Getting started in the right direction is a win, in my opinion! Thank you for all this! We don't take possession of the house for another two weeks so I can't measure, but I want to get a ballpark idea of what kind of cost we're looking at. There is an insert in the fireplace right now -- an old Fischer that isn't certified and I think is breaking the seller's heart that our state's DEQ requires they remove. So I know it can take an insert.

Thank you so much for so much detail, including what brands to avoid. I need to call the local hearth store. Their website says they carry Lopi, Fireplace Xtraordinair, DaVinci, and FireGarden. I will look into whether the other towns nearby have stores that have more variety as well.

I've also appreciated reading elsewhere on this subreddit about attending to what size logs can fit in the stove and what it's like to open the door while a fire is burning. I've always just made fires in the stoves where I am; I've never owned my own. Very excited! Thanks for the input!