That's brilliant and welcome @nigel42 - great to have you here. May is quite a good time to move in, because you work through any teething issues over the summer and autumn, just in time for the winter. We look forward to updates. Please keep us posted.

We have our first company attending for a site survey tomorrow with a view to quoting. A company called JL Philips from Newark, Notts.  On the phone and from the EPC he reckons a 11.2kw Mitsubishi Ultra Quiet with a 250L tank.  141sq meters.  Sound about right?

@Morgan I guess it all depends on the make up of your house and the insulation it has to retain heat. I have 270m2 and have been quoted a 14kw 

@boblochinver that’s interesting.  We shall see what he has to say when he gets here tomorrow. We have a second company we’re trying to arrange for later this week and will hope to get at least one more asap after.

So far as insulation is concerned it's poor at the moment.  We’re having a Radon survey ongoing at the moment so no building work of any kind until June when that’s completed.  However I’m looking at getting companies to advise and quote re the best form of cavity wall, loft and under floor during this period in order that works on both the insulation and heating can go ahead pretty much as of beginning of June

@morgan JR Phillips is the company we're going with.  We are a 165 sq m bungalow (i.e. not the most efficient layout), quite well insulated and we are getting the 14kW Mitsubishi and 250l tank. Ours was borderline with the 11.2kW but went for the bigger one so should be plenty.  We are getting everything including radiators. Had the full survey today, install April 6. I thought their price was good and they seemed to know what they were talking about.  They said they had installed over 900 ASHPs so fingers crossed they'll get it right.   I'll be interested to know how you get on.

@Morgan Interesting about the Radon survey, I was literally just looking at the UK land data on areas with high Radon which Im pleased to say isn't in the far north west of Scotland. Are you in an area that is actually noted for Radon ? 

@kev-m that’s good to know. A guy named Rob Vine from JR Philips is visiting us tomorrow.  I will obviously ask if the larger pump would better suit us.  I don’t want a pump overworking itself and becoming noisy and inefficient as a result.  We will also require all the radiators as we have no CH system at the moment.

@boblochinver it has been suggested we are close enough to a high Radon area to be worth the survey.  As an ex smoker the option was a no brainer really.

better safe than sorry, when I lived out in New Jersey in the States they where big on testing for that as my house was being built on new land that could potentially have high radon. after the test I was shown to be okay but a few houses on the estate did have high enough radon for them to fit a remedy system in place

@morgan Yup that's the same guy who came to us.  We had Mr Phillips himself for the survey. 

@morgan hi, i was quoted for a 250L tank as well, but my builder who has a ASHP and is clued up told me a 300L tank would be better. So I plumbed for the 300 and only £35 extra! FYI

@nigel42 thank you.  All advice greatly received.