A fireplace is one of the most popular features in a home. At Griffith Realty, buyers consistently ask our real estate agents to show them homes with a beautiful stone or brick fireplace that creates a cozy atmosphere in the home.

Buying or selling a home with a fireplace, or adding a fireplace to your existing home has big payoffs and many advantages. Here's what you need to consider before adding one. 

1. Increased Resale Value
   According to the National Association of Home Builders, more than 75 percent of buyers want a home with a fireplace. Buyers like the warmth and light of a cozy fireplace, especially during cold fall and winter months. Homes with fireplaces often sell for about 13 percent more than homes without fireplaces. In upscale areas, buyers expect to find one or even two beautiful fireplaces within the home.
   
   
2. Energy-Efficiency
   Although a fireplace provides a cozy atmosphere, it also provides home energy efficiency. On a cold Michigan evening at the lakehouse, sitting around a warm, glowing fire not only keeps you warm, but it cuts down your heating bills. New sealed fireplaces, including wood-burning units, have venting systems that use outdoor air for combustion. This reduces heat loss and supplements the home's regular heating system.

• • Wood-Burning Fireplaces – Although wood-burning furnaces create a roaring, warm fire, they are not as energy efficient as gas fireplaces. However, many homeowners like the natural appeal of real wood logs crackling in the fireplace.

• • Gas Fireplaces – Realty market studies show that buyers prefer gas fireplaces, because they are more energy-efficient, don't require wood storage, and cleaner because there is no cleanup of ashes and wood debris after each use.

3. Indoor Entertaining
   Adding a fireplace to your home will increase your entertaining opportunities. If you're thinking about ways to entertain family and friends, it's best to put the fireplace in the room that gets the most use such as a living room, family room, or great room. A fireplace will create a welcoming, relaxing atmosphere that will make entertaining a big success. 
   
   
4. Outdoor Living
   If you like having outdoor gatherings with neighbors, friends, and family, adding an outdoor fireplace to your patio or backyard will increase your living space and add ambiance for outdoor activities. Hosting an outdoor cookout on a chilly day is a success around a roaring fire. Adding an outdoor fireplace requires a building permit and a possible gas line, but the payoff is years of outdoor opportunities and better resale when you decide to sell your home.
   
   
5. Summer Installation
   While installing a fireplace is common during the fall, offseasons are better because you save money. Many homeowners install their fireplace in September or October, so they can enjoy it for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. However, installing a fireplace during the summer can save you hundreds of dollars. Typically there are sales, promotions, and factory rebates available during the off-seasons to generate business. Off seasons are less busy, so prices are often reduced and scheduling is easier. Planning ahead will save you time, money, and aggravation.

If you're interested in buying a new home or listing your current home in the Brighton area, contact us for real estate opportunities. We can help you find your dream home with many wonderful features and amenities.