Choose the less costly option,which is likley replacing it with a white one..Replacing all the appliances with SS ones is crazy

That's what I think, too.

You don't think the appeal of stainless appliances is worth switching?

The appeal of all-the-same would be preferable to a mixture... although I actually prefer white to stainless.

"You don't think the appeal of stainless appliances is worth switching?"

In most areas of the country, the new appliances will cost more than the value they bring. eg you'll spend 5k but only get back 3k on average when you sell.

It really depends on your local market and price point though. If you have a really high end apartment in a high cost area, your agent might be right. 5k to improve a million dollar unit in NYC is drastically different than spending 5k on a 80k house in montana.

well, I think we'd be looking at $2,000 or so to replace the other 3 pieces (stove, micro, fridge); the dishwasher doesn't count, since it's broken. And the home value is somewhere around $450,000.

But there are other things that I think are FAR more important to fix. It's sort of high-end for my neighborhood of NYC. One tier down from the top, sort of.

I too prefer white to stainless, and I hear a LOT of backlash against stainless lately. People who are "graphic artists" types, whom I would expect to be pro stainless from a visual point of view, complain about smudges, the fact that magnets don't stick, etc. (And that's who's buying in my neighborhood.)

And w/ the white counter, I do think white appliances look pretty nice. Also, the room is narrow, and I think the white brightens it. Well, obviously I like it, bcs that's what I put in.

I also don't know how buyers will think. I know that I would say, "Heck, I can spend $2,500 and buy all stainless appliances with the features I want, that's not enough to deter me from buying that home! I'm sure as heck not going to pay $5k more!"

But I had a friend who was looking at apartments, and he said, "I didn't like that one, the stove was old." It wasn't until I pointed out that a new, decent stove could be $600 and would take a single afternoon off from work to have installed, that he realized not to count the appliances when he was looking at buying a home. Cabinetry, flooring, yes--appliances are easy to replace.

Match the dishwasher with the others, and forget about it..You might install SS appliances, and i might not like the manufacturer you chose :),even though i might like SS...Not sure how you think you could do the other 3 appliances for 2K, i spent more then that on my SS fridge...

The new house we bought has all stainless appliances in it. Sure wish we had the black ones in our last house back.

I see SS fridges for $800 at Sears. I don't have the room--or the taste--for a big fridge w/ lots of bells & whistles.

There are packages of all 4 for $2,215 or so at places like PC Richard, but usually they don't have quite the features I'd be willing to buy. There's one right now that's pretty nice, though.

I just keep thinking, I'd rather use that $2k to paint something, like the front door.

I don't like stainless steel, and I'm not alone in this. As a buyer, it would put me off. I would go with white.

I agree with gdwag about the manufacturer - there's no guarantee the buyer will like that brand.

I guess I am the odd man out here because I would replace the white dishwasher with a stainless steel. It's not that I am a huge fan of SS, but it looks up to date and that's what you are going for. From your description of the set-up of the room, it sounds as if you don't have to match it to the rest of the appliances, so just buy the dishwasher for now.

I didn't like stainless for years because I thought it look industrial, like what they have at fastfood restaurants and the like. It did grow on me, though, and now I like the look. But I wouldn't replace a high-end white appliance with a low-end ("inferior", as you described it) stainless. As a buyer, it bothers me when all the new things in a house are obviously cheap.

Go with the white, make it match. Let the next owner make the change if that is what they want. Usually when someone is buying they are buying for location and layout. EVERYTHING else can be changed easily enough AFTER they buy.

I replaced all my appliances with stainless when we remodeled our kitchen. Keeping them shiny is a pain. They are all brushed to keep fingerprints down, but what they don't tell you is the micro-fine lines might not show fingerprint smudges, but it does trap any spilt liquids and cleaning that off takes time and effort. I've replaced several of the units since then, and they didn't get replaced with stainless.

Let's put it this way. Remember when you could date a home by the green shag carpet? Or, the harvest gold or avocado appliances? One of these days you'll be looking at stainless kitchens and thinking how dated they are. LOL.

The question isn't whether stainless is good or bad. The question isn't whether stainless is still popular - because it undoubtedly is. The question is whether a seller should replace all the working appliances with stainless before putting a house on the market. In probably 99% of homes, the answer would be no. You just won't recoup the investment.

Replace with white. It should match.

I was looking for a new house, and I HATED the kitchens where people replaced the other appliances with SS just for looks--why? Because they invariably put in the lesser expensive SS appliances -- and they look inferior.

Just because it is SS doesn't make it better. Cheaper applicances in SS look worse than quality white ones.

Well, they're going to be "cheaper" appliances anyway--I'm not spending $1,000. More like $500.

But thanks for all the advice. I think we're going to take it, and just get a new white dishwasher.

SS looks cool, but I think go with white that will match...most people will not blow a gasket if it's not ss. I did "bisque" in our last home and it looked great. The couple that bought it we happy not to have SS

The question isn't whether stainless is good or bad. The question isn't whether stainless is still popular - because it undoubtedly is.

I think that's what a lot of us are trying to say. It's not as popular as some people think. A realtor telling you to go buy stainless just to sell a house is like a doctor who puts you on a salt free diet before he even knows if salt is the culprit. IOW it's easy for him to say because he does't have to live with it.

I think you should buy the white dishwasher. Stainless appliances are so very popular that there's bound to be a backlash soon. When everybody starts having it, the cool kids move on to something else, don't they? I noticed a post about Martha Stewart on the Kitchens forum; she's showing more white appliances. With any luck, you'll be ahead of the trend. Best of luck. Pat (another who doesn't like stainless)

Chuckle: Haven't seen the backlash yet! My opinion is that SS haters don't like the idea that SS is one of several classic finishes.

Can you find a dishwasher with a panel that lets you change from white to SS?

Tough decision as it depends on your target buyer. Unfortunately, many people would prefer a cheapo SS appliance over a top of the line appliance in white, simply because they don't know better. However, it sounds like your target buyer may be the more artsy type rather than the HGTV viewr, so perhaps they appreciate the white as much as you do.

I'd look at condos that sold in your area in a similar price range. You can check for sold properties on www.redfin.com

I am glad to see that you are going to just get a new white dishwasher talley_sue_nyc. You made the right decision :)

I'm sure the discussion could be useful for somebody else looking to make the decision, but it is a 3 year old post so advice specific to the OP might not be so useful anymore.

Hi. I'm not a stainless steel hater, but I live in a cute old cottage, and my dishwasher is white to match my cupboards. I love a clean looking, white kitchen. If you trust your taste, go with what you think is best. Good luck.

Hi. I'm not a stainless steel hater, but I live in a cute old cottage, and my dishwasher is white to match my cupboards. I love a clean looking, white kitchen. If you trust your taste, go with what you think is best. Good luck.

I see that I responded in 2010 ... and I'm still a stainless steel hater, lol. Although I understand they're still popular (or are until people actually have to clean them).