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AC in European Homes Is Still a Rarity, and for International Buyers That Could Be a Deal Breaker
Sellers need to be creative to ensure their properties are ‘cool’ enough for buyers. Modifying their period homes while maintaining their value is the hardest part.
By leah milner
Originally Published Aug. 29, 2025, 7:34 am EST | Mansion Global
In France, the political debate over air-conditioning has been simmering throughout the summer, but for homeowners across Europe, the question of how to cope with ever-more-frequent heatwaves is a pragmatic one.
For many international buyers from countries where AC is the norm, the need for some form of cooling system isn’t up for debate—it’s a baseline. So homeowners who want to ensure that their property holds lasting appeal to high-end buyers and maintains its value would be wise to consider what modifications they can make to stay ahead of rising temperatures.
Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen ignited the debate in July when she promised to invest in a “life-saving” national roll-out of air-conditioning if her party ever wins power. But environment minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher warned that although air-conditioned spaces in care homes for seniors have been mandatory for decades, installing it everywhere was the “wrong answer” as it pushes up temperatures outside, accelerating climate change.
However, finding the right answer is not so simple.
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“Europe is warming about twice as fast as the rest of the world, and summer heatwaves have grown longer, more frequent and more dangerous,” said Aidan Charron, associate director of environmental awareness charity Earthday.org. In Spain alone, estimates suggest as many as 3,700 heat-related deaths so far this year as temperatures soared above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) on the hottest days.. Yet currently only one in five European homes has AC, compared to 90% in the U.S., according to analysis by the International Energy Agency.
“Europe has historically never adopted the wide-scale use of air-conditioning because it was seen as largely unnecessary, as temperatures were more bearable up until the last decade, energy was expensive, and designers and architects found other, more organic solutions,” Charron said. “Typically they used stone and brick rather than wood to build homes, which naturally insulates buildings against the heat.”
He highlighted other building features common across the Mediterranean that have helped to lessen the need for AC, including the careful placement of windows to avoid too much sun in the peak of summer, the use of shutters, and white or terracotta exterior paint to reflect the heat.
But demand for AC is increasing as these traditional methods are no match for the new extremes. In France, adoption of AC increased from 14% of homes in 2016 to 25% in 2020, according to Ademe, the country’s agency for ecological transition. And by this year, that number has nudged up to 27%, according to data from Hello Watt, a supplier.
In the U.K. it’s estimated that only around 5% of homes have AC, but in the Prime Central London market, it is becoming increasingly important, according to agents.
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“It’s a must-have feature that’s quietly overtaking wine cellars and cinema rooms,” said Shaun Drummond, director at Harrods Estates. “Once a rare luxury, it’s now a non-negotiable for wealthy buyers arriving from New York, Los Angeles, Dubai or Singapore.”
Developers of branded residences and luxury new-builds know it’s a prerequisite for their target audience.
“In schemes where buyers expect five-star hotel-style living, AC is often zoned room by room, with hidden ducts and whisper-quiet systems,” Drummond said. “But what’s really turning heads now are period homes such as handsome Victorian conversions and red-brick mansion flats that have gone to the effort and expense of installation.”
The architectural and financial challenges of doing so are considerable, warned Becky Fatemi, executive partner at Sotheby’s International Realty. In London, the housing stock is primarily Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian, and so much of it sits in conservation areas where permits to make major changes are usually required. The same is true in cities like Paris, Rome and Madrid. You can’t just slap a condenser on the side of a stucco terrace in Belgravia or a Renaissance palazzo in central Rome.
In some cases, the wiring in older homes cannot support the demands of modern AC and will need to be replaced, according to Peter Hansen, co-owner of Sparrow Estate Management, which provides services and maintenance for luxury homes.
“Retrofitting AC in a heritage property can easily run to six figures as you need to preserve original features like woodwork, plaster and facades.” But he says the returns from doing so are clear: “If you’re selling to international buyers, a home that’s comfortable year-round commands a premium.”
Sustainable cooling systems do exist, but significant barriers still need to be overcome, especially in city centers.
“Geothermal-powered systems and reverse heat pumps that can cool in the summer and heat in the winter are becoming popular, which Earthday applauds,” Charron said. But ground source heat pumps can cost upwards of €34,000 (US$40,000) for the vertical system that would be needed on a small plot because they require deep boreholes to be dug using specialist machinery, according to Yes Energy Solutions, a British firm that advises on sustainable home upgrades. Horizontal systems are cheaper at €12,000 to €21,000, but require at least 7,500 square feet of land for the network of pipes used to cool or heat the building.
For Charron and other sustainability experts, the starting point should be to try to prevent our homes from heating up in the first place.
“Many people associate insulation with warmth in winter, but it’s just as important in summer,” he said. “Keeping hot air out can be as effective as trapping heat in.”
Tobias Keyl, an associate partner at Berlin-based architect practice GMP, agreed. “Anything you can do to defend your building from heat entering will help, whether that’s planting trees or green walls, installing shutters or fitting sun shades,” he said.
When it comes to planning more resilient homes for the future, Keyl believes we may need to employ lessons from the past alongside technical innovations and modern construction methods. “When I lived in Beijing, we had a country farmhouse near the Great Wall that was about 500 years old,” he said. “It always amazed me that they had positioned this building so perfectly that in the winter when it was minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the sun would come in the full depth of the living room, but in the summer the roof overhang would shade the windows completely.”
But while it remains a rarity for homes to combine cooling technology with original period features, in certain parts of Europe, these properties are bound to stand out to buyers, according to Fatemi. “When done right, they make city living feel effortless even when the streets outside are sweltering,” she said..
