How Easy is it to Move a Fireplace?

*This is a collaborative post

Sometimes you just want to jig things around a little to spice things up in your home. One of those things you may be desperately longing to relocate is your fireplace. But is it actually possible to move a fireplace within the home? 

Moving a fireplace fully depends on the type of structure you have. But as well as the obvious, you may also want to consider those things that come alongside it, such as the renovation costs of the move, and location of the fireplace within your property. We’ll be delving into the factors to be considered when thinking about moving your fireplace to a brand new location, to help you decide the best route to take.

Type of Fireplace

When planning on relocating your fireplace, the first thing that needs to be considered is the type of structure. Some types of fireplaces are easy and efficient to relocate, whereas some can take a lot of effort and planning.

Electric Fireplace

Electric fireplaces are the easiest of the bunch to move, and require minimal effort and skill.

Electric fireplaces are set up to look like real flames, however, they use electricity to heat up much like an electric radiator. These types of fireplaces have become increasingly popular in modern times, due to their efficiency, ease of maintenance and ability to function in almost any area of the home.

Depending on the type of electric fireplace you own, relocating it will either require no skill set, or the help of an electrician. If your fireplace is plugged into the mains, you can simply unplug and jig around. However, if your electric fireplace is built-in you will require a professional to rewire the system.

Gas Fireplace

Gas fireplaces are also quite popular in many homes, due to the ease of their nature. Like real wood burning fireplaces, gas fireplaces are built to display real flames. However, there is no mess and fuss of replacing logs and cleaning up stray materials.

Gas fireplaces are more often than not built into the chimney breast, so most likely you will need to hire the help of a pro to relocate the structure. However, moving the fireplace itself isn’t that difficult of a job for a professional to carry out, and shouldn’t take too much time and energy to do so.

If you have a portable gas fireplace, then you’re winning!

Wood Burning Fireplace

Wood burning fireplaces are more likely found in traditional, older buildings. They’re known for their old-timey feel, and we often try to recreate their beauty and ambience in a more efficient way – such as the gas fireplace. However, nothing is quite like the real thing.

Wood burning fireplaces require a professional mason to carry out the job, and are a slightly bigger task to relocate. It’s not an impossible feat, however it does tend to be quite time-consuming, costly and quite a bit of mess.

Bioethanol Fireplace

Bioethanol fireplaces again display real flames, however due to the materials used, they don’t emit any smoke or leave behind ash and debris.

Most of the time, bioethanol fireplaces don’t actually require installation. Therefore, they are extremely easy to relocate. However, some styles of bioethanol fireplaces are fitted, so you would need to hire the help of a professional to move and reconnect the gas lines to the new location.  

The Cost of Moving a Fireplace

The cost of relocating your fireplace entirely depends on the type of fireplace you own, as well as some other pivotal factors. Some other things you may need to think about are: whether the original chimney needs to be demolished, whether you need to create a new structural wall for your new fireplace location, and any repairs and renovations to the surrounding areas.

The average cost to relocate a fireplace can vary from as low as £70, to over £1500 due to the wide range of different elements to the job. It’s well worth doing all the research beforehand so you know the full intensity of the task before you start the move.

Location

You should also consider the location you wish to move your fireplace too. Although the structure may look aesthetically pleasing in a certain area of your home, it may cause more hassle and expense than good to move it to this location.

It’s vital you factor in whether the new area has enough structural support for the fireplace, or you will be able to add that extra support. It’s also worth thinking about whether the place you wish to move your fireplace to is convenient, and will allow easy access to the structure. The last thing you want to do is relocate your fireplace to somewhere aesthetically pleasing within your home, but struggle to access it afterwards.

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