Sometimes, it makes sense to remove a fireplace. Whether it’s the yearly upkeep you no longer want to deal with, or you want to reclaim some space in your rooms. But does removing a fireplace decrease your home’s value?
Removing a fireplace decreases the home’s value by about 6-12%. A fireplace adds about 6-12% in resale value, so removing one would lead to a similar decrease. Fireplaces are seen as an amenity and a valuable appeal to the home, especially in colder climates, and removing one could lead to fewer potential buyers.
In most cases, it makes sense to keep your fireplace. In this article, we’ll go into detail about just how much a fireplace removal can decrease your home’s value, how much removal costs, and anything associated with fireplace removal!
Does Removing A Fireplace Decrease Your Home’s Value?
Fireplaces typically add about 6-12% in resale value. If you remove the fireplace, you lose this extra 6-12%. By removing a fireplace, the home loses part of its appeal, which could lead to fewer potential buyers. This way, you’ll end up with fewer buyers for a lower price.
Nowadays, more than 75% of homebuyers would prefer a home with a fireplace over a home without one. And a good portion of all these homebuyers would even skip a viewing of a house that doesn’t have a fireplace.
Simply put, fireplaces are desirable, and removing one definitely comes with a decrease in valuation.
Not only will you lose that 6-12% of added value that came with the fireplace, but fewer interested buyers means fewer bids, which typically means that the price will not get as high as it can get.
It is important to remember that not all fireplaces types have the same impact on the price decrease. Gas and wood-burning fireplaces typically fall in the higher end of the 6-12% valuation increase, but electric fireplaces usually fall in the lower end.
Electric fireplaces add a similar ambiance, but unlike gas and wood-burning fireplaces, an electric fireplace doesn’t have an actual flame. There’s the illusion of a flame with lights and mirrors, but there’s nothing actually burning.
They’re also much easier to remove than gas and wood-burning fireplaces, as the latter two typically require a chimney and aren’t as mobile as the electric ones.
Is A Fireplace A Selling Point?
A fireplace is a significant selling point for most homebuyers. Many consider them to be the focal point of a room, add a lot of ambiance, and are extremely practical in colder climates. 75% of homebuyers seek a home with a fireplace.
Fireplaces are becoming more and more popular each year. The demand for fireplaces has doubled since 2015, and nowadays, 75% of homebuyers would prefer a home with a fireplace.
Many of those homebuyers are willing to skip a viewing if the home does not have a fireplace.
Fireplaces are a major selling point, without a doubt, and statistics show that they’re only becoming more popular over the years!
Should You Install A Fireplace Purely For The Resale Value?
The installation costs of a fireplace can typically be recovered 100% or more when selling the home. In most cases, adding a fireplace will even be profitable since they increase the total home’s value by more than the fireplace’s installation costs.
Fireplaces add a lot of value to a home, and it’s actually not that bad of an idea to install one. Whether you’re looking to sell in the short term or a few years, the fireplace will add value.
In fact, in most cases, it adds enough value for you to recover all your costs, and chances are you’ll make some extra money on top.
A fireplace can add about 6-12% in resale value, so if a home costs $200.000, the addition of a fireplace will make it $212.000. Considering a fireplace costs about $8000 or so, that’s a $4000 profit.
Keep in mind though that this really only goes for gas and wood-burning fireplaces. Electric fireplaces will not increase a home’s value in the same way that the others do.
However, with a premium electric fireplace, you can still create a desirable living space, which always leads to an increase in resale value!
Should You Remove A Fireplace?
Removing a fireplace can lead to a decrease in the home’s value and appeal. Over 75% of home buyers are seeking a home with a fireplace. If you intend to sell your home, it may be best to keep the fireplace. If the fireplace is a major inconvenience and you plan on living there for a long time, removing the fireplace might be worth it.
With a decrease in both home’s value and appeal, it’s probably best not to remove your fireplace, especially if you consider moving sometime in the short term.
If you don’t really plan on moving anytime soon, and you really want the fireplace gone, though, it may be best to have it removed. Fireplaces can take up a lot of space and require regular upkeep. If this is something you don’t want to deal with, it may be worth it just to remove it.
Removing a fireplace does help alleviate some property taxes, though. The average homeowner pays about $100 to $200 a year extra on property taxes.
How Much Does It Cost To Remove A Fireplace?
Fireplace removal typically costs $3000 to $6000, including chimney removal and home repair. Partial removal comes in at $500 to $3000, and the complete removal of a large brick chimney comes in at $4000 or more.
Fireplace removal isn’t cheap. On top of the home’s value decrease, expect to pay an extra few thousand dollars to remove it.
| Type of Repair | Cost Estimate |
| Partial Removal of Fireplace and Chimney | $500 – $3000 |
| Complete Removal of Fireplace and Chimney | $3000 – $6000 |
| Complete Removal of Large Brick/Stone Chimney | $4000+ |
Prices can vary depending on your situation. Wood-burning fireplaces, for example, are often load-bearing and are a part of the wall structure.
Removing a fireplace like that, which often also has a large chimney in place that’s also part of the home’s structure, the cost will run really high.
On the other hand, a simple gas fireplace usually isn’t part of the home’s integral structure and can be moved more easily.
Unless hard-wired and built into a wall, electric fireplaces can typically just be unplugged and removed.
How Long Does It Take To Remove A Fireplace?
On average, it takes two to five days to remove a fireplace. The duration is dependant on the scope of the project, the location of your fireplace, and how many repairs are necessary.
Removing a fireplace can usually be done within one working week. Large structures can extend this by a few days.
