The type of heating system your home uses may have a significant impact in the value of the property should it come to selling it. Buyers will likely look at the age, quality and efficiency of the heating system and adjust the price they are willing pay accordingly.

Taking your time and making the right decisions when installing a new heating system will not only save you money through the colder months, but also increase the value of your home in the long term.

The options available to homeowners when it comes to heating a home have changed considerably over the years and each has its own upsides and downsides. These different options must be carefully weighed before a decision is made to avoid wasting money.

Here is a breakdown of the some of the more popular options available.

Pellet Stoves

The pellet stove is a great option that is vastly underrated and will help to increase your home's efficiency and environmental friendliness. Pellet stoves work by automatically feeding compressed wood pellets into a burn chamber at a preset rate and burning them at optimal efficiency.

Pellet Stove Pros:

• Once installed it will require little to no maintenance.
• They can be purchased to go with nearly any home design and are available in different budget ranges.
• The vast majority of the pellets used as fuel, are made with waste products from all naturally occurring materials. A few of these materials consist of; wood chips, sawdust, nutshells and kernels of corn. These are then ground up and pressed into a mold which makes the pellet shape.
• The systems are extremely efficient with the generation of heat. They are already a byproduct of other raw materials so the waste factor is extremely minimal.

Pellet Stove Cons

• Not everyone has the room for a bulky pellet stove in their living room area.
• As with any purchase, research must be done to see if the stores in your area stock the pellets that fuel these stoves.

Natural Gas

This is a very dated source of heat in the modern world. Most cities already have infrastructure in place which makes it readily accessible but it is not always the best option. As with all fossil fuels, natural gas is subject to huge pricing fluctuations from year to year based on the rise and fall of the economy.

Natural Gas Pros

• Very efficient
• Has very few emissions to to efficient burning of fuel
• Require little maintenance

Natural Gas Cons

• These systems are subject to incredibly disastrous results in a structural damage situation. For instance, living in an area where violent storms are a regular occurrence, the likelihood of an explosion due to a ruptured pipe or supply is a very real scenario
• Higher cost to purchase
• Can be more expensive due to fluctuations in price

Geothermal Heating and Cooling

Geothermal heating and cooling systems are one of the most efficient systems and aren't heavily reliant on the economy or local environment as they depend on the natural heating and cooling that takes place deep underground.

These sources are reliant on massive plants and infrastructure to process and transport them across the local grids to the end users.

While extremely reliable and renewable as a resource, they are also very expensive to implement. If money isn't an issue and geothermal options are available in your area they are a great choice.

In addition to the reliability the government will typically reward the buyer of these systems with a healthy tax credit for choosing a green source of energy.

Geothermal Pros

• Environmentally friendly
• Very efficient

Geothermal Cons

• Very expensive
• Not available in all areas
• Can be almost impossible to retrofit

Standard Wood Burning Fireplace

This has been one of the most widely used forms of heating used throughout history. However, it is also one of the most labor intensive methods when it comes to obtaining wood fuel. If you live in an area with access to fallen trees, this can be an incredibly affordable option and even free in many cases.

Wood burns very inefficiently and in most cases leaves considerable amount of ashes that have to be removed regularly to keep from smothering the fire and reducing efficiency.

Depending on what type of wood you burn, it can potentially increase hazards to your home. Certain woods contain resins which can form dangerous build-up in chimneys. Numerous occurrences of chimney fires destroy homes each year.

When wood heaters are replaced with a less volatile heating method, homeowners insurance will likely be reduced due to the lowered risks during the winter months.

Wood Heatings Pros

• Wood fuel can be obtained cheaply if you have the right tools
• Produces radiant heat

Wood Heating Cons

• Drastically increases fire hazard
• High maintenance

Conclusion

There are obviously other heating methods that we did not cover here and due diligence should be done to ensure you have considered all options.

Every house is different and it is important to research what is right for your unique situation before making the final decision on what heating system should be installed.