It’s official! According to research by a leading property website, a fireplace is the most desirable feature when looking for a new home*.

In fact, 22% of people asked said that they would rather have a fireplace than nice neighbours or good decor and that having a fireplace could even sway their decision to buy a property.

A fireplace may also persuade buyers to pay more than they had planned on their new home - with many blowing their budget by an average of £16,193 when buying with their heart over their head.

Chris Stammers, Product Marketing Director at Dimplex, commented: “The appeal of a fire is something that we’ve been aware of for a very long time through our extensive range of electric, gas and multi-fuel fire options, but it’s great to have these statistics to back it up. The good news these days is that whatever your options for a fire – we have the solution. In many modern homes, for example, it’s not possible to have a real fire. That’s why, thanks to our revolutionary Opti-myst technology and realistic Opti-flame effects, we’ve created a vast range of electric fires which look like the real thing.

“With a wide range of products covering inset, wall-mounted and stove designs, the range of Dimplex electric fires offer the beauty and comfort of a real fire with the simplicity of electric. They can simply be plugged in and are ready to go and can dramatically increase the value of a property with no structural considerations and relatively little cost.”

You can see a video of the Opti-myst effect here.

*Source – Zoopla.co.uk