That’s a Very “Cool” House You’re Buying

Unless you’ve been at the beach in some foreign land, you’ve probably heard about the crazy rise in home prices. For example, a subhead in the Wall Street Journal recently noted that midpoint home purchase costs rise 24% to pass $350,000 for first time, squeezing buyers.

Buying a home is on many people’s minds because of a tight inventory and an apparent construction labor shortage, topped off by our emergence from the coronavirus. As a result, it appears that we have a home-buying frenzy.

Because I think about all things thermostatic all day (OK, not quite), it occurred to me that this is the ideal time to suggest that would-be home buyers carefully look at the furnace in their soon-to-be new home and prudently scrutinize the thermostat. Is it a dated, mercury-containing unit that we would love to have a contractor or skillful DIY person remove and recycle? It might not be that one small step for mankind, but it can make a tiny toe print in our efforts to recycle responsibly.

After all, aren’t efficient thermostats, especially those without mercury, just as important to the would-be buyer as the paint color or the surface of countertops? It might not close the deal on the home, but you could raise it as a point of sale.  

I can’t ever forget when a national morning feature news show spent time showing how “cool looking” and attractive a new thermostat could be. TRC’s interest, of course, is that if the home isn’t new, it may contain an existing unit that’s begging for recycling. That’s where our partners come in, especially contractors and wholesalers. This might be a good time, especially for our wholesalers, to remind contractors that they have the bins just crying for you to fill them with all those old units. It also might be time to ensure that our green bins are in a prominent, easy-to-spot location. Dare I suggest near the front counter or the entrance or exit door?

On a serious note, we understand living in a world of diminishing returns. And that’s why we endlessly, and sometimes playfully, keep tooting the horn for capturing more of those old mercury-containing thermostats.