Utility Bill Back Options On Triplex?

[Nick Stageberg]

Hello everyone!  I have an offer out on a triplex property I expect to win, and I would like to split out the utilities on this, though this one is a particularly hard case. 

-There is a 1200sqft unit on the main floor and 2x 600sqft units upstairs

-There are two furnaces and two thermostats, but both thermostats are on the main floor, and the furnaces/ducting are split side to side.  So each furnace heats half of the main floor unit and one upstairs unit.  Upstairs tenants currently have no way to regulate the temperature of their unit, and this is Minnesota where we get to -20 degrees in the winter...

-Because of the side to side split, no matter how we redo things, we have to change a LOT.  HVAC tech thinks the simplest path is to remove the oldest big furnace and replace it with a new small furnace for one upstairs unit, install a second new small furnace for another upstairs unit, then use the newer big furnace to heat the main floor.  Bid is ~8,000.  

-Splitting out gas and water and installing a new water heater is $6500.  This one is lower priority for me, but splitting the gas is absolutely required to do the separate furnaces.  

-At this time electrical is split out, though it's still on fuses, which means we could potentially run into problems if we put new high load electrical into any of the units.  If we do, then we need to upgrade 3 panels and meter sockets, which I have a bid for at 6k.  For example, if we do mini split HVAC units or electric baseboard heat in the two upstairs apartments, now we need to do new meters.  

So figure 15k to split out gas, water, and everyone controls their own thermostat.  Any creative ideas on ways to optimize this or alternate ways we could allow the upstairs tenant to regulate their heat?  Thanks in advance!