House renovations are nearly finished.

We have a working chimney and fireplace in the living room which currently has a cast iron fire in place.

We would like to install a log burner. By which I mean pay somebody to take out the old fire, clean up the brickwork behind, install a log burner and take care of all of the installation. I don’t have the time, resourcefulness or skill to do any of that myself.

A bit of a how long is a piece of string question, but how much would you expect that lot to cost, what are decent makes of burner to watch out for and any recommendations of reliable dealers in Surrey?

Thanks all. Promise not to follow this up with questions about Audi estates!

Get a decent brand stove – Clearview, Stovax, Charnwoood, Morso, Jotul to name a few. We have two Clearviews (and will shortly install a third…!) – only because we found one dirt cheap at a reclamation yard and like the stove. Don’t be tempted to buy a cheap stove – not as controllable, the airwash won’t work very well and not as easy to use.

The smallest Clearview (Pioneer 400) is a lovely stove – ours is in our sitting room at about five metres by four – and costs about £1100. I’d budget another £1k for a flexible chimney lining and all the other gubbins. You might consider a slate hearth which makes any ash cleanup very simple.

We used a bloke called Ben Hughes to install both our woodburners – http://surreyhampshirewoodburners.co.uk/

To remove, make good, buy, fit, chimney liner is going to cost you 2-2.5k. It’s a bit like buying wine, in that the stove will cost 500-1000, and the rest will be the same whatever stove you go for.

Esse if you can find someone down south who stocks them. Bloody good bits of kit.

Depends which part of Surrey you are OP, these people are very good, established for many years and know their stuff. Good ranges of burners too.
TFS Woodstoves

We have a Chilli Penguin stove. Multi fuel and very controllable. Made in Wales.

We also have a large Waterford wood only which needs to be burning hard all the time so gets through loads of fuel. Less impressed with that one, but it was in the house when we moved in.

No help re installers in your area as I’m in Wales but check out the CP stoves.

We used Galleon Fireplaces who are based in Chessington.

Got a Stovax Stockton 5.

I had already opened up the builders opening, they came in to fit a riven slate hearth, the stove and flue.

We have a Chilli Penguin stove. Multi fuel and very controllable. Made in Wales

Any problems with the glass sooting up? My sister has one but I suspect they don’t run it hard enough.

We have two Clearviews here and just wipe the ash off the glass once each winter – great stoves.

2x Clearview Pioneers in our house – one rarely gets used, otherwise you have to leave the back door open….

decent stoves start around £600 to £650 and climb to easily double that for some. If your chimney is sound then a short length of viscous enamel pipe, a register plate and sundries to connect cost about £50. If chimney needs lining then add another £300ish for a good liner and cap. Hearth cost depends if its a few clay tiles, or a large granite slab. Fitting, including opening up the fireplace, I’d guess most places will do it in 2 days work. One day maybe if they don’t line the flue and its all straight forward. If lining flue they may need scaffolding to access the stack. £2.5K plus or minus £500 is probably a ball park guide.

Stovax stockton 5 here.