Multi fuel stove advice please

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Hello
I'm looking to buy a multi fuel burner to replace a crap gas fire. I also want to ensure we have heating should the shit hit the fan with energy supplies. I can access dry wood regularly so won't usually need to buy fuel.

My problem is the wealth of choice. I like the look of a wide (500mm ish) big window stove but can't work out if it's too big for the room, aesthetically. Room is 5.1x3.6m

How do people decide on a stove? And I've approached 4 suppliers /installers and they seem much of a muchness. Price varies from £2000-2500

Any advice appreciated

The stove needs wide enough doors so you don’t have to have extra small logs.
Mainly it needs to look right with the correct gaps round it in the fireplace.

Thanks that's helpful

We have a wide fire in a small room because its inside a large inglenook where an aga sat years ago. We thought a small stove would look odd in the wide space.

My stove supplier was able to calculate the size of stove I needed. Be careful about going too big as you may find it gets far too hot, and make sure it is very controllable - one of my great pleasures in life is coming down in the morning and finding a few smouldering embers left from the previous evening’s fire, and still a little background heat.

Generally the 'kilowattage' you require of the stove depends on the size of the room. There are some calculations available online - easy to work out. Our sitting room is 24' by 11' and we have got a 4kw stove, which is more than adequate. Once the stove gets over a certain size you have to have extra ventilation fitted in the room (HETAS requirement). We started off with a cream coloured stove, which, initially looked wonderful but was very difficult to keep looking clean, so I wouldn't recommend a pale colour. We have now got a regular black one with a nice big glass window so you can see the fire properly.

Thanks for all the comments. We're looking at 5kw black, just unsure if a wide window will work. Will speak to installers

Apparently we have a wide chimney breast so a wide stove will be fine.

One further question, stubby or longer legs? Any thoughts on this? I'm thinking we could put wood under a longer leg (8" or so) and the heat may circulate better

I'm thinking we could put wood under a longer leg (8" or so) and the heat may circulate better storing wood around or below your stove is a fire hazard and I was advised by our stove installer that it could affect the insurance in the event of a fire.

We have a small stove and it needs constantly topping up with wood to maintain the fire. Not sure if it's going to be cheaper than gas tbh

Lots of fires rated at 5kw output because fires with output greater than 5kw require an air vent to the outside. (Building Regs) Not a deal breaker but extra work for the installer therefore more cost. We found a few sharks out there trying to sell and install a fire. Ours is an unusual property, (semi detached bungalow joined to a house). Our chimney was too close to next doors higher gable end wall. A stove would never have worked there and would not have complied with building regs. Eventually we had the log burner installed in a different room.
You can find the building regs online.

Don’t store the wood around the fire. It would get surprisingly hot and possible ignite.

OK thanks for the input. I had an open fire for many years but this is new to me.
Your comments have helped me sort out how to better approach this. And not burn the house down

We were told what stoves we could have by the installer (size of room, space available, where we live) then chose the one we liked the look of.

And def do not store wood near the stove. Yes it looks pretty but massive fire hazard