1.) For their own safety, ferrets should not be allowed to roam free in the house without supervision. Ferrets have far too much curiosity and not enough sense of self preservation.
2.) Ferrets should have 1-4 hours of playtime every day (how much really depends on your ferret; mine pass out after 1 to 2 hours). A playpen will work in a pinch, but a ferret-proofed room in your house is preferable. They love to run (and to be chased)!
3.) Ferrets do not live very long in the US (on average only about 6 years). They are also very prone to health issues. There *will* be vet bills. Minion cost us $600 when he had a blockage from ingesting part of a couch, and that's *without* surgery.