The weather has been hot lately, with no end (or rain) in sight. On one hand, it's a nice break from the early summer rainfall we were seeing through June and most of July, with thunderstorms rolling through every single weekend, but it feels a little unbearable to exist in temperatures hitting over 90 degrees every day. I am not much of an outdoorsy person in the summertime anyway, but even the most simple tasks like preparing to take recycling and garbage to the dump can feel like something better suited for the early morning or late afternoon, just to avoid even fifteen minutes of walking to and from the car and house in the heat.

I recently met some folks from Arizona, and they were commenting that even though this weather is practically a whole ten degrees cooler than what they are used to, it is still hot and humid. They told me they found it funny that everyone here mostly uses window AC units, because where they are from, it's most common that homes and businesses have central air. The concept of central air is a bit foreign to me, so much so that I actually had to Google it.

"Temperature control and regulation is important to consider when purchasing a home," says Badger Peabody & Smith Agent Jeff Gagnon. He continues, "In the Northeast, we tend to more heavily consider what it takes to heat our homes in the wintertime and the most effective and cost-friendly options around that, but paying mind to air conditioning options is also important."

"Many of the homes in New England were built long before air conditioning of any kind was even invented yet," adds Gagnon. "Though not impossible, installing central air into these older homes can be complicated and expensive. Many people rely on window AC units, but mini splits have become a more common option in recent years as well. Your agent can help educate you around the heating and cooling options available to you when making a decision about buying a home."

There was a period of time in my younger life that we did not have air conditioning. We lived in an old farmhouse-turned-apartment-building when I was a kid, and I remember it being so hot upstairs in the summertime. The second floor was mostly bedrooms along a narrow hallway, with a small common room at the top of the stairs, so in order to effectively cool anything off up there, we probably would have needed several window units, and I know the cost of that would have been out of the question for my parents at the time. I can't imagine not having an AC in my house now, though I can sympathize with my parents making that decision.

It will be interesting to see if central air becomes more commonplace in new homes being built in the Northeast. I don't see myself veering away from my trusty window AC anytime soon, though; central air would not be a viable option in this 1800s Cape House. A pellet stove, however, would be a very welcomed addition come winter. But that's a story for another time, and something I'll more seriously consider when I'm not melting in this 90-degree weather. 

Paige O. Roberts has a degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Henniker Review, Sidereal Magazine, Rejection Letters, and Cypress. She has been nominated for a Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize. She lives in northern New Hampshire, where she owns and operates a pet boutique called Tailswag.