No chimney!

[BDG]

Can you put a picture on of where the fire place is in relation to other things, sounds a bit strange with an extension next to it, like it is the secondary fireplace - I have an unused chimney like that (I have 4) but would not recommission that one.

You say opening up the fireplace would reduce the price of your house, but then state you do not have the cash to move? One kinda cancels out the other really.

If you were that bothered about prepping it all for TSHTF, open the chimney, make it good, clean and line the chimney, put a stove in and then plasterboard over it. You can soon sort that out should you need too. Or just run a stove now.

How good you are at managing a fire also has an impact. Friend lives in a smokeless zone, has has a none DEFRA approved stove but uses enough tinder and sticks to get the thing hot hot hot before putting seasoned wood on. Makes very little smoke for the first 5-10 minutes while the stove is on.