NWR: Is a fireplace a must have in your house?? Pics included!!

I grew up in a house with a fireplace but we never really used it except for a few occasions throughout my whole childhood. DH never had a fire place growing up so it was never a "deal breaker" when we were looking at houses if it didn't have a fireplace. The house we ended up buy doesn't have a fireplace and I don't even miss it. The only thing I am a little disappointed about will be when we have kids because Santa won't be coming down the chimney LOL ... but I found a really cute way to hang stockings on the wall so I'm really not too concerned!

This house looks gorgeous and I love the kitchen area! I think that you need to look at the total package of the house instead of what it doesn't have.

IMO, a fireplace shouldn't be a reason you do or do not buy a house. Where do you live? If you live in a colder region maybe I'm wrong. I live in South Jersey, we just moved from a house without a fireplace to one with, but I can't say it was a huge deciding factor when we decided to build. Its one of those things thats a nice addition if you can have it... not like a washing machine. That's a must.

I used to have a house with a fire place and never used. Our co-op doesn't have one and I don't miss it. It's not a deal breaker for me in the slightest.

Do most houses in that neighborhood have them?

@Honey B...that is one of my concerns too, I grew up with a fireplace so what happens with Santa if we dont have one when we TTC??

@Lizz we live in St Louis MO

@Angleina I am not sure about that actually. And Im not sure that it is a deal breaker per se, I have just always had one so I am trying to decide how much I would miss it.

I grew up in a house with a fireplace and thought it would be a necessity but my house doesn't have one. I do miss it and plan to have one in the next house. But really its not that big a deal. If you love the house and that's the only thing its missing I say go for it. You're never going to find everything you wnat in a house unless you build it.

It definitely is a nice luxury to have... there's nothing better than sitting in front of the fire when it's chilly outside.

We have an 11 year old.. in our last house, Santa came through the doors. We hung the stockings on the counter / server area. Not very creative but it worked.

I think fireplaces aren't a necessary. It's really optional, IMO. I know when we looked at our apartment, we had a choice to pick a fireplace for our apartment or not and I declined because I hated where it was located (because it's in the corner). Also, if it doesn't come with a fireplace, you can always get an electric fireplace and put it anywhere you desire. It actually does flames and less you have to manage.

We use ours all the time during the winter but I don't think it's a must-have. If I found a house I loved that didn't have one, I don't think it'd make me not want the house.

I grew up in a house with a fireplace. The house we live in now doesn't have one. I miss it it was a focal point in the house! I've even joked with FH those fake ones at Lowes we might have to purchase. haha! AND yes How is Santa supposed to enter? lol

I grew up with a fireplace, but never really used it. Had a fireplace in one of my apartments and never used it (I was living in GA at the time...). I had a wood stove in my condo and used it a lot. We have a fireplace in our current home and we rarely used it, but last year we put a pellet stove insert in the fireplace and we use that thing all the time! Best investment we ever made!

Hmm fireplaces are really nice.My parents house (where I grew up) does not have one. But it was one of those things we all wished we had. My dad has been saying for years he would build one but since that's one thing he's never attempted yet, he's a little scared. (He's a contractor)

But anyway, when DH and I moved into our apartment, we had no fireplace. His parents house has one but w got along just fine without it

Then When DH and I moved into the house we are in now, we now have a fireplace. It's really nice but we don't use it alot. Usually only around christmas time when it gets cold. The first year we lived here, we seemed to use it alot, the 2nd only about twice. Now we will see this year. Who knows. I wouldn't base a house on this depending on where you live. Somewhere that gets really cold, maybe. But in FLa I don't think we use it much. It is pretty to look at that though.

And as far as santa goes, when I was a kid I watched that Santa movie with Tim Allen and always believed that for the houses w/out a fireplace, one magically appeared just so Santa could get into our house. I really believed this too. Wrote a letter to santa every year and baked him cookies.

I am on the side of no fireplace. We have one in our apt. now and we have lived there for two years. We have covered it with the intertanement center and have never used it. I feel like they are just take up wall space. As for Santa we told my son when he was younger that we wait up and let Santa in and help him put the toys out because he has so many kids to get to.

I sure was happy for our fireplace last night!! Turns out our rental manager didn't transfer the electricity account to us, so we hadn't received any bills yet, and the power company hadn't received any payment so they shut it down. Very very happy for our living room and bedroom fireplaces last night!

Fireplace isn't a deal breaker for me, but if I lived in an area with heavy winters, I'd probably put it high on my preference list, esp if the area is prone to power outages.

Fireplaces are very dear to my heart... the house I grew up in was built in 1919 and had 4! (most were non functional, however). When fh and I bought our condo, there were so many things we loved about it, but no fireplace. We know that this was our starter home, and are hoping to move in a house 5-10 years down the line, where we will be 'settled' . I'm fighting for a fireplace in that one.... but to be honest with you, the only time of year I ever really notice is Christmas, because we have to hang our stocking on the archway!

Thanks for your input ladies! Its a tough decision as I really like our fireplace now and worry about the resale when we would go to sell this house later on, but ultimately Im not sure that I would let a good house go just for the romance and ambiance that a fireplace creates.

@Misty, thats a cute idea

I will keep you all posted on what we decide!!

Beautiful house! I wouldnt put a fireplace as a dealbreaker, esp if you're getting a great deal on price & everything else the house has

For me, a fireplace 75% is a dealbreaker. The 2nd home I grew up in (pre-teen to adult yrs) did have a fireplace, & to save on heater bills my parents would light it up all the time in winter. I loved it so much, great memories It's always been my wishlist for a house. But if I got a steal of a house, perfect with anything it has, but doesnt have fireplace, I think I could survive not having one

It wasn't until my last apt we bought a house with a gas fireplace!

We are actually in the process of having ours removed. We never use it and I can watch the heat and ac just going up it. They worked on it last weekend now it is all taken from the roof and reroofed. The inside holes are all boarded and insulated. now just to rip off the mantle and build a wall/cabinet or whatever else. It was not a factor in house buying at all. So many fireplaces now are zero clearance and can be vented right out the wall they are on to the outside it would be easy to put one in.

You are very right for insisting the roof be done right with an insured roofer.

Mrs. Travers, when you have kids you will find out that you have ways around the fire place. I don't have a fireplace in my apartment and I still tell my daughter that I had to let him in the front door. Also I let her know that I have to pay Santa so that there is no confusion that she has to do good.