Does a gas fireplace add more home value than an electric fireplace?

Why gas reads as real estate

A vented gas fireplace is infrastructure: a permitted gas line, sealed venting through the wall or roof, an inspected installation that transfers with the deed. Buyers and appraisers treat it the way they treat any permanent mechanical improvement — part of the house, not part of the furniture. In the in-town markets along the gas mains, Asheville down through Hendersonville, a working gas fireplace is one of the amenities buyers reliably flag in showings.

What electric actually contributes

An electric fireplace sits closer to furniture. Most are plug-in units that can leave with the seller, and buyers know it — even a handsome built-in recess around a Dimplex reads as decor rather than mechanicals. That's not a knock: an electric unit can be a few hundred dollars installed and can make a cold listing photo feel warm, which has real marketing value when a house needs to show well. It just isn't appraisal value.

The post-Helene premium — and the paperwork

Two WNC-specific notes. First, since Helene, buyers here ask what heats the house when the grid fails — a gas fireplace with millivolt or battery-backup ignition answers that question; an electric fireplace is the wrong answer by definition, because it dies with the power.

Second, the value only sticks if the work is documented. We pull the permit with your county and meet the inspector, because unpermitted gas work can haunt a closing and void insurance. A gas install typically runs $3,500 to $8,000 installed — a genuine investment — and if you want an honest read on whether your home will return it, call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.