"Hi Everyone,
#1-we like cooking with gas
#2- we plan on installing a
gas fireplace
#3- we may look into a tankless water heater at some point
#4 -better resale value down the road
#5 - furnaces need less maintenance and tend to last longer
#6- less CO2 emission (feel good about environmental impact)"
You can almost always have a gas stove installed and use a smaller tank for gas oven/stove use.
Same goes true for a gas fireplace.
Maintenance should be done whether it is a boiler or hot air furnace.
Resale value? RE agents can chime in on this one. I don't think either makes much difference.
Any proper running oil or propane unit will not have any issues. Note: the higher the efficiency rating the more complex the unit is. Higher efficiency is not always the correct answer.
My advice to anyone and everyone is don't fix anything unless it is broken. I don't recommend "converting" anything.
If potential home has a wood burning fireplace then just leave it alone and purchase a cord of wood.
If the potential home has an electric or gas water heater then just continue to use such.
These instantaneous on demand water heaters are nice but expensive. And you should understand what water pressure means and what flow rates mean for these types of water heaters. I have an instantaneous on demand water heater and there is no one who can fix it if it breaks. And the company - well known when I purchased it - no longer makes this unit. Mind you, it does work fine. But when it breaks - I am going to a simple electric tank heater. Cheaper and easier to replace when time comes. Remember propane tankess heaters have to be vented. And some are "power" vented - meaning another part that can break.
If you have extra money and money is not a problem - then do whatever makes you happy. Me, like I stated above, I don't fix anything if it is not broken.
And as others have stated here. Oil heat seems to be the norm for most homes. Others have chimed in on the BTU's comparison of oil and propane per unit. But if the home comes with propane then just leave alone.
Now if you were to build a home then some answers may change.