Home and Hearth

If you are thinking of some touch ups to your home that might add value along the way, picture you and your family cozying up in front of a fireplace. 

Adding a fireplace to your family room or den gives it a focal point, but also can be a gathering place for the family on a chilly fall or winter night. Experts indicate you can expect to recoup the cost plus an additional six to twelve percent when you are looking to sell your home, along with an increase in overall marketability. In new home construction, a fireplace is de rigueur these days. Your fuel options are good old fashioned wood, gas, or electricity. Wood is the standard, but a good bit of the heat goes up the chimney, and in fact can draw the heat in the room up, up, and away.

Natural gas seems to be the environmentalists’ favorite right now, due to its efficiency. Plus, you don’t have to drag in buggy, wet wood. All it takes is the flick of a button and voila, instant romance. Look for prefab fireplaces to keep costs down.