Volatile weather, energy credits and buyer expectations are changing the role that air conditioning plays in for-sale homes
BARBARA BALLINGER
The sweltering summer in parts of the country has pushed efficient, quiet central air-conditioning systems to the top of many buyers’ wish lists, according to real estate experts across the nation.
“I’d put it among today’s top essentials,” says James Lowenstern, president of Castles Unlimited, a real estate firm in Newton, Mass.
Sellers must decide whether installing central air is a worthwhile investment compared to noisier, less-efficient window units. Central air systems are usually much pricier, depending on a home’s size, condition, whether it has a furnace and ductwork and the size and quality of the system.