When we were looking, we felt the Meile, Wolf and new Dacor models were the top tier. I don't know if the other two offer a rotisserie. We use one on the grill outdoors and can grill year round, so that wasn't a feature we were looking for. I'll give the nod to the Bosch DW, although you might want to check pricing on the Thermador models (made by Bosch) if you plan to use cabinet panels on them. I found the Thermador panel-ready models were less than the Bosch, but the stainless doors were less in Bosch. Quiet, clean well, and dry as well as any DW I've had (some folks think they don't dry plastic well) Micro -- Sharp makes many of the micros out their both with their name on them and with others. I don't think you can go wrong with Sharp, and you won't be paying for someone elses name on it. We did the drawer undercounter -- the only solution for micro placement that didn't cause problems in our layout. It works very well and has some nice features I didn't really pay attention to before we got it (sensor reheat and keep warm among others). Fridge -- if you are looking at Subzero, I would also look at the Thermador Freedom series. I have 2 of the colums and LOVE them. Range -- I have a range top and separate ovens, so my experiences may be a bit different. I have Wolf and am quite happy. Some folks seem to be having some issues with certain range models, so I'd look into that further. I hear a lot both ways about Viking, but all the others are pretty solid performers. You will hear that some love Thermador but others can't get past the cycling simmer. Think about how much you would actually use an extra low simmer function -- I have used mine no more than I could count on one hand in a year. The other one you will hear about here is Bluestar -- you may or may not find a distributor in your area. Among those brands, I would look for the look, feel and features that fit you best and feel good about your choice. Hood, I also looked at Independent, but they had along lead time then and got ruled out. I went into a dealer to look at VAH after reading comments about the difficulty cleaning one. Didn't seem like an issue to me, but the salesman I talked to recommneded Best by Broan over VAH after being able to do side by side comparissons (in a lab -- not the store -- the buyer never sees that). I've been happy with it (went with an external blower but didn't have room for a silencer) and DH greatly prefers the look of baffles over the open style of the VAH. I think I do too. It would be easier to know how big an issue that would be if any of the VAH dealers actually had one installed in a realisting setting and height. We had another issue over what kind of lighting and controls were on each model -- many things to consider. Good luck with the whole process. Enjoy your new home.

Hi Neo, I guess that's where we run into a problem - we're just not sure if we're paying a fair amount for the labor/material for the ductwork, but it seems like we'll just have to go on instinct on this one. The installer from Costco won't give us the cost of just the Lennox equipment, so we don't have that number as well =( I will definitely verify about the evap coil and the valv - good to know! The XP17 is a single stage - initially we looked at a 2 stage, but we didn't see the need for it, so decided on the XP17. Here's the electric rates for our area: Basic charge $7.00 per month Delivery charge 2.887 cents per kWh Energy charge, Winter (November through April billing cycles) First 800 kWh 4.356 cents per kWh Next 2,200 kWh 6.001 cents per kWh Over 3,000 kWh 7.220 cents per kWh Energy charge, Summer (May through October billing cycles) First 800 kWh 4.356 cents per kWh Next 900 kWh 6.001 cents per kWh Over 1,700 kWh 7.220 cents per kWh Given that we rarely go below freezing for sustained periods - I think a heat pump is perfect for our climate too (nor do we get heat extremes). Also, since we have NO heat at night typically (we turn the pellet stoves off), I think we'll be happy with even a cool 62 in our house! Thanks again for your help!

I think the taupe in the floor tile may dominate the gray as I'm seeing a warm color palette. That's making the gray shower tile the odd man out. I think it also may be too contemporary with either of the shower floor tiles, and your home looks traditional. I could see either of those shower floor tiles with a large format subway tile in white for the shower walls. I also don't like the stripe of the wall tile with the stripe of the accent tile, nor with the splotchy floor tile. So I'd eliminate the gray wall tile. The first thing is finding a counter that works with the existing floor as there are limited counter choices. The colors are okay but the splotchy pattern is a bit similar. But it may be the best you can do. Or use a solid warm white, which gives you the same counter you have in quartz, and you're probably ready for a change. A white vanity will make that quartz appear a little warmer and that might be a nice way to separate the counter and floor. Are you keeping that vanity and painting it? Or ordering new doors and drawer fronts?

I know this is an old thread. I'm comtemplating if I want a tub at all but if I get an air or a jetted tub, if the sides have stone around, how do you reach the motor if you need a repair? Just curious if anyone has dealt with that situation. For my current outdated tub, I can reach the motor through the the cabinet; I have a cut out there. I could do the same thing. But adding a slab of quartz to a tub make for a very expensive tub. Dominique, what did you decide and are you happy with your decision?