I just bought an 80 year old home (1,050 sq. ft) with an air conditioner and furnace that are very outdated?

As has been indicated, cost will vary from region to region, not the cost of the product, but the labor cost for installation.

I've used small local contractors, mid-sized established regional companies, and national companies (Lowes, Home Depot) for work depending on what I needed done.

For the extent and cost of work you want done, i would review it with mid-sized regional companies and national companies since this is an investment and you want to be certain that any installation or warranty problems are going to be handled to your satisfaction and in a timely manner. Small local contractors may not have the staff to respond in 5 years.

As far as cost, $5000 is a good starting point for which to plan and as has been stated above, definitely get 3 or so estimates before you make a decision and be certain to check the local and regional BBB to see if there are any outstanding complaints.

I would not wait until you absolutly have to replace the units. Not only are you incurring additional fuel and electricity costs from outdated equipmen, you also run the risk of them failing at texactly the wrong time. I know from experience as my furnace, regularly maintained, failed comletely in the dead of winter. I had to scramble to get it replaced, incurred additional costs of inefficient space heaters, and nearly disupted Christmas.

Now my fuel oil usage has gone from 1500 gallons a season to less than 500 gallons. This means the new unit paid for itself in just a few years.

Lastly, you want to make certain you get everything in writing before you turn over any cash. Product cost, labor rate, statement of work, hours broken down for major tasks (installation, wiring, duct work) and the like.

Good luck.

The units might be outdated. But if they are still in good working order. Don't replace them. Save up the money and put it aside and wait until you have to replace them.

I have the same concern in my house. The furnace was put in in 1985 and should be at the end of it's life span but it works fine and I was told by the home inspector and a furnace company to just leave it until it starts to run down. Same with the AC unit. Just get them serviced every 6 year and change the filters regularly every 3-6 months.

When you want to replace it contact a private company and get a quote. The will usually give you a cash price.

I live in Canada and an AC unit is about $1500 installed and Furnace is about $2000. If you go with a big company it could be as much as $5000 total for both

The cost depends on several factors. The first step is to decide on the type of system and find the proper size. This is done with a load calculation. Then you can choose a brand in the efficiency range you want and with the features you want. Then, most manufacturers have a dealer list on their site. The duct system can be replaced at the same time or you can diy. For more info, check out my source.

I have a townhome that exact size and had central a/c installed about 5 years ago -- it cost me $5,000 fully installed. A neighbor has same and it cost them $13,000 because they have asthma and opted for hepa filters and intakes in every room. They say their investment has more than paid off as they're not always in the ER. For me $5k was quite enough, thanks. You'll find this is about bare bones. Ask for three estimates from reliable companies and don't sign anything until you get them and are able to make an informed decision. Compare noise levels for the units you're looking at -- some can be very noisy and having the unit outside your bedroom window can be a real pain.

I was a building contractor for years and one thing I saw was the big national companies tend to be very expensive around here (NH). What I always did was to find a good local contractor and talk to them about what they felt was the best unit to suit my needs (the home owner). Ask people you know what local contractors are the most reliable and honest and talk to them. Cost of heating systems vary greatly depending on type, brand, number of heating zones, hot water supply set up. Modification to any system can be expensive. If it's a hot air system that's the lease expensive. But talk to a local contractor they have their reputation and local business to look after. And ask them how they are set up to tend to emergency situations.

Train makes the best units

Been doing H.V.A.C. 30 years. Change out old equipment even if it works. The saveings are huge on gas bills........ I recommend "TRANE" first. Then "Bryant or Payne. LOw end = Rudd,Carrier,Westinghouse. Don't buy LENNOX! there alot of problems.

I love Trane's slogan

"Its hard to stop a Trane"

About the cost....it depends on were you live...being you are in Oklahoma, I have no idea. I live in NJ, so that would cost close to $7,000 installed.

Rough guesstimate but I'd say around $1000