I bought a wall hood ahead, was a terrific deal, 1/2 the price of a new one etc. Also paid for my cooktop and wall oven ahead. The store was going to keep the hood for me and not order the other things until I said we were ready. I wasn't ready for over a year due to several unforeseen delays. During that time the salesperson went ahead and ordered the rest of my appliances and then kept hounding me to have them delivered. I had no storage space at all, every possible space was taken up with renovation storage. One of the unforeseen problems was the too high cost of a bump out so I ended up with the cooktop in an island instead of along the wall. The appliance store would not take back the wall hood, would not help me sell it, I was stuck with it. I had to pay full price for an island hood. Also, during this time a newer model of the oven became available with substantial improvements.

On the bright side, I didn't order the faucet I absolutely knew I wanted and during the wait they came out with a wall version of it. I am so tickled because I really wanted a wall faucet.

So, I'd say just wait until you actually need the appliances and fixtures. You won't have any storage space anyway.

good luck!

i think buying ahead is great, however, will they be able to get that monster down the stairs? or do you have a walkout?

Eek! Thanks, salal. Maybe hold off on those pendants and other stuff...But I loveeee the pendants. Sigh. I have so little discipline.

Pence, we have a walkout. Trying to get Agatha up the basement stairs/narrow hallway would be quite a sight! Anyone remember "pivot...pivvvvottttt!" from Friends? lol

I also got super excited, had a vision for what I wanted, and wanted to go out and buy everything just to "lock in" what I needed. Yet, I resisted the urge to dive in with buying things and I think it has served me well so far.

I did buy a few things that I worried about but the truth is, many things "change" and while your Aga was probably a great deal and worth working around, some things might not be. I can actually see how a whole kitchen might be designed around the Aga concept. So that seems like a logical buy!

However, with pendant lights, etc, you never know what other design ideas might need to be tweaked once you find out about the rafter that can't be moved, the pipes that would cost $2,000 extra to move over if you had 3 pendants instead of 2, etc. I would hold off.

We have all bought a few things because they went on sale, but ended up being unable to use....part of the process. But, if you can resist pushing that "buy" button and keep internet window-shopping for just a bit longer, I think it would be wise!

I bought almost everything for my entire house renovation. I shopped on line every night and found awesome deals. The one thing I waited on was a doorbell. Yeah, go figure! It was one that had the oak framed mirror with the long tubes. It was perfect for the wall and my "antique" house. When I went to buy it, it was discontinued. I couldn't even buy it from the manufacturer.

Don't wait, IF you're sure it's what you want.

In general, don't buy ahead.

Buying something like an aga, which is a major, central decision, for layout, design and tone, is one thing. Most people aren't deciding between an aga kitchen or a sleek induction cooktop at the last minute, right?

But there are many reasons to hold off buying most everything else. Even though you SWEAR you love it and have loved it for ages and won't change your mind.

Projects get delayed. This is fact.

Warehouses can lose things, or have forklifts back into them. Yes, they may pay up in the end, but do you really need the hassle? Can't you just wait until the sale you KNOW they're going to have 3 months later?

Measurements change and you may need a different amount (for something like tile, or an extra lighting fixture). There are all kinds of reasons you might suddenly need more that are not within your control.

Things get lost, damaged or stolen. Or the pieces that go with them do, and you can't prove they were never sent, because the stuff arrived a year ago.

They can go out of warranty while they sit waiting to be installed. Or become discontinued, or the company doesn't support that line any more and you can't return it, or ask questions or get the trim kit etc.

And, believe it or not, your tastes can change. Or a company can bring out something that is just better. Or better AND cheaper.

Or you need to move, or you have a baby or something else happens.

A few things -- fine. If you find a really unbeatable deal on something you know you're going to need, you might spring. But don't fill the basement. People say "Craigslist" but you only get a small portion of what you paid.

I used a lot of antique lighting, which you don't just go out in a day and buy, so I bought some stuff ahead. But I was very, very glad that I did not buy some things I was tempted to. Even though my tastes didn't change, things I couldn't have predicted changed things enough that I would have not ordered right.

A good contractor should keep you well informed so you can order things at the right times. Tell him if you're looking at something, like custom tile or cabinets, that take an unusually long time to order and must be made in a single lot.

Good luck!

I bought a few things WAY ahead, and ended up selling them recently (for a profit!) on Ebay. Small potatoes stuff, no big deal really. I tweaked my design ALOT, and things did change somewhat. I started buying about 2 1/2 months ago and we are demoing tomorrow. Several of my lighting choices were discontinued when I went to get them, and had to hunt around for them. So I say if you find what you really want and it is a great price, go for it.