I bought a giant, old house in Cocoa, Florida.
The area is absolutely gorgeous, and I was desperate to live there.
I love the sunshine, blue skies and palm trees. The house was within my price range because it needs some major work. There was definitely a leaky roof at one time and there’s evidence of water damage to the ceilings, walls and some of the floors. The windows are old and the walls lack insulation. The wiring and plumbing need to be updated. The appliances are ancient, the kitchen ugly and there’s a musty smell in one of the bathrooms. When I first moved in, my biggest complaint was temperature control. The weather in Cocoa is hot and humid. The temperature frequently soars into the nineties and seldom drops below fifty. While the house is outfitted with central air conditioning, the system is old and not overly effective. There have been renovations over the years that have left some rooms with insufficient supply and return registers. I couldn’t sleep at night because the master bedroom was constantly overheated and sticky. I tried running box fans, but they didn’t really help. I was reluctant to invest in window air conditioners that would look hideous. I finally consulted with a licensed HVAC technician who recommended a ductless split system. The ductless air conditioner wasn’t over expensive and installed in a single day without causing any mess. There is a small outdoor compressor that links to six compact indoor air handlers. The indoor units are mounted up high on the wall and each feature an independent thermostat for zone control. The ductless air conditioner is super powerful, wonderfully quiet and exceptionally energy efficient.