We wanted a CD refrigerator with bottom freezer and no ice/water in the door. Our other necessity was to have SS sides. The GE FD refrigerator was the only one that met all of the requirements. We have had it for about 3 months and it seems fine. It is shallow, but there is enough storage in the doors and the freezer. It is also just for 2 empty nesters.

We had just purchased a Kenmore Elite SS dishwasher before reno, so we did not replace that. We are using our 30" electric slide in range in the peninsula, and I did not like the vent that stood up in the back of the GE Cafe range, so we went with the Electrolux which has lots of extra features (but the design may look odd to house buyers). The Electrolux oven handles are simlar to the GE Cafe handles on the refrigerator. There are no handles on the DW and I think it all blends.

Re resale, I think most buyers are familiar with the GE brand and would probably have no problem with it. I have seen suggestions on this Forum regarding successful purchases at Sears Outlet, especially if resale is in the future.

If it were you buying a place, would you like to see consistency in appliances, or do you think you would care if different brands were represented in the kitchen?

It depends on your target buyer. There was an ad on TV recently (Sears?) where the woman says, "I want stainless -- MATCHING stainless!" Then there are droves of people who watch HGTV who want stainless no matter what, even mismatched, even junk. People who like to cook want quality appliances regardless of finish. A home in an expensive market calls for pro-style appliances even if the owners don't cook.

If I were buying the house, I wouldn't care if the appliances were different brands but would want a nice range.

Save your money. Unless you are in a market where "Viking" appliances have name recognition and are pretty much demanded as a status symbol, then you are wasting money by doing even GE Profile appliances. The days of putting in a 50K kitchen that "increases" your home's equity by 60K are over. You'll never get more than about 70-80% of your money spent on a kitchen remodel back in this market. That means you lose 20-30% of they money you spend on this project. So, either do the remodel with the intention of pleasing you in the meantime (with standard appliance sizes that you can replace with lower grade ones and take the nice ones with you) or skip doing the remodel at all and give a 10K allowance when you go to sell. In the year's time, use that saved money to paint every surface in the home, including the existing cabinets, and scrub everything to within an inch of it's life. If something shows wear due to delayed maintainence, then replace it, but don't put a lot of money into it. In other words, DO replace the worn carpet with the red wine stains that won't come out, but only with an inexpensive grade carpet. DON'T replace the perfectly good condition tile floors in the kitchen, even if you don't like them.

Now, if you'll be reselling further down the road than a year, put in whatever pleases you, because the word "new" and "updated" lose their reality after about a year.

Thanks for the responses.

I am in the type of market that a higher end is desirable. As such, and after doing some investigating on Ebay and Craigslist, I have decided to purchase the pro styles as much as possible. That being said, I am not adverse to "gently" used and will take delivery of a 30" Viking duel fuel AND vent, all for less than I would pay for new GE. I have had the opportunity to view the merchandise, and while there is some risk, taking possession of a 2 year old unit taken from a foreclosure property seems like it might be worth it.

Thanks again.

Wow, glad to hear that worked out so well.