wake up in the middle of the night, I just stagger into it.

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm buying a house soon, and there are two "issues" with it that I will have the money to fix. But I can only afford to do one.

Right now, there is no central air. To most people, I know this is no big deal. But DD and I have really bad allergies, and since moving into our current home with a/c, it's made a world of difference. We could, however, use window units.......I think.

The other problem is the bathroom situation. It's hard to explain but the full bath on the second floor is not very adult friendly. It's off of a "loft" sort of room, which will be the girls' lounge/playroom. The sink area is open to the room, with the toilet/shower being behind a pocket door. So if I wanted to take a shower when the girls had friends over, I would not have very much privacy. It's absolutely PERFECT for my daughters, but I would have a hard time using it. There is a tiny 4th bedroom right next to the master bedroom that would be a perfect master bathroom.

So..........wwyd? The a/c or the master bath?

For me, there would be no question. I would absolutely go for the air conditioning. You said that the house has a loft type room so it's doubtful that you would be able to cool off the house with window units. Also remember that the window units will probably add much more to your electric bill than a central unit would. Don't forget that an air conditioner may also qualify for a rebate from the Federal Government this year.

Compare the daily use of the air conditioner and how much better you feel to how often you will need to shower when your DDs have friends over.

 

[wdwfan16]

I am not sure where you live but where I live I would do the A/C and then save for the master bathroom.

 

[maddiesmom0116]

I am not sure where you live but where I live I would do the A/C and then save for the master bathroom.

I agree, it depends on where you live and how hot it gets and for how long in the summer. I would go for the central air and then save for the MB. My central air died this past summer and window units did not cut it. 1st thing on the list this spring is the central air is getting fixed. I had to chose between central air and a new well since ours went dry, water won out over being cool.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

For me, there would be no question. I would absolutely go for the air conditioning. You said that the house has a loft type room so it's doubtful that you would be able to cool off the house with window units. Also remember that the window units will probably add much more to your electric bill than a central unit would. Don't forget that an air conditioner may also qualify for a rebate from the Federal Government this year.

Compare the daily use of the air conditioner and how much better you feel to how often you will need to shower when your DDs have friends over.

I agree!!!!!

Central air was #1 on our priority list when shopping for a home.
If we drove by and saw window units, we crossed it off our list
.
I used to be able to only put it on when extremely hot, say 90 or more.
The older I get, the more I just can't tolerate the humidity. My AC goes on in June and off in Sept.

I too have really severe allergies. Any time I try to keep the windows open, I see all the pollen all over our window sills. In the spring it covers our cars, screened-in porch, etc. so after years of fighting with my nose to be able to keep windows open, I've given up.

My brother does HVAC and says that the reason AC makes people more comfortable is not so much the cooler temp, it's that it removes humidity from the air. You could keep your AC at a slightly higher temp. to save $ and still feel comfortable.

I'd rather share a bathroom than go w/o AC. I normally shower around 6 am before work so my kids wouldn't have friends over anyway.
Why not shower, then put on a bathrobe, and get dressed in your room?

Of course, this is all jmho. (except the HVAC stuff)

 

[Minnie_me]

I love getting these quick responses!

Sorry I didn't clarify about the a/c --- we live in Western New York State. So we would only use the a/c a few months out of the year.

Don't forget that an air conditioner may also qualify for a rebate from the Federal Government this year.

I have no idea about this -- can you explain?

 

[daughtersrus]

I love getting these quick responses!

Sorry I didn't clarify about the a/c --- we live in Western New York State. So we would only use the a/c a few months out of the year.



I have no idea about this -- can you explain?

But how many months do you suffer from allergies? We're in IL so the climate is probably similar. Our neighbors have allergies as well so they run the air from spring to fall not to cool the house but to help with their allergies.

My opinion is that the air will make you comfortable 24 hours a day, the bathroom shower is only a few minutes each day.

edited to add...http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

 

[semo233]

Hang a curtain to give you some privacy and get the A/C for your comfort. You will regret not getting the A/C every day your allergies bother you, while missing the private master bath will only bother you on a few occassions.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I can relate, sort of. We can't afford either but are living without both. We also live in Western NY. We have allergies in the house, some worse then others but window units work fine for us. We have one bathroom and 5 people, that does not work for us! If we had the money we all would agree in this house... bathroom!!! Plus, the bathroom is year round and the A/C is for such a short time around here.

 

[christa112]

AC all the way. We went from not having to central air to having central air back to having no central and air and I hate it!!! We live without a master bath. We have never had one.

 

[englishteacha]

In your situation, I'd go for the AC, because of your allergies. Having horrible allergies myself, our windows stay closed most of the spring/summer and we run a window unit in our bedroom and DH's office. Our downstairs stays quite comfortable with a fan or two. Of course, our house is tiny, and there are only 2 of us, so we get by with one bathroom with ease. We would be miserable in the summer with no AC.

Rather than build a new master bath, could you put up a wall to make the bathroom upstairs more adult-friendly, or replace the pocket door with a "real one"? (our bathroom only has a pocket door, so I'm not sure why that's not enough privacy?) Is there another bathroom in the house to use?

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

How long are you planning on staying in the new house? IMO in your area a master bath would be an excellent selling point for that house and believe me you'd enjoy it!

Have you thought about getting quotes for both? I don't know what your budget is or how much either would cost you but the answer might become clear if you had the exact financials in hand. You might do the more expensive one right away and save for the cheaper one or the other way around.

Instead of A/C could you use some kind of air filtering machine in your house and just room fans?

Just a few ideas - good luck with your decision!

 

[rockyroad]

Does the house already have the duct work for central air or it has never had central?

My first response is getting the bath.
The allergy problem is of concern though.
Could you run air purifiers?

My thinking is that I would end up never getting the bathroom put in later, but that I would get air eventually.

I did have a friend who put a country style bath into a small bedroom herself. She put in an old clawfoot tub, a shower stall, vanity and toilet. It looks really cute.

 

[shortbun]

Well, you'll never get a master bath for the price of a/c. We added a/c to our old home for $2000 and the fixtures for the half bath we added nearly cost that-I'm talking faucets, toilet, sink, vanity. You'll have a big plumbing ordeal with the added bath as well. Perhaps you could do the a/c and keep saving for the bathroom but buy some of the appliances while you save for the plumbing costs.

 

[shortbun]

I love getting these quick responses!

Sorry I didn't clarify about the a/c --- we live in Western New York State. So we would only use the a/c a few months out of the year.



I have no idea about this -- can you explain?

There are tax credits for energy star qualifying installs right now. You can get them on furnaces, air conditioners, refrigerators and freezers as well as dishwashers. Ask the dealers-they know what qualifies and about the percentages.

 

[branv]

I am biased, given that living in TX the idea of no A/C sounds like torture, but even if I lived somewhere where A/C was only useful so many months a year, I could never go without it. I hate being warm, and I'd never be able to sleep very well. Both my grandparents lived with window units and they were mostly functional for small rooms, on first floor (second floor gets too hot), with houses very well shaded, and it still is a killer on the electric bill.

So I'd but in the A/C and invest in some very nice robes for moving back and forth from the bathroom.

I found this about a tax credit: http://energystar.custhelp.com/cgi-...std_adp.php?p_faqid=5697&p_created=1240593838 . It is 30% rebate, up to $1500. What I read was that you have to be very careful that you get the right unit, as just b/c it says "Energy Star" doesn't mean it's eligible.

I also noted that you should check your state to see if they have additional rebates.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Air conditioning. You won't regret it.

 

[krcit]

I agree with others. AC!!!! When we were remodeling our house, my DH pushed for central air and I was on the fence about it. We ended up getting it and it is wonderful....mainly for keeping the humidity out of the house like a pp said. You can always save to add the other bathroom in a few years. I think you will reap the benefits of AC more than having privacy for the few times you will need to shower when the girls have friends over. Good luck!

 

[Minnie_me]

Rather than build a new master bath, could you put up a wall to make the bathroom upstairs more adult-friendly, or replace the pocket door with a "real one"? (our bathroom only has a pocket door, so I'm not sure why that's not enough privacy?) Is there another bathroom in the house to use?

It's not the fact that there's a pocket door. That does provide plenty of privacy. But it would be awkward to be taking a shower in the room where my DD and their friends were hanging out. The sink/mirror area is all out in the open, and I'd be there putting on my makeup, doing my hair, etc. - - awkward/no privacy. Granted, it wouldn't happen often, but if they had a sleepover, and they were all sleeping late, it would be really inconvenient for me to take a shower, or even brush my teeth!

There is a half bath downstairs. But it's just a pedestal sink, not really room for "getting ready".