Having a good air conditioner is only half the battle. The other half of the battle is insulation, which is so very important and most people have no idea. My folks raised me to know the value of a dollar, and my dad was in home construction so he taught me a lot of the ins and outs I would need when I was a homeowner one day. Dad taught me well, and I still use his lessons to this very day. My real estate agent got a little tired of seeing me, because I had so many little questions about every house, and half of them she didn’t know the answers to. I wanted a house with a good, efficient HVAC system in it, that had relatively new ductwork behind the walls. I also needed a house with a respectable amount of insulation in the walls and the attic, because if you can’t contain the cooling in your house you might as well aim the air vents right out the front door. Heating and cooling are greatly affected by the temperatures outside, and the insulation is the barrier that keeps them apart. Thankfully with my background I knew I could call my dad to help me install more insulation if I needed it, because that was much cheaper than investing in a new HVAC system. Since it was a buyers market, I was able to push the agent to demand the old owners replaced the AC and added new insulation in the attic. I’m so glad my dad taught me what to look for!