An indoor fireplace is a great accessory for a home, but also may have its disadvantages. Many newer homes and condos may come with an indoor fireplace in the living room area or master bedroom and can be a great selling point – especially for areas where in areas where the winters are very cold or the heating costs very high. Although an indoor fireplace can be a great addition to a home, it is important to weigh the pros and cons when considering if you need a home with an indoor fireplace.

* Warmth

An indoor fireplace can offer a great deal of warmth during chilly fall and winter nights. This can help to reduce your heating bill because most indoor fireplaces simply require a little bit of kindling and wood.

* Inviting Decor

A lot of people enjoy having a fireplace in their home because it offers an inviting decor to the overall ambiance of a room. Along with being an inviting focal point for a room, it also can become part of the home decor. Fireplace mantels can be decorated to match the current holiday and season.

Aside from the advantages above, there are also some disadvantages to having an indoor fireplace, such as:

* Routine Maintenance

Fireplace maintenance is a given, especially is you use the fireplace often. Indoor fireplaces require upkeep while a fire is being burned, and also after a fire has been burned. Maintenance is required so that the fireplace and the area surrounding the fireplace can be safe.

* Firewood and Kindling

To burn a fire an indoor fireplace requires firewood and kindling. While it is nice to buy a few logs from the local supermarket when you want to burn a fire, if you are using your indoor fireplace as a way to reduce a central heating dependency, then you will need much more than a few logs of wood. Purchasing wood can become expensive if you need to purchase more wood regularly.

* Fireplace Accessories

If you own an indoor fireplace, then you also always need to invest in fireplace accessories. Fireplace accessories can include fireplace screens, fireplace tools, and fireplace log racks. These types of fireplace accessories can be great for contributing for the overall decor of your home, but can also be a little costly upfront. Thankfully, when you purchase the fireplace tools and accessories once, more than likely, you will never need to buy them again. Unless you choose to get new tools because you are changing the decor of your home, but more likely, you will only need to purchase fireplace accessories once.

Indoor fireplaces certainly have their advantages, and, of course, their disadvantages. When choosing a house or condo that has an indoor fireplace, it may be wise to consider both the pros and cons. Some individuals will not mind the general upkeep of indoor fireplaces, while for others, it may interfere with their lifestyle and may not match what the need in a home. Considering the pros and cons of an indoor fireplace before making the decision to move-in or buy is advisable because you do not want to find yourself regretting the situation years down the road.

Author Bio: For more information on fireplace tools and other fireplace accessories, please visit http://www.scfireplace.com.

Category: Home Management
Keywords: indoor fireplace,fireplace tools,fireplace maintenance