Map the home you want to heat and cool
A living room used every evening and an office occupied all day do not have the same needs. Before comparing equipment, mark the rooms you want to serve on a plan, their hours of use and the doors that normally stay closed. Include rooms you might add later too, distinguishing future provision from a confirmed decision.
For a home in Málaga, explain what happens on the difficult days: where sunlight enters, which bedroom takes a long time to cool or whether the upper floor behaves differently. These observations help assess the home; floor area alone does not determine the system or its capacity.
Understand the difference between a split and ductwork
A wall-mounted split introduces a visible unit into the room. A ducted solution conceals the indoor unit and distributes air through a duct network and grilles. This difference, described by Daikin, affects the appearance as well as the routes and space that need reserving during the work.
Ask for both alternatives to be shown on the same plan. For the first, look at the units and connecting routes; for the second, the equipment, ducts, outlets and returns. A catalogue photograph shows a product's finish but does not explain how it will fit into your particular home.
Relate the choice to the stage of your renovation
If you will renew ceilings, change room layouts or replace windows and doors, communicate these plans from the beginning. The project can coordinate air conditioning with them. If the home will remain occupied and you only want work in one room, explain that restriction too: scope and organisation are part of the decision.
For a ducted proposal, ask which areas will lose ceiling height, where access panels will be and how the equipment will be reached. With splits, review the connection routes and which sections will be visible. Do not treat two quotations as equivalent if they assume different building work or finishes without identifying those differences.
Clarify how each room will be controlled
Explain whether you need to serve the entire home at once or just some rooms. Ask for a simple description of the controls, schedules and adjustment options included. A ducted proposal does not automatically include every zoning arrangement you might imagine; a proposal with several units should also explain how they operate together.
Give the installer two real situations: a night with the bedrooms occupied and a morning working alone at home. Ask how you would use each option in both cases. This exercise helps reveal practical differences that a list of features does not always make clear.
Compare the complete scope and handover
Ask each alternative to identify the equipment, distribution, controls, drains and finishing work included. Add any outstanding checks on the outdoor unit's location and the building's communal elements, where relevant. The quotation should make clear what will be carried out and what remains to be resolved before starting.
Handover deserves a question too: what documentation you will keep and how you will be shown the system's operation. Benalclima, Red Málaga's air-conditioning and ventilation speciality, can assess both options. The proposal should suit your home and priorities, without claiming that one technology is always best for every property.
More common questions
Is ducted air conditioning always preferable in a full renovation?
A renovation makes its integration easier to assess, but does not determine the choice on its own. Routes, available height, service access and how each room is used need considering before comparing it with other options.
Can a split in the living room heat and cool the bedrooms?
Do not assume that this result is included. Doors and layout affect how air reaches them. Identify all the rooms you want to serve so the proposal addresses them explicitly.
Sources and technical reading
Some source documents are available in Spanish.