Selling your home along with a Nest Thermostat Part 2?
Since the original discussion on this topic can no longer accept replies, I’m continuing it here — because the implications of Google’s decision to sunset support for the 1st and 2nd Generation Nest Learning Thermostats go far beyond convenience. This is something every homeowner, real-estate agent, and buyer should understand.
First, credit where it’s due — thank you to @CoolingWizard for the original post and for outlining the transfer process so clearly. That information was helpful to many homeowners trying to navigate these changes.
If you own one of these earlier Nest models, you no longer have a functioning “smart HVAC” system. The connected features that defined those thermostats were deliberately ended by Google on October 25, 2025, leaving them to operate as standard manual devices.
That’s not just an inconvenience — it may also create disclosure and liability risks if you sell your home. If your listing or property documents describe a “smart HVAC system,” that statement could now be inaccurate or misleading, depending on your state’s disclosure laws.
For example, in a California case, a seller who failed to mention that golf balls occasionally landed in the backyard of a home bordering a golf course was found liable and required to pay damages — after the sale had closed. The takeaway was clear: if something could reasonably affect a buyer’s use or perception of the property, it must be disclosed. By the same logic, advertising a disabled “smart” system as operational could create similar issues.
It’s estimated that millions of U.S. homes may be affected — Nest once held about 25 percent of the smart-thermostat market, representing roughly 15 million households. That’s a substantial number of properties where this change could influence appraisals, inspections, and listing language in the coming years.
And while some might suggest upgrading, doing so rewards the very decision that created the problem. As a homeowner, your choices are now limited: either amend all of your sales materials to accurately reflect that your HVAC system is no longer smart, or spend additional money to upgrade — just to make your listing accurate again. It’s one more task added to the long checklist that comes with selling a home, and another unnecessary expense triggered not by neglect or misuse, but by a corporate decision to sunset support for a still-functional product.
Google made this choice not because the hardware failed, but because it fit an internal business strategy — a decision that overlooked the downstream consequences for homeowners, buyers, and the real-estate ecosystem now left to manage the fallout.
Technology evolves — but accountability should evolve with it. This isn’t just about thermostats. It’s about what happens when connected products we rely on can be disabled at will, leaving everyday consumers to absorb the impact.
@Google @GoogleNest
#DigitalOwnership #ConsumerProtection #SmartHome #RealEstateDisclosure #TechEthics #BrandLoyalty #ConnectedDevices #ProductStrategy #CustomerTrust
