As for the A/C issue -

Most homes in the US nowadays are BUILT with A/C - I don't know how it is in other countries, but the US is big on their perks, even if they can't afford them! ( they just add them to the mortgage! LOL!)

In a typical house, with a forced-air (usually gas or sometimes electric) furnace system - the ductwork is already in place for heating- so adding a whole-house AC system is only another $1000 (to the builder) for a basic system as it uses the same ductwork as the furnace. Of course you can go much higher than that for bigger houses or fancier systems. (I just replaced my whole house AC last summer at a cost of about $1300 - take out the 20 yr old unit and put in new - for about a 900 sq ft ranch house)

I think in some other countries (from what I've seen on the remodeling shows in England - BBC's "Changing Rooms", etc ) your heating systems are different - baseboard, electric and radiator heat - which means you would have to add the cost of all that vent piping and ductwork which our homes already have for the furnaces. THAT would add a ton of material and labor expense.

The cost of running it isn't that bad - esp if you don't keep your house refridgerator cold, and also insulate well and use ceiling fans.

In the northern US - most houses also have 8' basements (not common in the south) as the foundations have to go below the 4' frost line anyway. For my pets, I leave the basement door propped open when I'm gone in the summer - they often go down in the cool basement and lie on the cement floor - usually it's a good 10 degrees cooler down there ( or more!)

Houses in the south are often built on cement slabs - so I guess what they save on the cost of a basement, they can spend on AC! LOL!


Laura