Selling your home along with a Nest Thermostat?

[CoolingWizard]

Are you a homeowner and you are selling your home and leaving your Google Nest Thermostat for the new owner? What do you need to do to make the transfer painless for you and the new owner?

First and foremost, DO NOT PERFORM A FACTORY RESET. The Google Nest Thermostat is already configured and working fine. Why then go back to the installation starting point? The following steps will also prepare a Google Nest Thermostat you may want to sell after upgrading. Just perform the steps before you disconnect the thermostat. 

Using your Nest App, simply go to your home, select the thermostat then choose the settings gear and scroll to the bottom, select Remove Thermostat.  The steps are similar for the Google Home App. You will launch the Home App, choose the Settings Gear at the bottom, then select from the list of devices, the thermostat, scroll down and select Remove Device.

This will remove the link between your Google Nest account and the thermostat. The good news is the thermostat will still function allowing heating and cooling. The new owner will need to get WiFi installed in the home. Then go to the Google Nest Thermostat, choose Settings, then Nest ID, select and follow instructions to add the thermostat to the new home owners account and phone.  
Following these steps bypasses the new installation steps that can confuse a new owner.

The AC Cooling Wizard

[Derickf]

Hi @CoolingWizard , 

We appreciate you taking the time to post in the community, and thank you for the tips you shared in this post; that will be helpful for everyone.

Regards,

Derick.

[FustratedUser]

Doesn't work. The Nest app keeps requesting an "Entry Key" (which cannot be found) when trying to add the thermostat device. And the thermostat when you switch to the Nest App GUI screen displays "Thermostat is connected to an account".  There is no way to use the "smart" features short of performing a factory reset.

[CoolingWizard]

@FustratedUser ,

since an thermostat is reporting that you’re connected to another account the previous owner email ID that associated with the Google nest account has to first use their app and delete that thermostat from their account so it could be assigned to a new account. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[CoolingWizard]

@FustratedUser ,

If the App asks for an Entry Key it is because there is no Nest thermostat currently registered with the Nest Account you are logged in with. 
If thermostat is currently not registered itself, on the display there would be a yellow triangle warning. You can go to the Nest Display, enter SETUP,  then rotate to Nest ID. If the thermostat is not currently registered to a Nest account, it will display for you the key or QR code That will be required to add it to an account.  If it is registered it will state that it is. 
Again, if you are getting a request for a key You have not got a thermostat registered in your current Nest app. 
AC Cooling Wizard

[Otis1303]

Read your info on process to transfer control of a Nest thermostat when selling a house.  I bought a house with an existing Nest Gen 3 thermostat.  It connected to my Wi-Fi fine but I am having difficulty adding the thermostat to my Google Home app or Nest app.  Not sure if the previous owner removed the thermostat from their account.  I tried to do a factor reset but that didn't seem to work. Does a factory reset remove their control?

[CoolingWizard]

@Otis1303 , unfortunately a factory reset will not unbind the thermostat from the registered email account.  You must reach out to the previous owner and ask them to use their app and delete or remove the device from their account. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[Otis1303]

Another question.  So the previous owners left without deleting control of the thermostat.  I connected to it with a new WiFi account I set up.  Will the previous owners still have control of the thermostat in their app now that the WiFi isn't the same as what it was when they set it up and added it to their Nest or Goggle Home App?  In other words will they be able to see the Nest and delete it now that the WiFi is changed?

[CoolingWizard]

@Otis1303 ,

the Wi-Fi access is to allow the nest display to communicate over the Internet, and as long as the previous owner has not deleted it properly, they will still be able to see that nest thermostat because it does not depend on the Wi-Fi system. It simply needs to have Internet access. so once you have Wi-Fi configured on the nest thermostat, and you know the previous owner. All the owner needs to do is use his app and like I said delete or otherwise remove that thermostat and over the Internet. The nest servers will tell that display that it’s no longer connected to an account and then you will be able to take control. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[Otis1303]

After they delete/remove the device will I have access instantaneously?  The previous owner has said they deleted the device from their account but I still can't connect to it with my Google Home app account.  It is a Nest Gen 3.  Do I need to connect with the Nest app instead?

Thanks

[CoolingWizard]

@Otis1303 ,
The Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 3 only works with Nest App. Download the Nest App, create your Nest Account. Then go to your Nest Thermostat and choose SETTINGS, then NEST ID. If as the the previous owner claim, and he performed the remove device procedure properly, you should see a yellow warning triangle stating you need to add a Nest ID. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[realrob]

---

@CoolingWizard wrote:

The Nest Learning Thermostat Gen 3 only works with Nest App.

---

I have a 3rd gen (model: Display-3.4, with a backplate: Backplate-5.3 (blue spirit level on the top) and it does work in both the Nest and Home app. So, my question about completely removing it from my account is: Do I

A. remove it from the Nest app first and then the Home app

B. Just remove it from the Nest app?

C. Just remove it from the Home app?

I needed to ask this as I would not be at all surprised if not following a very specific pattern breaks something, e.g., puts the device in a state where it cannot be fully removed from my account/apps.

[tjlouis7]

FYI in case anyone is wondering you'll end up having to use both apps and the Nest app for fill functionality of the thermostat because Google home app doesn't have the scheduling feature, safety temp and eco temp parameters, and a few others. 

[CoolingWizard]

@realrob ,

I’m sorry I did not see your question earlier. if you have a nest generation three thermostat you initially set it up on the Google nest app. You could migrate it to the Google Home app if you wanted to, but it’s not necessary. If you have it on both first, delete the thermostat from the Google nest app. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[David_K]

To add to CoolingWizard's great advice, if you move into a home that already has a Nest Thermostat, but the previous owner has not removed it from their account, in most cases you don't need to factory reset it to connect it to your account and app.

First check which model of thermostat you have:
How to tell which Nest thermostat you have - Google Nest Help

Nest Thermostat (2020), Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)

1. On the thermostat, go to Settings > Account > Disconnect.
2. Follow the setup steps: Get started with your Nest Thermostat - Google Nest Help

Setup these models using the Google Home app. The QR code and setup key are physically printed on the back of the thermostat for Nest Thermostat (2020) and will be displayed on screen for Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen).

Nest Thermostat E, Nest Learning Thermostat (1st, 2nd, 3rd gen)

1. On the thermostat, go to Settings > Reset > Account connection. If you don't see this option, you'll need to select All settings.
2. Follow the setup steps: Add your Nest thermostat to the Nest app - Google Nest Help

Setup these models using the Nest app. The QR code and setup key are in the settings on the thermostat itself and are not printed on the device.

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

I did a reset all settings but the nest is still showing as connected to previous owner 

[Wearymom]

Thank you so much for explaining this in simple language. I'm in the process of selling my home with its Nest thermostat and was worrying how to transfer it without leaving the new owners with no control of the warming the home in January. I'm going to make a copy of this to give to my realtor so she can pass it on to the new owner. Again Thank you for these easy to understand instructions.

[BR_01]

Hi Cooling wizard, thanks for the info for the seller! At least this gets me some background. I've bought a home with a Nest thermostat and have no info from the sellers on what steps they may or may not have taken to allow me access. The thermostat is communicating with the furnace but other than manually raising or lowering the target temp, which I discovered quite by accident, I have no control over the thermostat. The sellers didn't leave me info on the Nest id. 

I've read through the comments, including Dave_k's and also read through some of the beginner's guide. I have no experience with any app based home product, but I have installed older model programmable thermostats in the past. 

Please advise what I can do. Some of what you describe makes sense to me and some doesn't.  I have an android phone but was unsure on Google play what to even search for in terms of the correct app.

[tjlouis7]

This is the link to the Nest app.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nest.android

If you have Google home anything set up you'd then add your thermostat to your Google Home account with this app 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.chromecast.app

[CoolingWizard]

@BR_01 ,

I’m sorry I did not see your question sooner. My deepest apologies. What you need to do is simply search for the Google nest app on your Google play account.
as long as a nest thermostat is not currently connected to another account or user ID. You can simply register your email address instead of password and create your account and then link your Google nest thermostat to that new account. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[Lkcpa]

Hi. You seem to have a lot of valuable information. I have had a Nest Thermostat, generation 3,  installed for a few years and it has always communicated well with my phones Google App. Recently it stopped communicating with the phone App. The thermostat says it is on line, but the phone app says it is off-line. I have tried rebooting the router, and I have resetting the thermostat, but neither worked. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

LLK

[michaelregal]

oh well  .... too late ,.. already did the factory reset

I'm a new home owner and couldn't figure out how get connected to this thing ... old homeowner is completely useless on this topic ...

anyways ... I'm pretty **bleep** savvy and yet am not having luck here.

I have a 4th generation Nest Thermostat ... it has been factory reset at this point ... I have pulled the batteries out of the unit for more than 3 minutes (read that somewhere else) ... put the batteries back in and started the set up process again using Google Home ... I've done the same sequence half a dozen times now ... no changes.

It always advances to the point where it tries to connect to the thermostat, but then errors out with "Something went wrong ... You may need to factory reset this device before you can set it up again"

However, the physical thermostat just sits there each time a take the batteries out and put them back in (3 minutes with no batteries in) with the message "Continue setup in the Google Home app".

This is an endless cycle of frustration.

Any ideas?

[CoolingWizard]

@michaelregal ,

If you are claiming you removed batteries from a Google Nest Learning Thermostat 4th generation, you are wrong. The Nest Learning thermostats have an internal non-serviceable lithium battery. Only the 1st generation had AA batteries. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[michaelregal]

Unfortunately, the previous owner did not leave any documentation, but when I pulled the unit off the wall, the face plate had a green bubble level (which I believe is only available for the 4th generation). Also the unit had touch control on the periphery of the controller and not the face of the controller (I thought, but am not sure that this is only a 4th generation controller). When turning the controller over, it definitely had two double-A batteries that I yanked out and put back in.

Unfortunately I'm no longer at that house to take a picture to provide here. But I can do so tomorrow.

[michaelregal]

OK ... I did some Googl'ing ... I think I'm wrong now. It looks a lot like the one in the link below. Everything else I've described remains the same. I've never used "Google Home" before, and it's not clear which Nest devices must be used with "Google Home" and which Nest devices must be used with the original native "Nest" application. It would be nice not to have to use two different apps to control two different types of Nests. Sadly, the house has two different types of Nest devices.

Google Nest Thermostat - Smart Thermostat for Home - Programmable Wifi Thermostat - Snow 

[CoolingWizard]

@michaelregal ,

you have a Google Nest Thermostat which only works with the Nest App.  Many user feel the features in the Nest App are more desirable compared to the limited thermostat controls found in the Google Home App.  Your Thermostat is an early generation and not a Google Nest Learning Thermostat. 

AC Cooling Wizard

[Dipesh93]

Hello.

I accidentally did a factory reset on my thermostat and now the heating does not work.

Everytime when I turn the heating on, I hear a single click from heat link. Heating works perfectly fine when I boost hot water but when I try to turn it on normally, it does not work.

It used to work perfectly fine before I did a factory reset. Are you able to assist?

[CoolingWizard]

@Dipesh93 ,

I am sorry but being based in United States I am not familiar with those Europeans versions of this nest that work with her heat links. Hopefully somebody else can help you figure out what happened when you did a reset.

AC Cooling Wizard

[LouLyd]

Hi there! I've moved house and there is a Nest 3rd Gen with blue spirit level. I can't get into settings as it keeps saying it's restarting and will be back in a few minutes - any tips on what to do with it? Is it broken? 

[CoolingWizard]

@LouLyd , sometimes this happens when the battery starts getting low. Try this, temove the display, turn it over and you will see a micro-usb charging port. Put on a charger for 4-hours.  Reattach the display to the base. The press and hold the display until it reboots; a multicolored google G will show up.  

AC Cooling Wizard

[kisa77]

This is an interesting question, while the only answer that I would know of would be to do a reset of all the devices in the Google home app and then the new owner would set it up, however, I think that Google should add a feature into the app that would allow a user to do just this. Have a section for selling the home and a transfer of ownership of all Google Nest items being transferred. 

[CoolingWizard]

@kisa77 , when you only do a reset it turns around and takes all the current wires in the settings and everything and racism and then you have to start from scratch like it’s a brand new system again. By using a procedure, I describe you can avoid all that, and when you deactivate that device from your Google account or your Nest account The thermostat knows it doesn’t have anything hide to it and it doesn’t change his configuration. All the new owner has to do is download the proper app and tie it to that thermostat and everything is good. No reconfiguration no knowledge of the HVAC system. It just works.

The AC Cooling Wizard

[AVargas]

Hi, I have moved to a new place. The previous owner left a Nest thermostat with three-generation learning.
I am having issues pairing it with the heat link. 
I have tried everything! I did the reset and then the factory reset for the heat link. The light is blinking blue, and even though both devices are inches apart, there is still no communication between them. 
I connected the thermostat to wifi to do  the set up  there (it was an "advise" from a plumber), and I happened to be on a loop. I first need to connect it to the heatlink before going into the app. 
I don't know what else to do! 

[CoolingWizard]

@AVargas ,

I wish that I could help you but the product you are using or use for Europe and my experience is strictly here in the United States. Hopefully somebody from Europe, who has good product knowledge, and expertise on those heat links and stuff can help you.  

AC Cooling Wizard