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I would like to know what everybody thinks about having a fireplace. Every home I have ever lived has had one, but I would estimate that in the past 12 years, I have used the fireplace maybe twice. My wife doesn't want the thing at all because we never use it and thinks it will be in the way of where she would like to place certian things, but I'm a little torn. How important is it really to you for a house you purchase to have a fireplace? I feel like I'd only be getting it to appease any future prospective buyers.
Thanks
Last edited by houstoner; 05-08-2009 at 07:14 AM..
Reason: Thread moved from Houston forum.
In Houston, we use our fireplace about 5-6 times a year (gas) and its almost always for ambiance and not warmth.
I personally wouldn't really care if I had a fireplace or not, but I would never build or purchase a house without one past a certain price range because its usually going to be expected during a resale.
All of the fireplaces I've had in houses and one apartment were functionally useless showpieces. The one we have now is for gas logs and I think I've fired it up a total of 2x in the past 4 winters just to see if it actually worked. I'm afraid to use anything in there that may plug up the holes in the gas pipe, so it stays unused. The natural gas heater is a much faster way to run people outta there.
During the winter months we use ours all the time! It does add a bit of ambiance as well...but it also takes out the humidity and dampness in the air. It is also gas, so a click of the remote control and it's on. Other than the quiet "hiss", it looks quite real.
I live in a 2-story home where if you get the heater warm downstairs - you are cooking the people upstairs - so we keep it cooler and use the fireplace all the time on cool days. Even when it isn't freezing outside - for some reason the house will get a chill in it and it will be colder in the house than outside - we use it to take the chill out of the air.
My husband loves to build a roaring fire in the fireplace a few times in the winter. The only problem is that we end up turning on the A/C because it gets too hot. Fireplaces are useless in Houston.
I personally will not purchase a home without one. We use ours all the time in the winter even if its just for the mood factor. Christmas would not be the same without a mantel for the stockings!
We haven't used ours in years, I only wish I could say the same about the AC I agree with Stephanie, fireplaces are useless in Houston.
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I agree with Stephanie, fireplaces are useless in Houston.
