Are fireplaces on their way out?

Recently I have seen new inventory homes built by Perry and Beazer that were missing a fireplace.  I say missing but to Perry and Beazer the fireplaces were not missing. Because for something to be missing it would have been intended to be there in the first place … Right?

Both the Perry and Beazer sales representatives said buyers are not choosing the fireplace as an option when they build from dirt.  It’s based upon this lack of buyer demand that they have made the decision to not build their inventory homes with fireplaces.  I don’t know if Perry and Beazer are building inventory homes without fireplaces in all of the subdivisions they build in or just the ones I was showing homes in recently.

In Spring Texas our temperatures are mild year round and as such our fireplaces function more as decorations than they do as heat sources.  So I can certainly understand a builder’s decision to either replace the expense of a fireplace with the expense of granite kitchen countertops or to eliminate the expense entirely and offer their product at a lower price.

Are we going to see more builders follow Perry and Beazer and build their inventory homes without fireplaces?  In the lower price ranges, I think we will see more Spring Texas homes being built without fireplaces.  Based upon the opinions of the buyers I have worked with over the last 12 months, fireplaces have become a “nice to have” feature and not a “must have” feature.

What are the features I am hearing buyers say are their “must haves”?  Granite kitchen counter tops, tile floors, and stainless steel appliances or some are willing to settle for black appliances.

What does all this mean if you are thinking about selling your Spring Texas home in the near future?  Buyers drive the market.  The best way to get your house sold is to give the buyers what they want by having your home features match the features on the “must have” lists of buyers.

Fireplaces may be considered impractical in Spring Texas but I enjoy decorating mine for the holidays.

Read also:

• What’s IN and what’s OUT with Spring Texas home buyers
• What are the average temperatures for Spring Texas