Small Bungalow Floor Plan - Optimization Potential?

yup, I see it the same way, and that's despite working in the IT industry. The less technology, the less complex and prone to errors. On the other hand, it's simply easier to turn up the heating than to first make a fire. I'll keep pondering that back and forth in my mind for a while...

If making a fire feels more like work, then maybe it's not the right fit. I enjoy it, it flickers quickly and gets warm right away. Wood or even the pipes really aren't a problem, everything comes straight to the house and isn't expensive.
I had said that in your situation you might consider one or another alternative heating option that would save a large expense (underfloor heating + air-water heat pump). I actually have developed a fear of craftsmen by now and am glad when I don't need one, which is why I especially chose such things.

I would not install a wood heating system. I think it will have the same fate as oil and gas heating systems.

Apart from that, I am glad not to have one anymore. Carrying wood, removing ash, etc.
The prices for hardwood have risen well in recent years.

I would also always install a fireplace only as an additional option. We have one and I love it, I would always install one as well. We use it often, but I do not want it as the sole heating source, that would be too much effort for me.

Our neighbors have a wood heating system.. for us, this is often problematic because we are exactly downwind of them. The smoke often blows into our windows during the day.. airing out is impossible. The whole house then smells of smoke. Even spending time on the terrace or in the garden is unpleasant. In summer, he cuts his wood for days.. which is almost even worse. Otherwise, we like our neighbors very much and have learned to live with it.

I just wanted to mention it in case you have neighbors all around you..

Not as the sole heating method, of course, I meant that one should first insulate the house as best as possible and then in this situation also consider an alternative heating system. As an individual, you can heat quite cheaply.
Intimidating wording like "carrying wood" or the reference to rising wood prices, in my opinion, miss the point because I myself would be far too lazy to burden myself with "carrying." I don't necessarily have to heat with wood here; we do have alternatives, but we do it gladly and voluntarily, simply because it is nice with the wooden floor and the room atmosphere created by the visible, cozy fire. In addition, we definitely wanted castle planks as flooring, which I had for 25 years in the other house before; they are probably still there today, and I would always want to lay wooden planks again.
But that is probably individual to us; I would rather have stylishly designed tubular radiators than a "clean" solution anyway, but here in the forum I am probably rather a lone wolf with that opinion.
I remember a beautiful house here that also heated with a masonry heater + infrared, or I have seen a few top modern architect houses that were heated in a similar way. We built to KfW40+ standard in collaboration with an engineering firm from Augsburg and many phone calls with the University of Konstanz, which called our inexpensive system an interesting and absolutely feasible approach. But I don’t want to start a heating topic here because I am known to get overrun and be tarred and feathered with numbers.
With my phobia of craftsmen and the endless many posts about non-functioning or technically complicated heating settings, I feel comfortable being able to hold a piece of wood in my hand anytime or to use my other options (IR + air conditioning). But I also understand the other side; it is not entirely problem-free either, and the running costs of these are usually higher.
Maybe it is also due to my spent lifetime elsewhere in the world that I prefer it this way over some technically optimized solutions, and when you are alone, you can think about such things more and design it individually; the individual approach alone is my concept, which can look different for everyone.

Our neighbors have a wood heating system .. for us, this is often problematic because we are exactly in their wind direction. The smoke often blows into our windows during the day .. airing is impossible. The whole house then smells of smoke. Even staying on the terrace or in the garden is unpleasant. In summer, he saws his wood for days .. that is almost worse. We like our neighbors otherwise very much and manage to arrange with it.
I just wanted to mention it in case there are neighbors around you ..

I certainly don’t want to completely disagree with you except to say that there are strict regulations in this area that must be followed. Our neighbor further ahead (far enough away from us) has a heat pump outdoor unit that constantly emits an unpleasant hum. The neighbor on the other side uses a continuously beeping marten repellent device in the garden, which is not nice to hear with the bedroom window open in summer. The newly built house next to us likes to drive tractors, even on Sundays, pulls stuff around, makes some kind of fire, and the village garden tool competition I still hear from 200m away late into Saturday evenings and sometimes Sunday too.
What I want to say is that there are always negative examples for everything. You should certainly consider everything, but nowadays there are numerous barking dogs because they are mostly left alone, children whose parents set no boundaries, constant blasting of boom boom music, and much more, and whatever you are currently experiencing bothers you the most. I deal with it here but know stories from the forum where houses were sold because of such things; if something/someone is annoying.
We are two calm people, and our legally compliant "vice" is our occasionally burning fireplace. In the cold season, people are at home anyway, and I would be too lazy for loud wood sawing lasting weeks, so that is ruled out here as well; thus, this is an "extreme example" and not an issue here. I order wood once every three years or packaged hardwood briquettes, which are delivered directly into the carport.
I believe that here too the "truth," as so often, lies somewhere in the middle, and everyone should find out what suits them best in their situation.
I am sure that each of us here also annoys their neighbor from time to time with something without realizing or wanting to cause it.

In view of the financial situation, the TE should decide on a heating system. The fireplace also costs initially even for occasional use. The choice of words is not off-putting. I know heating with wood all too well.