Advice sought, and opinions - especially good/bad experiences from
doing something similar. Contemplating moving/replacing HWC and
possibly chimney/bricked up fireplace...

1950s 3-bed semi.

Back bedroom has hideous fitted wardrobe (straight across one wall).
Inside wardrobe is hot water cylinder, placed against side of
chimney/bricked up fire place, thus...

|------------| |--------|
| pipes .-. | Chimney | |
| (HWC) ------------ |
| `-` |
|. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |

". . ." marks front of hideous fitted wardrobe, which has to go! Left
hand wall is external. Rear wall is next door. Right hand wall is
middle of house (supporting). HMC is just copper - no insulation, even
though it was installed 2.5 years ago (just before we moved in, after
we'd agreed to buy, so probably very cheap job).

Can't afford, and don't want, to replace wardrobe with something
similar but nice, so:

1. what should I do with the hot water cylinder, and
2. what, if anything, should I do with the chimney / bricked up fire
place?

(Whatever the choice is, there is some work to do because the ceiling
is only artexed (yuk, but necessary unless its re-plastered completely)
up to the front of the wardrobe, while "within" the wardrobe the walls
are gloss paint on half ripped off wallpaper on bad plaster, badly
smashed off skirting board etc).

I could "just" box in the HWC where it is, put a door on the front,
shelves to the side in front of the pipes, and box over the pipe which
(annoyingly) travels 10cm above floor boards from the left of the
cylinder level with the front of it!

Or I could move the HWC to the left (adjacent to outside wall), putting
all the pipes within a new cupboard, leaving little free space between
the new airing cupboard and the chimney for some shelves. Lots of
plumbing (in winter) but doesn't seem to gain me that much.

Or I could move the HWC into the loft, have no airing cupboard but a
little more space in the back bedroom. Lots more work.

If the HWC does go in the loft, do I "just" raise the existing cold
talk and put the existing HWC below it (loft plenty tall enough - very
cold though - probably box it all in with lots of insulation), or do
I replace the current HWC with something more modern? Even (gasp) a
different system. Cost is putting me off, plus the fact that we know a
standard vented HWC works well for us, even though the heating system
is 20+ years old.

Then there's the chimney/fireplace. It would be nice to have a square
room. The gas fire in the room below has been disconnected because we
don't use it and the room now has door across so no suitable vent to
that part. However, removing chimney in the back bedroom (not in room
below, because don't want to redecorate there) sounds like a big messy
job - is it worth it?

Any advice, experience, opinions welcome. Have ripped out most of the
hideous fitted wardrobe hoping for inspiration, but none forthcoming!

Cheers,
David.