New Home Fireplace Trend Wake, Durham and Orange County NC

[Amy Shair, REMAX Real Estate]

Everyone likes sitting next to a roaring fire in the wintertime, hearing the crackling of the logs and smelling the wood.

So whether it’s a natural gas fireplace, fireplace with gas that is ventless, or a corner electric fireplace, they all encourage the same type of feelings.

The fireplace mantle is the focal point of many family rooms, holding family photos and Christmas stockings.  Fireplaces are associated with happy memories. Builders have decided that buyers should choose whether a fireplace comes with their new homes.

Details:  Here is a list buyers provided of reasons for not including a fireplace in their new homes:

1) Gas log fireplaces are not romantic

2) People do not want to deal with getting real wood for a wood burning fireplace

3) Some new fireplaces do little to heat the house

4) Fireplaces make it hard to arrange furniture

5) Buyers do not want to pay the thousands of dollars for a fireplace

Remember Resale:  For resale, a fireplace is now a neutral factor. So if you are lookingto purchase a home think about whether having a fireplace is important to you.

How about you? Is a fireplace important to you and your family?

[Rick Nipper]

Amy, interesting information and great points. As a home inspector, I would add that direct vent fireplaces are often highly energy inefficient allowing in unconditioned air from the exterior. Gas logs can burn a ton of gas to produce little heat. For the fireplaces that have chimneys, the chimneys often cause a host of maintenance problems. Though it bucks a long-time trend, forgoing the fireplace is not a bad idea.

[Amy Shair, REMAX Real Estate]

Thanks Rick for your insight.

[Pepper P Oldziey]

This is where I always put my pictures of my children. Of course it is important. :) And now I put candles there and right above it the flat screen tv on the wall. Everyione should have a fireplace . . . oh and mine burns real logs but I need to find a good chimney sweep.

[Tim Moore]

All I can say Amy is that I will not live in a house without a fireplace. Especailly an all electric home - if the power goes out - and it has several times over the years, I can heat the house with the fire place. Oh, one other thing - Just where will Santa enter my home at Christmas if I don't have a fireplace? ;)

[Amy Shair, REMAX Real Estate]

@Pepper...I agree!

[Amy Shair, REMAX Real Estate]

@Tim ... glad to see we are never too young to stop believing in Santa!

[Michael Kimsal]

santa uses amazon for those houses without chimneys.