How long did it take (is it taking you) to decide?

14 years ago

Another thread just made me wonder:

Starting from the time you were first SERIOUSLY weighing your appliance choices (i.e. not just dreaming), how long did it take to finalize your decision? Or how long has it been so far, for those of you who have not finalized them yet?

I'm thinking it would be helpful if you specify whether we're talking about just one appliance, a total kitchen makeover, or somewhere in between.

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Comments (9)

mississippirose
14 years ago
This is an interesting thought & my first response is that each person's process is individual and different. Then you think that we all probably start with our "ideal" picks. Style and cost most likely come first then we look into reliability & reputation. Hopefully this starts narrowing down the field. Features and more up close aspects help in this as well. Personal preference too. So far it's taking me 2 months. My order will be placed in Oct to avoid the 6-8% cost increases seen each year. I keep reminding myself to step back and realize I will be living with my decision & want to be completely happy with them. Hope this helps.
Carol
PS this is for a kitchen remodel & purchasing a new frig, oven, warming drawer, & microwave.
rnest44
14 years ago
Ha! I first went to look for appliances last Oct. I bought my fridge that day. I am reusing my microwave. I have it narrowed down to two DWs. I've gone back and forth (and back and forth some more) about cooktop/uc oven vs range. I settled on a 30" dual fuel range and have it narrowed down to a DSC if I spend more or several others at a lower price point. Don't even get me started on ventilation b/c all I know is it will be a 36" wide chimney type with about 600 CFM maybe a Kobe or a Best. I am also keeping an eye out for a built in uc fridge.

My main sticking point is wanting more than I feel I should spend. I also have such old appliances that I have trouble picturing what would work best for our family. What's your issues with decision making?

We are going again Sunday and I hope to make most of my purchases at that time b/c I'd like to order my cabinets.
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anna_bannana
14 years ago
I am still in the midst of deciding; have been reading & visiting appliance stores for 3-4 weeks. I wish there were fewer choices!! We tend to hold on to things forever (or until they break), so I want to pick appliances that will stand the test of time in appearance and function and not break the bank in the process.

I am hoping to decide within a week or two.....
ya_think
Original Author
14 years ago
"What's your issues with decision making?"

I'm not sure if that question was directed at me but here's the answer: I've been obsessing for years about my perfect mix of appliances but haven't been ready to pull the trigger on the remodel due to other financial obligations. Now that I plan to sell the house, I'll probably just buy whatever looks good, fits the budget and doesn't get bashed around here too much. I'll spend a couple days to a week, max.

But I know that whereever I land, I'll have an image of the kitchen that will last me 20 years and I'll be making choices based on that. And that'll take me some time. So I was just wondering what's "normal" for those of us who obsess. Days? Weeks? Months? (~~~~Years~~~~)?
rnest44
14 years ago
Ya_think, that question was for you but reading it tonight it sounds nasty and I sure didn't mean it that way.
Well, if I was getting ready to sell my house it wouldn't take me long at all. I'd just go with what works in my neighborhood.
This is my third house and my first kitchen remodel ever so I am taking my time. I'm not sure there is a "normal." I'd guess it will follow the pattern of how you make other decisions. I ponder and ponder and then I pounce. Mostly it works well, every now and then...not so well. ;)
plllog
14 years ago
I don't know what "normal" is, but I knew when I first saw the house that the kitchen had to go and it wasn't going to go soon. So I was thinking about what I wanted for about 6 years before I started to seriously look at appliances. I assumed I'd be getting SubZero fridge and freezer and Gaggenau oven, because I knew them and knew I wanted them. I had only started looking at stuff when I fell in love with a Wolf rangetop. And I found GW when I was researching options for that.

I did about 6 months heavy investigation, but couldn't come up with a plan I liked, and wasn't at all sure about which models I wanted of anything but the Gaggenau oven and Marvel 24" fridge drawers. I took some time off and when I got back to it, I still couldn't decide between SubZero combinations, when I espied the Miele and knew that was it. I found a DW that pleased me that was also new on the market. Compromised on some other stuff. Within two months I had my whole list and was buying stuff. It took me a couple months longer to finalize the cooktops, however.
cotehele
14 years ago
Planning started two years ago. The plans have changed more times than I can remember. The kitchen was planned as a move to the room where it is being constructed. Mid-planning we tried to keep the kitchen in its original location in this 1892 house.

What did not change were the cooking requirements. No question I wanted an induction cooktop. When the Miele specs were released, I knew immediately that was the cooktop I wanted. I bake all of our breads, so a good convection oven was important, and price mattered. I was not so fussy about the DW.

I ordered appliances yesterday. 36'' Miele cooktop, fully integrated Miele DW (considered a GE Monogram on sale). I had planned to order the 30'' Miele MasterChef DO., but 30'' Monogram DO was on sale for 60% less than the Miele. The budget is bursting at the seams, so I changed my mind at the appliance store.

My decisions were final on the cooktop early on, and some were made at the last minute. :)
rococogurl
14 years ago
Second time around for me in 5 years so I have the benefit of hindsight also popping in and out here and reading.

What's most interesting is how much is new. OTOH new isn't always better because, in the end, the service issues can be very affecting. I'm still having them with a built in fridge f.ex. 5 years later.

Physical restrictions helped this time. Things had to fit in certain spaces, space is tight and certain things will and won't work.

I spent 2 weeks looking and researching. I've got quotes and made my decision, which won't change. I did drawings of the new plan and had a virtual rendering done as well to see how the new color and tile and counters looked with the appliances.

I'm very pleased with choices. What helps is knowing what you want and being able to budget around that. What I didn't find helpful was info/judgments given to me by salespeople.

I spent time emailing folks here on old threads to see what their experiences have been over time. They all answered quickly and were incredibly generous in their comments. Having the same input from 2 or 3 people you don't know but who say the same thing more or less based on their every day experience was the most helpful to me in my decisions.
sunnyflies
14 years ago
It's taking me forever. We gutted the kitchen space entirely and I set up a temporary kitchen in the back hall. That was almost two years ago... sigh. I know I want a six burner Wolf rangetop with a griddle - or I did until I went back to look at the Thermadore rangetop recently. The gas company men told me Wolf's are better made, but I do like those start shaped burners. I will be getting a 48" Subzero - I have one in another house - but may make do with my current GE stainless for a while, just to save money. I bought an Asko DW already. It sits wrapped up in the barn waiting to be installed.

Cabinets are driving me crazy. I am close to making a decision, but not quite. It will probably boil down to which company can come closest to giving me
what I want (once I decide on it) at the best price. Do any of them realize that there is a recession on? Not by the quotes I am getting. I get the sense they think I am a one woman stimulus package when I go to see them. The prices are so much higher than they were when I did my other kitchen five years ago.

How long did it take (is it taking you) to decide?

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How long did it take (is it taking you) to decide?

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