ELECTRIC??? That's the MOST expensive way to go. If you just want the entertainment of a fire then I guess it's fine. But if you're looking for anything else like heat.... OUCH. Do a Google for electric fireplaces and I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. Up here electricity is VERY expensive at almost 15 cents per KWH. And power failures can come during a blizzard. So we have a real fire.

Hi Stacie, Thanks for reporting on the heatilator. I didn't see your response on time so I went ahead and ordered the Dimplex built-in 36" fireplace. A few months back, I went to a fireplace store and they had the dimplex on display. I was amazed by how it looked like. From a distant, it looked pretty realistic. Up close you can tell that it's not real as it uses a mirror/glass to show off the flames (not sure how to really explain it). It still looks good even up close. What really attacted me was the fact that I can adjust the brightness of the flames and the intensity of the heat and speed of the flames (low or roaring fire). So that's why I went for the dimplex. Note: I was looking at the 30inch version (non-built in). I went for the 36 inch built in. When I got it two days ago, I was disappointed to find that it didn't have the features of the 30 inch (which I assumed it did). The 36 inch built in didn't have the ajustable flame, light and heat. It had just Flame on only, Flame and Heat. It had a same fireplace display which was attracted me to buy the dimplex. Now that I think about it, how many times will I be adjusting the flames? Probably not. So bottom line is that I'm satified with the Dimplex. From a distanct it really looks like a really fire. My mom came over last night and she was amazed how nice it looked. Likewise for my wife when she came home and noticed the fireplace. She was pleasantly surprized.

electric fireplace heaters use resistance heat, they are 100% efficient as are all electric space heaters. yes, your electric bills will go up quite a bit (depending of course on how much the heater will be used); while electric resistance heat is 100% efficient, electricity is generally an expensive form of energy to use, and using it to heat will reflect that.

I live in Manhattan and grew up on the UES. I think that the ROI on an electric fireplace, in general, would be low. You could put in a lot of money and afterwards you might think that the addition is wonderful. The salient point to bear in mind, if you're thinking of selling in the near-term, is to try and make your home have as close to universal appeal as possible. Make things as beautiful as you can, but opt for neutral changes that are likely to turn off the fewest number of people. I find it helpful, when I'm considering changing anything in our Manhattan condo, to think as though I'm staging our home, as a way of deciding whether to make a change or not. Best of luck