I have been looking at refrigerators all week, and since its still Cyberweek, there are some great prices out there on the Samsung refrigerators -- especially all the high end 4 door Flex models.... Does anyone have direct experience with the Samsung RF28K9380SR or the RF28K9070SR or the RF28K9580SR? I have a dedicated freezer in the garage, so I am attracted to the flex feature where you can convert half the bottom freezer to refrigerator space, and the lower freezer on the left is very well compartmentalized with drawers and bins. I'm not sure about the door within a door "food showcase" feature (although some people on the web really like it.) The last model -- The Samsung Family Hub Model is really over-the-top since it has an integrated tablet on the front..... but one can easily access Internet including the Google family calendar, Allrecipes.com, photos, cooking videos, and Pandora Music,etc..... which are all things I currently use. Anyone out there who can report on the use of this particular model? I think one would need the extended warranty from Lowes to safe-guard any of them.... especially that last very high tech model..... who would be able to fix it? (Should I buy instead from Best Buy and get Geek Squad protection?)

OK! Speed Queen, delivered and installed, all taxes, "in the house sitting where is needs to be with old machine gone" price: $2,812.57 - (Canadian) this one https://ca.speedqueen.com/products/front-load-washers.aspx?mn=AFNE9BSP113CW01#build-your-own  Has induction motor! Wow! That is real - deal thinking -cap on engineering- 5 year all in warranty and designed for 20 years. Not denying Miele also has some real - deal engineering and I would admit Miele probably even a better build but not a tank like Speed Queen. Miele- excellent but too small for the 120 volt one, and quite a bit of money - I noted comment about doing laundry all weekend. It was at least $500 more and it was tiny. So it was out. Electrolux - suitable machine no doubt about it- more features- very easy to use controls- unlike 'guessing at kind of' on the SQ.. And Elctrolux has alight in it -kind of neat! - and steam clean - an excellent machine. and could be installed for at or about $1,200 all in. So why not Electrolux but Speed Queen? 1, Vastly and self- evidently better build quality; 2, This! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_motor

It might also depend on the foundation and if it can support a second story. Personally, if I had the choice I would go with adding on, no second story. People seem to like one story homes, perhaps because they are easier for disabled or elderly people, and I bet they do better at resale. You can also design it to have courtyards and maybe more private rooms.

Regarding condos and houses which have been renovated vs. those in original condition netting different sale prices. Well, sure--to an extent. But for the most part I think the difference is going to be between "renovated" and "unrenovated" and not between "average renovation" and "high end renovation". Spending above a certain point is not going to net you anything extra and it may cost you at least in relative terms. And often with expensive renovations there is the quality of "taste specific", which is a bad thing for a lot of buyers. Many people have their heads turned by the bright and shiny, and variations in quality is not something that a lot of people can even discern, let alone care much about. That's why people fall for flips. That's why people build giant houses but use hollow core doors and $15 hardware sets. I lived in a condo where I actually partially restored rather than renovated. I had the plaster cornices restored and replastered the ceiling and did plaster repairs on the walls. The kitchen was custom and had an integrated Subzero and DW in it. It would have been Much cheaper to remove all the cornices or drop the ceiling a few inches and put in new crown molding. And that's what some people did. The integrated Subzero and integrated DW (This was some time ago when these things were newer) --they were a complete neutral as far as the population of buyers were concerned. In fact some of the feed back when people looked was "No Dishwasher" and "Where is the refrigerator?" And the people who eve noticed the condition of the plasterwork--which was not a lot of people-- including people who lived in the complex and looked out of curiosity thought it was all original and I was lucky it was in good condition and I "hadn't had to do anything to it". So all my custom plasterwork and my custom interior doors with the proper Greek Revival proportions were really all for naught. (Except that I did it for myself.) I could have gotten new crown molding and Masonite doors from Home Depot and for most people that would have been the same thing. For most most people renovated is renovated and unrenovated is unrenovated. As the listing agent said "Oh this is all gorgeous, so much nicer than most of the units, it's going to show wonderfully and people who appreciate quality will really like this. Now are they going to pay you extra for that higher level of quality? Hell no, they won't.