How a Fireplace Can Increase the Value of Your Home

Fireplaces are nice amenities, whether or not you’re planning to sell your home in the near future. If you are planning to sell, a working fireplace with a classic design along with a mantel can add up to $12,000 to your sale price, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Naturally, the exact dollar amount will vary, but the fact is, many homebuyers are looking specifically for fireplaces when they shop for a new place to live. When they see a fireplace and hearth area that’s good-looking and well-maintained, they may be willing to pay a little more.

 

Fireplaces add value in many ways

In addition to a possible higher home value, the right kind of fireplace can benefit you in four other ways when putting your home on the market.

1. Homebuyers like saving money

What “little” extra a homebuyer may pay for a home with a fireplace easily can be made up and then some with the money saved on heating costs. An efficient gas or wood-burning fireplace or fireplace insert is an excellent source of supplemental heat – and may be the primary source, depending on the size of the house.

2. Instant eye-appeal

Whether or not a homebuyer is looking for a home with a fireplace, a nice, clean fireplace with a lovely decorated mantel adds instant eye-appeal and somehow makes the entire room shine. Modern fireplaces and fireplace inserts are more than heating appliances: they’re true decorative amenities that are as enjoyable to look at as they are to use.

3. A well-maintained fireplace speaks of the rest of the house

When you keep your fireplace clean and in good repair, it tells homebuyers a lot about your overall philosophy of maintaining your home. Buyers like to imagine themselves in a well-cared-for new home. On the other side, a filthy, broken fireplace that won’t even pass inspection isn’t going to turn on very many buyers, and it will make them wonder what other kinds of problems exist throughout the home.

4. Faster sale

There’s some debate in real estate and home-appraisal circles on just how much a fireplace will increase the appraised value or selling price of a home. But one thing that’s not in debate is the fact that many buyers are quick to jump on a home with a fireplace that appeals to them. It’s not uncommon for homes with fireplaces to spend fewer days on the market than homes without them. Anything that speeds up the sale is advantageous to you.

Keep your fireplace in great shape

The key to a highly efficient and safe fireplace and chimney is two-fold:

• Annual inspections to spot early signs of damage so problems can be fixed quickly and at less cost than full-blown repairs
• Annual chimney cleaning to remove creosote that can damage chimney liners, which can cause
  a chimney fire

Before putting your home on the market, get in touch with a CSIA-certified chimney sweep or chimney company and have your fireplace and chimney looked at and thoroughly cleaned and serviced.

Hudson Valley Chimney of Poughkeepsie, NY, provides certified chimney sweeping, chimney and fireplace inspections and complete repairs of fireplaces and chimneys and all their components. We also can help you select and then install for you the perfect new zero-clearance fireplace or powerful fireplace insert that will meet all of your heating needs and your decorative tastes.

Speak with an experienced hearth professional today at (845) 471-1071.