Which fire? Gas or bio?

[madameimadam]

I’m planning a house renovation so working out budgets, etc.
The front room has a hideous 80s gas fire which will need ripping out. Tiles are also awful so will need replacing.

I’m torn between just replacing the gas fire with another one (as the gas fire would need to be removed by a professional anyway). However, this would need the whole unit replacing which I know will be expensive.

Or do I go for ripping out, replacing tiles & hearth and just popping a bioethanol one in? The room has central heating so heat output isn’t a factor.

Ive searched on here but am still undecided. Anyone got a bio one and love it? Or hate it, don’t waste your money and just get a reliable gas replacement?!

Bioethanol looks great in photos and can be a nice flame, but a few practical bits people don’t always clock:

• the fuel isn’t cheap, and you do notice the ongoing cost if you use it regularly
• you need to be happy with having a real open flame (kids/pets)
• some people find there’s a bit of a smell / “burny” feeling, and you do need decent ventilation
• you’re basically buying ambience, not convenience (filling it, lighting it, letting it cool before you can move/clean)

Gas is boring but easy: switch-on, consistent flame, and it’ll feel like a proper built-in feature once you’ve redone the surround/hearth. If you’re already paying a Gas Safe person to remove the old one, it can make sense to just fit a simple, modern inset gas fire and be done with it.

I bought my gas fire from Fires2U and the service was genuinely great, loads of choice, clear info, and they were really helpful when I had questions about what would fit/work with our setup. It made the whole process feel much less daunting.