I did not want a central vac, but my builder all but insisted on roughing in for it when we recently built our addition. I love it! It is a vaculflo. I have several different size hoses and multiple areas to plug into. It is nothing like the CV I had years ago. The power head works on the suction. I only use it on carpet and rugs. I have special floor attachments for the hard floor surfaces - wood and tile. I would have to agree though, that the one doing the majority of vacuuming should be the one making the choice. I hate our dyson.

After living with Hide-A-Hose for 5 months, I would highly recommend it. I still use my Dyson cordless every day but for larger jobs or when the Dyson isn't charged, I love the HAH. It's fairly quiet and does a great job. One thing I would highly recommend is a walk-through with the vacuum installer/supplier. My contractor didn't give me any info so I had a few issues with the system. I called the installer and he answered all my questions, showed me some tips and how to use the system. It's not a complicated system at all but a few simple things (like leaving the system unlocked at all times except when in use) made all the difference in the world. The installer said that some contractors just take the accessories and give them to the home owner with no real knowledge of how to properly use the system and it causes issues such as broken cover plates ($200 to replace) and general frustration.

If the basement is unfinished, it may not be a big deal at all. Especially if you just plate over the unused outlet. Otherwise, there could be lots of drywall and painting repairs. Contact local installers. I'm sure you're not the only one with that request.

We have the Hide a Hose brand -- so the retractable hoses. I would not have done it without that option. The actual vacuum unit is a Beam, by Electrolux. Charles Ross makes a good point about the cost of central vacuum -- you can buy a lot of vacuum cleaners for even 1/2 the cost of a central vacuum. When we put it in, good options for vacuums (ones that did not exhaust back into the room) were not as plentiful, so we liked the idea of the central vacuum being a "closed" system. Even newer vacuums that have closed systems have the element of disposing of the dirt (sometimes quite frequently)...of course you have to do that with a central vac, but not as often and if you plan it's location (garage? basement?) it can be out of the normal flow of daily life. Also, I admit that my sweet husband always tackles that particular job -- need to go thank him! I am building again, and so am considering whether to have the HAH central vacuum again; not sure what I will do - it's a lot of $$. P.S. I would not do the outside/garage vac if you can't have a retractable hose. We have a non-retractable hose in our carport. It's a bit unwieldy for cleaning the car -- we are not messy car people, so I find a quick once over with a hand vac/dust buster is usually easier than pulling out the hose.