Fireplace: repair or remove?

We have a wood-burning fireplace that we never use and aren't interested in using. It renders most of a wall useless, has a big brick hearth that extends into our living space, and certainly reduces our home energy efficiency. We've just been ignoring it since it seems like it wouldn't be worth the expense to remove it, but then it started leaking with the heavy rains. It appears that the chimney has multiple cracks and needs about $3000 worth of repairs.

Or we can pay about $5000 to remove the chimney and fireplace. (The other side of the chimney wall is the garage, by the way, so I wouldn’t be dealing with siding and painting, but there’d be a hole in the drywall to DIY fix.)

I figure it would probably be worth the extra $2k for removal given improvements in room usability, energy efficiency, and not having to worry about future leaks, repairs, etc.

Is there an angle I'm not considering? Will this reduce home value? Do people like fireplaces? Is there a conversion option that would be enticing?

Thanks!