Two years ago we switched from a wood-burning fireplace to a gas fireplace and are thrilled. Our wood fireplace would have lost its certification in 2020 (or was it 2021?), and since we were remodeling our living room, it was a question of now or never!
For us, the gas fireplace has several advantages: no more complicated/expensive wood procurement – when I think of my parents, who "are entitled to one tree from the forester each year" in the Eifel..., no dirt when disposing of ashes and the curtains/windows/walls don’t turn gray so quickly anymore...) and above all the direct warmth and cozy charm, which makes it worthwhile to turn on the stove for an hour in the evening during the week, something we never did with the wood fireplace.
But one must not forget the considerable initial costs.
This winter was my very first season, and as a fireplace novice, the only thing that annoyed me was cleaning the glass. Vacuuming ashes takes exactly 20 seconds with an ash vacuum. Wood is stored by the fireplace. What is probably (since it’s not frowned upon yet) also annoying is transferring the cubic meter of wood in the tool shed.
@TE
The idea with the gas bottle is really not dumb and worth considering. You will never recoup the 4k€ for the gas connection. If you cook with gas, then go for it; if not, the next best solution would probably be to switch to a gas heating system.