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Will removing a fireplace reduce my house value?

jackofalltrades

I'm thinking of removing a fireplace to create more space in my sitting room.

The room is long and narrows at one end, so the fireplace is in the way a bit.

It's a gas fireplace (Class 2 chimney) so a stove/solid fuel fire can't be put in.

The gas fire is never used and needs to be sealed up anyway to reduce draughts.

There's a lot of new houses around my estate that don't have chimneys.

The house is a modern-ish 3 bed semi-detached.

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greasepalm

Same as mine as i also have a fireplace put in with gas fire now defunct as metal for coals has degraded.

Luckily had a twin core plastic sheeting which was the right width and just cut a bit longer jammed into the hearth with ease and sealed up to prevent draughts + sealed the vent on front wall to stop the gale blowing up through the floorboards.

House next door is getting new tenants and upgrades and fireplace removed in 2 sections as money in them.

I took up mine decades ago but got replaced when new fire went in. Redecorating and new carpet or wood floors might also need to be done and gas shut off or disconnected depending on what they advise.

RichardAnd

Personally, I like having a fireplace. There is a comfort in knowing that I can always have a source of heat if there is no power, and I just think that a house should have a fireplace, but that's just me.

There are a few old houses (as in 200+ years old) near me with really classy original fireplaces. To me, pulling something like that out would be a huge mistake. However, I can't that it would have any influence on the price of the house.

ted1

you can get electric fire, bioethanol or gas stoves (that work with class 2) there are a few options.

we're house hunting at the moment, it wouldn't make a difference to use and if we see an open fire, we know that that the chimney is just leaking heat. and would replace whatever is there with a electric/gas/bioethanol or multifuel stove

Bogwoppit

I think the recent bad weather and associated power cuts for 7+ days in some places show the folly of not having a backup heat source that doesn’t rely on water or electricity.

poop emoji

Pros for removing:

Theoretically higher ber rating as no open fire
Less dust if no fire to clean (assuming electric put in)
More room?

Cons:

fecked if extended electric outage and it’s cold, had multiple outages this year and stove was great
There’s something nice about a roaring fire and 🥃
Electric bills

spaceHopper

No its not a real fire and it can easily be reinstated if another buyer wants to

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123075945#Comment_123075945

Kind of depends where you live then. The electricity being out for days just won't happen in many suburban areas. My gas central heating is not going to work if the electricity is out. The gas fire that was in our living room was broken and could not get replacement parts. Any gas fire we could have gotten, as per modern standards, is mostly decorative and according to the document would have cost the same as 60% of the cost of the central heating being on. We blocked it off and put a low sideboard there that the TV is on and the correct height as opposed to above a fireplace. If I could takeout the chimney breast I would but the cost is prohibitive

The other fireplace in the house in the dinning room had a nice fireplace but also a gas fire which was working but horrible looking. We couldn't just replace it with an open fire as the hearth didn't have an expansion joint. So it looks like a real fireplace now but unusable and has a lava lamp in it.

OP, it won't effect the value of the house so just do what suits you.

rob316

House I bought recently had 2 fireplaces, one in the kitchen with a stove and one in the tiny living room. I sealed up both, no need for the kitchen one and I couldn't be bothered with the cost of installing a stove in living room. It already warmer in both rooms just sealed up before I even add an electric fire.

Removing the fireplace does nothing to the value, if you wanted to remove the actual chimney thats another story.

C3PO

I bought a house last year and the chimney was a big plus for me. But for many people it wouldn’t be a big deal and they might prefer the extra space particularly given that you couldn’t install a stove anyway.

jackofalltrades

Thanks for all the replies, really appreciate it.

One thing I realised I left out of my original post was that I plan to remove the "chimney breast" as well. Which is just a three sided stud wall, so I'm guessing that shouldn't add to much to the cost of if someone wants to put a gas stove back in.

greasepalm

If your removing the chimney breast i doubt you can put a fire in there anymore. Next door neighbour removed the 3 sided one also and pebble dashed the wall to blend in and thinking more to seal up the house to bring up the BER rating.

I think fossil fuels are on their way out and other types taking over.

[Deleted User]

I think it depends upon the age of the house. If it’s a Victorian terrace or an old cottage then people will be expecting and most likely desiring fireplaces. If it’s mid century or later, the next buyer isn’t likely to be as pushed.

Ray Palmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123087419#Comment_123087419

There are few things not clear about the info. Are you going to take out the chimney all the way to the roof or just the first floor? How narrow is the room and how much space will this create? Are there any electrical wire, pipes etc… running beside the chimney (they may just be boxed in and look like part of the chimney)?

Modern house and removing the chimney really won't make much difference to price.

Roberto_gas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123087419#Comment_123087419

looks like a simple job then. We have a fireplace all concrete breasted on two floors. Pain to get the gas fire serviced and repaired(we bought house recently). No one has spare parts, so end game is to put a stove in it ! But if I had studded wall i would gladly remove the fireplace.

jackofalltrades

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123094004#Comment_123094004

@Ray Palmer The "chimney" only really exists on the ground floor. On the first floor it's slightly bigger than the gas flue.

There's nothing running beside the chimney.

I don't have measurements off hand. About this size of a fireplace in a modern home.

@Roberto_gas I didn't even think about the hassle of getting spare parts, thanks for letting me know

RichardAnd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123075665#Comment_123075665

Replying to my own post here…

A colleague of mine lives in a rural new-build with no fire place. He lost all power on Friday and has not yet got it back. Without any electricity, he has no way to heat the house, and had to go back to his parents.

If you own an electricity only new build, get yourself a gas stove.

greasepalm

Look at all those isolated cottages with no power and were told to stop burning turf by the green party.

They are very happy now as burning turf to heat and cook with like the olden days.

I still have my camping gaz gear from decades ago and a new Kosangas look alike heater bought over 10 years ago and never used.

Expect the unexpected as some people have Solar panels to charge batteries and generators for power while awaiting months to get connected to the grid.

The same goes with fireplace removal and what you might need as a backup.

RichardAnd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123105381#Comment_123105381

Personally, I think that there is no harm in installing modern means of generating heat. However, the old fireplace as a back up is something that I'm very happy to have.

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123105381#Comment_123105381

Anyone who lives in a rural area which is at risk of losing power should at the very least have a generator they can switch over too. PV and batteries would also be an option but with a larger outlay

Moonbeam

If it is just a gas fire, it would not bother me.I love an open fire though.