Hello all -

I may be buying a house before too long, and a few questions
about installing air conditioning into a home that lacks it.
House will be ranch-style, 1600-1900 sq. ft. I have no house
in particular picked out yet, but some I'm interested would
be fine -- EXCEPT for the fact that they were not built with
air conditioning.

I'm wondering about the pros/cons of installing a "mini
split" system (with multiple "room units" or perhaps more
than one mini split unit), vis-a-vis going for central air...?

Just from casual browsing, it looks like mini split would be
considerably cheaper and easier to install than a full
central air system with ducting, etc. (the latter probably
involving a LOT of wall/floor work as well).

Is central air worth paying the extra $$$ and installation work?
Or can mini split do as good a job, have equal reliability,
etc.?

I'm also wondering if pre-existing ducting in some homes
that have either oil or gas hot air, could also be used with
a central air system?

Actually, if I found the right place with pre-existing
ducting, I might even consider going to a full geothermal
system. But that's a different topic.

Thanks,
- John