When you’re moving house you already have enough things to think about! Packing up your worldly goods, coordinating with the people moving out at the other end, and organising the removal company at the right price are just a few of the factors you have to bear in mind.
There’s also the arrangements for new schools and travel routes, new neighbours, amenities, and the local community to meet. Of course, you’ll also want to think about the cost of redecorating and styling your new home to suit your new lifestyle. With any luck, most of your old furniture will still find a home in your new rooms so you don’t have to fork out on everything new. But how about the fireplace? This hub of your living environment is an important thing to consider, especially if you’re investing in a fireplace and you think you might be moving house in the next few years.
Obviously, it makes a difference if you’re going to rent or buy. You’ll need to get permission if you want to bring your old fireplace to rental accommodation, and either way, depending on the fuel source, you might have to get the fitting done by registered professionals. With gas, there’s likely to be some structural work to do to make sure it’s properly fitted and vented.
The fitting of a gas fire is ‘permanent’ and needs cementing into place. That also means you can’t be absolutely sure that gas or solid fuel fire is going to come away undamaged when you go to remove it. The panel behind this kind of fire and the hearth in front of it is specially designed and is often made of a heavy stone like marble. Taking this apart is quite a job. In rental accommodation you’ll probably need to ensure what’s left is in a good state of repair, and looking as it was when you moved in. That could mean some building and plastering work. Disconnecting a gas supply needs a heating engineer. The warranty on the appliance might be void once it’s been removed from where it was first installed, and future heating engineers might be reluctant to service a second-hand gas fire. There's a lot to consider!
If you’re taking an electric fireplace, it’s likely to be a much easier job and you can probably do it yourself. Unscrew the fireplace from the wall if necessary, and it should come away easily. If it’s a fused spur, you’ll want a qualified professional electrician to do the work, but otherwise, you can simply unplug.
And if you’ve chosen an electric stove or a fire that is wall mounted, it’s as simple to move as a TV would be.
For these reasons, we would suggest it’s worth considering electric rather than gas if you’re hoping to take your fireplace with you when you move. The convenience gives you the chance to move things around if necessary. On the other hand, getting a decent gas fireplace installed where you are now could be a choice if you want to upgrade your home and plan to leave it there when you move on.