An 18" DW won't hurt resale value at all compared to having no DW. Having a DW helps a lot, and I think everyone understands that small kitchens require smaller appliances if you want to have any storage space (not to mention room to move around). So if the kitchen has to stay that size--if moving walls isn't something your budget/timeline/etc. permits--then yeah, I would agree, an 18" is probably the way to go.

Post a layout, though, and maybe folks here will have some more ideas.

it holds a lot of plates because the tines are spaced close together.

it is good.

it is a large volume, after all.

with a cutlery tray/drawer it would have a feature that most DW don't have.

the miele cutlery tray or drawer (in the 18" dw) is removable and can fit into a kitchen cabinet drawer. With an extra shallow drawer, you can have three trays, one of which goes into the DW and two in the two drawers in cabinets. Then, after a big event, you just put the whole cutlery tray into the drawer and remove the empty one.

I don't think it will hurt re-sale in a small space. What's the gain in the kitchen? I have decided to go to an 18' because it would allow me a 30" drawer base for storage (everyone needs storage). I live in a very small space so there is no room for more than 2 occupants though. Who lives in the building and how is it being marketed? If it were attracting families it might give me some pause but I think I would be more worried about what works for now. Even if doesn't work for the next owners they still know the hook-up is there and that they have one to use until they can put in a full size - it doesn't seem like it would be a deal breaker.

I thought about a dish drawer but it didn't seem as functional in my space and it is a lot more expensive.

What size is the condo? If it's really intended to be for singles or couples with no kids or empty-nesters, then I think an 18" DW will be fine. However, if it's meant for a family of 3 or more, I might think twice b/c of resale.

What do other condos in her neighborhood have?

Thanks, folks. I'm not sure who else lives in the condo neighborhood thingy. It's a little community of attached cape-style buildings, 2 or 3 units in an L-shape, and the "neighborhood" has maybe 20 of these sets.

It's in a town that used to have a Naval Air station which recently closed. The condos might originally have been for the Navy families, I don't know. I think it's probably in flux now. The condos have lost a lot of value, so this is certainly not high-end.

I'll ask her who her neighbors are. Maybe that'll give us some clues.

And I'll post a layout here once we get more seriously into it. She's not quite ready to start on this project; I was just getting a little head start :)

You could also consider a single DW drawer so that the 24" wide space would be there if someone wanted to put in a full size DW and your mom would have a storage drawer below.

Or you could leave the space sufficient for a regular DW; but install an 18" DW and have tray/cutting board slot fitted into the extra space, for now. Then any new owners could decide what worked best for them.

L

I second (third? whatever) the suggestions to put the DW in what could be a 24" opening if later owners want to go that route. Whether it's a DW drawer with storage below or an 18" DW with a 6" pullout next to it, either solution is a great idea.

i went through this question when i was planning my kitchen (demo starts in a week -aaak!). my kitchen is a bit bigger 11x13 but still tight. some things i considered - could i go with a 24" fridge (like the liebber -sp?) and then get a 24" DW in? i ended up going with a local custom cabinet maker who, because he was not limited by the 3" increments of semi custom, was able to fit a 30" fridge, 24" DW and 30" sink along the short wall. so my message is for such a small kitchen you may want to explore custom cabs. the price increase was not significant and the increased functionality was well work the extra $2K.

I don't think it's crazy, but how wise it is depends on where you are. I lived a long time in a development where everyone had 18" DWs, and those old ones were so incredibly terrible at washing dishes that I would for sure have made room for a 24" if I'd remodeled.

I know that there are excellent 18" DWs now, but frankly, when selling to the people who buy around here there's no difference to them between a miele (they wouldn't know what that is) and a roper. It's just a toy DW, no matter who makes it.

I'm in the process of remodeling a kitchen that had an 18" GE Profile dishwasher. I would never advise putting one in unless you only plan to use it occasionally for glasses. the size is just too strange to be able to hold items appropriately. We ended up having to wash all bowls, bakeware, etc by hand.

Now, its possible that the the issue is more with the specific DW, but I think it has too do with the general sizing. I would try to squeeze in a DW drawer before using a standard 18" model.

Thanks, everyone. Good feedback :)

have you looked at 18" dws in your area - just to visualize the insides of one? I'd do that before deciding. and (of course) check with your mom on what she wants and what is happening in her neighborhood. if she cooks a lot she might want the 24". I don't and would probably be fine with an 18".
but, i have the space for one now and will most likely stick with it. I figure it'll just make it easier for me to load - I won't have to fiddle with things to fit them in.

If i needed more storage space I might think differently. I do have a good sized pantry for added storage tho.

I put a 18" Miele in my very small bungalow kitchen in order to maximize cabinet space. I loved it and it was perfect for me (single) and the couple who bought the house after me.

We got small condo recently. It has 18" dishwasher. Unfortunately it was leaking when we tried it. Now we are thinking whether replace it or put there more drawers.

We (3 people) lived there for 4 months now and washed dishes by hand, no problem. We also have a large house with large dishwasher and more people and cooking, dishwasher useful there, but in small condo with small amount of cooking I think it useless, waste of space.