If you plan on using it a lot, like daily, you might want to consider propane. I bought the cheapest, low-end Charbroil grill I could find at Home Depot and I think I spent about $130 at the time. Propane is easy to get (Many gas stations and hardware stores, even big stores like Walmart, all carry it), and once you buy the cylinder, you can trade it in when it runs dry (Costs a bit of cash, but not nearly enough as the initial purchase price of the cylinder). The cylinders last quite awhile; I just drained one that I bought in July of last year. It survived a major, all-day barbecue and dozens of uses throughout that summer.
As stated above, the flavor a charcoal grill produces is noticably different than propane. But with as much as I use my grill, charcoal just isn't practical anymore. I cook on my grill almost daily now, and if I had to pile on the charcoal and wait for it to ignite (Which in and of itself is a chore unless you're using Matchlight from Kingsford), it would eat a lot of time.
It really depends on what kind of food afficionado you are. The better the gas grill, and the more features it has, the more it costs. I keep a little portable charcoal grill for camping and go propane at home.
And congrats on the house! Having bought a house not even two years ago, I know you need to save the cash wherever you can!
