Mini Splits have been around for years++. What U hear about them are how incompetent installers install them. Try www.mitsubishicomfort.com/ the best ..they have some very good systems. Make sure you talk to a mitsubishi rep. not a hvac contractor first. asked the rep to refer U to one of there best contractors...thats the best way to "get it right" These are pricey products. But excellent. They have systems that have one outdoor sections and upto 8 indoor coils. As far as heating with hot air into one room this is not a solution. As far as concrete floors...thats what is horrible! I just finished redoing a floor. Replaced the entire house with Platon, and hardwood.

"the overall unit would cost less not being a heat pump model" true, buy only very slightly. The heat pump version costs around $250 more than the cooling version. The amount of savings on your electrical bill will pay this back in a couple of months. "easier to install because its not a heat pump" completely not true. There is no difference between installing a mini-split heat pump and a cooling only one. In a traditional ducted system, the heat pump does require extra wires to be hooked up, but even that really isn't too difficult. "it would be a project that you could probably do yourself" not really for either straight cool or heat pump. You need to have a vaccuum pump to evacuate the lineset/evaporator, guages to check the pressures, and possibly extra refrigerant if the included amount is not correct. To the OP: Get a unit with an Inverter compressor. Such as the MSZ-XX-NA line. They heat better at colder temperatures. They are also very efficient. Heating at 47 degrees will cost 3.3 to 3.7 times less than baseboard, and heating at 17 will cost 2.5 times less than baseboard. For example, the MSZ-09NA modulates from 5500 BTU to 9000 BTU in cooling, 5200 BTU to 12600 BTU in heating at 47 degrees, and 7700 BTU in heating at 17 degrees. You will have to keep the baseboard for supplemental heat when the heat pump can't keep up on really cold days, however the electrical savings when the heat pump is running on the 30 degree days that are majority of the winter season will be substantial.

Having had a Mit HP ductless in my vacation home, I have a few comments to share. The unit has its drawbacks such as air noise, certainly less than a thru the wall or window unit but more than a piped in diffuser from a central system. I found it to be a bit annoying but grew used to it. The other drawback was the constant air movement that some would perceive as a draft. With the air moving a properly sized unit should distribute the heat fairly well as the wall units discharge down and have an air sweep option. No doubt the elect baseboard will be the quietist more and comfortable for heating; however it comes at a cost (energy use over a HP) Another option if you are going to heat electrically is to consider electric radiant heat mats installed under the tile. This will keep the floors warm, at or below the cost of operating the baseboard but add 10X the comfort and would be supplemented with the fireplace. For AC you could still go with a ductless or quality through the wall unit. Here is a link that might be useful: one type of electric floor radiant

Jsbjab118, Congratulations on having started your build - exciting and stressful times! We will be building in the Truro area. House likely to be 1 and 1/2 storey with about 1400 sq feet on the main floor, built on a slab, no basement. The builder who recommended the electric infloor suggested using that in the slab, with either electric baseboard or a minisplit upstairs. Although he said we could do infloor upstairs also, in a layer of mud. In our current house we use geothermal and haven't totally ruled that out. I don't think we have much need for air conditioning, just a few weeks of the year. We will face southeast. Too many decisions! Good luck with your build.