No chimney?

Hi,

I'm interested in a certain housing estate. One thing that caught my attention is that none of the houses have chimneys, but the chimneys are drawn in the brochure. Is there any regulation stating that 3-bed houses need to have a fireplace? We're looking at a 3-bed end-of-terrace. The estate is a mix of terraces, town houses and apartments.

Simon

Hi there,

As far as I know there are no regulations. We didn't put in a fireplace or chimney when building. Having no chimney also helps prevent heat loss so will save you money on heating bills.

Best Regards,m.

Ok, that's fine, thanks M. I wouldn't mind having a fireplace, but it's not a decision maker for me. Was just worried that it might be a regulation.

sometimes chmneys are left out because of their negitve input into the house BER calculation.

an open fire only emits 30% of the heat it creates, making it ver in-efficient.

maybe the builders didnt put it in to achieve a higher BER value.

True, it does help with energy efficiency. However, I asked them if they'd provide an official rating before I was to buy (before Jan 2009), they just said no. Maybe they were planning to selling the houses still in Jan 2009.