What Will This House Really Cost Me a Month?

Nieto Properties

Marc Nieto · Brokered by Epique Realty

Buyer strategy · Connecticut

What will this house really cost me a month?

The mortgage is the smallest surprise. Taxes, insurance, heat, the lawn, the snow and the roof that is coming all land on the same budget. Six short steps. Where the number is unknown, the tool says so instead of guessing. Straight answers. Real numbers. Zero pressure.

The house

Connecticut towns. Property tax comes from the state’s own rate for the town.

Town

Taxes in this town need a closer look. Rates differ by district or by property class here, so the tool will not auto-fill tax. Enter the current annual tax bill in step 3, and confirm the district with the town assessor.

Price ($)

Type

Square feet

Year built

The loan

Illustration only. This is not a rate quote or a loan offer, and Marc is not a loan officer.

Down payment (%)

Term

Interest rate (%)

Starts at Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed average, 7.40%, week of October 15, 2026. Your own rate depends on your credit, the loan and the lender. Change it.

Mortgage insurance ($ per month)

Usually required when the down payment is under 20%. Leave blank if you do not have a figure yet. It goes on the “ask” list.

Taxes, insurance, fees

These do not change with how you live in the house. They are fixed.

Property tax estimate

Seller’s actual annual tax bill ($), if you have it

The town taxes the assessed value, which can lag the sale price until the next revaluation. The real bill beats the estimate.

Special tax district rate (mills), if any

Some neighborhoods, especially in Greenwich, pay an extra district tax. Ask the town.

Homeowner’s insurance ($ per year)

This depends on the house, so there is no made-up default. Leave blank until you have a quote.

In a FEMA flood zone?

Ask your lender. Flood insurance is separate and is not in the line to the left.

HOA or condo fee ($ per month)

What does the fee cover? Tick all that apply.

Covered items are taken out of your own costs so nothing is counted twice. Ask about pending special assessments.

Heat, power and the house itself

The best number is the seller’s last 12 months of bills. Ask for them. Until you have them, answer what you can.

Heating fuel

Age of the heating system

Attic insulation. Can you see the floor joists?

ENERGY STAR’s rule of thumb for Connecticut’s climate zone: if the insulation is level with or below the joists, add more.

Wall insulation

Windows

Drafts, cold rooms or ice dams?

Basement or crawl space

Electric bill ($ per month, average)

Heating fuel ($ per month, average)

No bill? Electricity use (kWh per month)

Priced at the rate below.

Electric price (cents per kWh)

EIA: Connecticut residential average, 24.16 cents in July 2026 (27.60 in July 2025). It moves with the season.

Oil: gallons per year

Oil price ($ per gallon)

EIA, Connecticut residential heating oil, week of October 12, 2026, before taxes.

Water, yard and services

Everything else it takes to keep the house running. Enter your own quotes. Leave blank what you do not know.

Water and sewer

Water and sewer bill ($ per month)

Septic pumping, well testing and upkeep ($ per year)

Trash and recycling ($ per month)

Internet, cable, phone ($ per month)

Lawn service ($ per month)

Landscaping, beds, mulch ($ per year)

Tree work ($ per year)

Irrigation ($ per year)

Pool or hot tub ($ per year)

Snow removal ($ per year)

Other services: cleaning, pest, gutters, chimney, generator ($ per year)

The big repairs that are coming

Roofs, heating systems and water heaters do not fail on a schedule you choose. Set money aside every month.

Roof

Water heater

Monthly set-aside (% of price per year)

1% of the price a year is a common rule of thumb, not a measured fact. Older homes and bigger homes often need more. Adjust it.

Ask before you offer

The house itself

Answer step 4

Insulation, windows and drafts decide how hard the house is to heat. This is a check, not an energy audit.

ENERGY STAR targets for Connecticut’s climate zone: attic R49 to R60 if uninsulated, R38 to R49 if a few inches are already there. Connecticut’s Energize CT program starts with a home energy assessment. Ask for the current terms.

Same price, another town

Compare with

Pick a town to see the property tax difference at the same price.

What first-time owners miss

The first winter’s heating bill, because nobody asked the seller for 12 months of bills.

The tax bill that jumps after the town revalues, because the seller’s bill was based on an older assessment.

The roof, the heating system and the water heater all needing attention in the same few years.

The septic or well cost that never showed up in a listing.

Want a second set of eyes on the real numbers? Send me the listing and the bills, and I will walk through the budget with you. Free, no obligation. Let’s talk.

Email me this budget Call 914-409-5555

Buying outside Connecticut or New York? I work with Epique agents across the country and stay involved. Ask me.

MARC NIETONieto Properties, brokered by Epique Realty
914-409-5555
Marc@NietoProperties.com
MarcNieto.EpiqueRealty.com

Sources and dates. Mill rates and special-district data: CT Office of Policy and Management, Mill Rates FY2014-2027, FY2027 (July 2026 to June 2027, October 1, 2025 grand list). Assessment at 70% of value: CGS §12-62a(b). Electricity: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, released September 24, 2026 (preliminary). Heating oil: EIA weekly residential heating oil, October 12, 2026. Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, October 15, 2026. Insulation targets: ENERGY STAR. Everything else is your own input. This tool is an illustration, not a quote, a loan offer, or tax, legal or financial advice. Mortgage figures are not a rate quote. Marc Nieto, Epique Realty, CT Salesperson 0816891, NY Salesperson 10401349597. Equal Housing Opportunity.

What Will This House Really Cost Me a Month?