Help/advice on what to do with open fireplace

[TulipsfromAmsterdam]

Hoping for some suggestions on what others have done with open fireplaces. We have just removed the old brick built fireplace in new house and have a lovely open space but unsure what to do with it.
Ideally we would have loved a multi fuel stove but have had a quote of £2200 for supply and fit so it may be out of the question for now.
Considered putting electric look alike stove there or maybe a cast iron fireplace with a grate so we could possibly have a coal fire if wanted. Going round in circles so any advice appreciated :)

Stove if you can afford it, they're amazing

Get a few quotes. Fitter needs to be HETAS reg...chimney often wont need lining..not the regs unless house is newbuild and often an extra moneymaker amongst stove shops..chimney can be swept and pressure tested to ascertain integrity of flue. Basically shop around.

electric stoves just guzzle energy. Open fires grossly inefficient, there's a reason almost everyone goes for a stove now.

you will need somewhere to store the fuel - if it is wood it needs to be seasoned and it is much cheaper in 1 ton deliveries.

if your chimney is already lined and tests out ok, that's fine. As noted, it must be done or checked by a HETAS person.

I would definitely save up for a stove if you can rather than get an electric one. I wonder if there are any deals to be done at this time of year as apparently everyone usually decides to get one installed when the weather tuns colder.

Thanks for all the replies. I think it may well be worth holding out for a stove rather than spending money on something temporary.

I am surprised and happy to hear we may not need chimney lining as that seemed to be the biggest cost in estimate we have had. Thanks again

I love an open fire they can look stunning. I think you can get more heat from them, we have a woodburner/multi fuel stove and I think to have an open fire would have kept our large room much warmer.

Just put in an open grate. Much cheaper and you can replace with a stove in the future if you want/have the money spare. We have both - open grate in one reception, stove in second. Yes, stoves are more efficient but we use the open grate far more (depends how cheap you are getting your fuel of course). Also stoves are a bit of a fad at the moment, everyone's putting them in regardless of the house etc.

My parents had an open fire which I loved, I was very upset when they put a Woodburner in. But it's actually really nice, with the door open its not much different and at night you can just shut the door and go to bed, whereas with the open fire we used to stop restocking it an hour or so before bed so it would die down to ashes.

We have an open grate - couldn't afford a stove, and tbh, we have gas central heating anyway, so it's only used when it's really cold, or Xmas, or when the DCs have gone to bed and we are having a night in. It sounds and looks lovely and I like the smell. I don't think I'd bother with the stove now. Got the surround and all the grate etc off ebay.

Check the council regs too - we live in a smokeless zone... any stove that is to be used in a smokeless zone has to be DEFRA exempt or smokeless fuel HAS to be used. Council cracks down on people at the start of EVERY winter round here...