Does remodeling a fireplace add value to my home?
Yes, and in Leicester the value leans toward heat you can count on. These are rural, large-property homes, many on propane, where wood heat is popular and some remote lots have limited electrical capacity. A remodel that delivers dependable, grid-independent warmth, not just a prettier surround, is what actually raises a home's worth out here.
Rural reality: fuel, cold hollows, and self-reliance
Leicester's valleys drain cold air on clear winter nights, running 5 to 8 degrees below Asheville, so a fireplace here is primary comfort, not a seasonal accent. Add limited electrical capacity on some remote properties and a strong local tradition of wood heat, and the value math tilts toward appliances that stand on their own.
A high-efficiency wood stove like the Regency Cascades F1500 heats up to 1,500 square feet and gives total grid independence, real, ownable heat that keeps working when the power and everything else goes down. For homes on propane, a Valor H5 runs on a millivolt system with no electricity at all, throwing warmth straight through a grid-down stretch. That kind of dependable, self-sufficient heat is a documented selling feature in country where storms and outages are part of the deal, and it appraises as function, not decoration.
Propane and wood, done right and permitted
Getting this right is licensed, technical work. Propane has to be set up with the correct orifices and pressures or it soots and wastes fuel; a wood appliance needs a correctly sized, code-compliant liner and clearances honored to be safe. On the gas side we pull the permit with Buncombe County, pressure-test the line, and meet the inspector, so the upgrade is documented and protects the home sale and the buyer's insurance.
Unpermitted gas work is exactly what a home inspection flags. One accountable licensed crew handles the appliance, the fuel, the venting, the permit, and the inspection, no stitching the job across a showroom and a separate installer. Call (828) 545-0525 for a free assessment.
Fireplace help in Leicester
We install and service fireplaces throughout Leicester and the rest of Buncombe County — just 15 minutes west from our Asheville-area showroom.