Kitchen Appliances

Much of your answer also depends on other factors - your location, what the norm is for your area and building, how nice the rest of your unit is, the quality of your floors, your bathroom, your light and views, etc., etc., etc... there's a million things that would help better answer this question.

But taking it at face value, I'd say that you'll basically get back whatever you pay for in a kitchen reno (as long as you don't go TOO far over the top, of course), and it will definitely help your one bed stand out from the crowd when it's time to sell. I don't like Bosch. I prefer Wolf ranges/stoves, and Subzero is perfectly servicable as a refrigerator/freezer. I would also redo your dishwasher (the two drawer units like the Fisher-Paykel are quite good), and for the size of your kitchen (which I'm assuming isn't huge if you own a one bed) I would go the bit extra and use a really beautiful countertop material like granite or stainless or whatever you like. Please don't underestimate the importance of excellent quality above and below counter cabinetry and task lighting as well. It all adds substantially to the 'wow' factor.

OP here. Thank you for your answer. I have very good light and pretty good views in the east 50s in a full service coop building. Have new bathroom, refinished wood floors and custom closets. Can't decide if spending an extra $5000+ on better appliances is something worth doing. Was originally going with GE or Maytag until friends suggested upgrading.

#2 here aagain - based on your description, the extra $5,000 seems absolutely warrented. I would definitely upgrade.

Put it another wary. If you were *buying* the apartment, would you be willing to pay an extra $5000 if you apartment had a 2-3 year old Bosch & Sub-Zero instead of GE? If not, why would anyone else? Do you really expect the Bosch dishwasher to make your dishes cleaner than the GE?

Instead, spend the extra money on ultra-high-end cabinets, countertops, and flooring -- those must be 100% beautiful to create that "wow" factor. Make sure that the GE appliance you get *looks* pretty (stainless steel fridge instead of a plain old white plastic one, for instance) but I don't see the extra value in the higher end appliances -- especially considering that you'll be selling 2-3 years from now when the appliances are no longer brand new.

Disagree with poster #5 - many buyers are 'label-savvy,' and seeing a Wolf/Le Cornue range means one thing, seeing a GE/Miele means something completely different.

As someone currently in the market for a 1BR, I would definitely pay extra for the higher end appliances.

I think its worth it to pay more. Putting an extra $5000 in the appliances makes the buyer think that the entire apartment is somehow worth thousands more. I think its definitely worth it in Manhattan (maybe not in Deluth).

As a buyer, I place a premium on top end appliances. That said, they must be in excellent condition - especially the refrigerator and dishwasher, which must be spotless and virtually brand new because of the hygiene factor.

Much more important the appliance brand, is the overall look of the kitchen. Example: compare the Downtown By Starck condos to 88 Greenwich. Both have the same "top of the line" Sub-Zero refridgerators and high-end stoves. Yet most people here agree that the Downtown By Starck kitchens looks cheap yet 88 Greenwich kitchens look gorgeous. (Not everyone agrees with the price tag on those two places, of course, but I'm talking just about the aestheics). To create the "wow" factor, it's more important to get the beautiful cabinets, flooring, and countertops.

Sticking a $5000 Viking stove into a kitchen with cheap linoleum counters and plywood cabinets would just be a complete waste of money. If you're willing to pay absolute top dollar for cabinets and counters, then fine, maybe pay extra for the appliances. But otherwise, there's no point.

I'm told that Consumer Reports had a recent issue on appliances, and the general verdict is that the "high-end" are not generally worth the extra money. (I haven't seen it yet but my mother quoted me a few of the sections.) Of course, that is from the point of view of a person buying them for themselves to use, not buying them to impress a potential apt buyer. Too bad that kind of practical benefit doesn't easly translate into perceived benefit...

Well, of course the high-end luxury brands aren't worth extra in *practical* terms. The cheap GE refridgerator will cool your food just as well as the expensive Sub-Zero, and the GE stove will cook as well as the Viking (actually better -- most reviews say the Viking stoves are very prone to breaking). But the same could be said of any luxury good -- Will a Patek Phillipe watch tell the time better than a cheap watch? Will the $200 designer sunglasses block the sun better than the cheap ones?

The question with luxury brand names isn't whether they work better, but whether they 1) *look* better, or 2) impress people. You buy the fancy brand name watch to show off and make a statement. For clothes or a car, I can understand buying designer labels in order to convey an aura of success. But for appliances? I'm not sure exactly who you're trying to impress then by spending more money.

If you look in the Best Buy circular, they have an entire stainless steel kitchen appliance set for $3000 (fridge, dishwasher, microwave, oven). I dont think you can buy one subzero for that. I think if you have the money, spend it on a subzero but if you would rather keep it in the bank, just buy a basic stainless kitchen.

It's like rims on a car...Yugo = hup caps, Cadillac = Polished alloy. If your building is such that label concsious live there, and labels are in your apt and adjacent..then yes..if not, then stick with the don't by the better mousetrap plan.

Like said above...if you are choosing between a great fridge, or an ok Fridge + D/W + Range for same cash...as a buyer i'd rather see an overall upgrade than one standout appliance. this tells me my expire date on most things will probably be a ways off...