Having stared at the most disgusting 70s beige-tiled fireplace and disconnected gas stove for a year we bit the bullet and decided to rip it out and buy a wood-burning stove.
We started by calling out Clearways, recommended by a friend, who checked the chimney and swept it. Despite us having old carpets down and saying we didn't mind if there was a mess he was spotless in the cleaning - putting up a barrier against the hole and then sucking out the filth with a gigantic hoover. He then recommended where we can go and look at stoves and what size we should be looking at for our room (you need to be careful here otherwise you'll be turning your living room into a sauna).
Once we decided on a little eco stove with a picture of a squirrel on the side he collected that from the showroom, with a bit of a trade discount, and installed it for us plus laid a nice stone hearth as well. Oh and he hired some scaffolding and pointed our chimney which we had been meaning to do since we moved in! He also recommended us a wood-supplier who has also been top-notch. Basically Colin has guided us through the process of installing and keeping a stove from start to finish and we haven't looked back. Who needs central heating? read more