I think I would consider changing the cooktop because they don't all have the same specs. The refrigerator I would probably keep.

I would only consider replacing them if they are not standard sizes. I would make sure any refresh doesn't leave you in a situation where you would have to redo the kitchen in order to replace them.

definitely replace a cheap 9 year old fridge.

I was also on a very tight budget for my kitchen that didn't include replacing my appliances. Once my wallet recovered, I replaced my white fridge with stainless. It's not counter-depth because I'm using my old boxes and it was beyond my new budget. I got a stainless hood (the kind that sits under an upper cabinet, nothing dramatic). The following year I replaced my very ugly white DW with a stainless one.

At that point, I kinda got the stainless out of my system and realized I had an unexplainable affection for my white stove with the chunky riser in back. Mostly, I haven't found a stainless stove in my price range I'm willing to buy.

Considering you are already outside of your budget, I would wait. You can case stores for amazing mark down deals. You can also call and leave your name if there is something particular you want, but want to wait for markdown time. Some new appliances are game changers - I would never have gotten a Miele DW, but now that I got one at a great markdown, putting dishes away is a joy because I don't have to study each thing I take out to make sure I don't have to wash it again. In the grand scheme of refrigerators, IMO, as long as it keeps things cold I am good. We got a floor model KA and it is all good.

I am waiting for my electric cooktop to die, but I'm plumbing for gas now, in anticipation of new appliances to come. Whatever you think reasonable will probably be fine.

I would at least do some future-proofing. You might get five more years out of your appliances, so replacing them will have to happen, and you might as well make sure you aren't making any choices now that will make replacing them difficult.

Decide what you'd want if you were getting new appliances today, and make sure the appropriate electrical (and gas, if you want that) lines are in place.

Compare the counter top cut-out sizes (and any other installation requirements like cabinet size/depth) for your current cooktop to the cut-out sizes of multiple other cooktops that you'd like. All manufacturers specify something a little different, but if your current cooktop needs a cut-out that is larger than all the other new ones you might be interested in, that's going to cause you problems in the future when you want to replace it. If it's roughly similar in size or smaller, then you should be fine.

Just make sure the current cooktop's requirements could be easily modified for a new cooktop when you go to replace. If you have a 30" cooktop now, for instance, but you think you might want to go up to 36" in the future, get a cabinet large enough to accommodate the 36".

The fridge is the real sticking point for me. Fridge heights vary so much (such a pain for consumers), and so many people are going from standard depth to counter depth these days. It's always easier to build the cabinetry to fit the fridge you intend to have for the long haul. If you were buying new, would you want to change the fridge depth/width/height?

Since you are painting cabinets, not replacing them, I would not change out the fridge. It fits now, it looks fine and it works, so I'd keep it until such time as you want to replace cabinets or it dies. You don't say what you have for a cooktop, but if you are changing the countertop I might take the opportunity to switch it out to induction.

Thank you for all the advice! I think future proofing is definitely a good idea because I expect many more years out of my kitchen refresh so I will research cooktops to make sure I can replace it when I need to. I've never bought appliances so I really have no idea What to expect or how long things last. I currently have a gas cooktop and I'm guessing it's 30" (4 burner). Messing with the counters after they are in is my main concern since that has been the most expensive Thing since I kept existing cabinetry and I won't want to do that again over a nonfunctional cooktop.

Just as an FYI, refrigerators are starting to standardize at around 36" wide x 72" tall. If you could fit a refrigerator that size where your current one is, then you should be OK for that appliance, at least. If not, then look into making a space with those dimensions for the future while you're working on the rest of the kitchen. You don't have to get one right away, but plan for it so you're not scrambling in a panic when the current one dies and you have a difficult finding one to fit the available space. We (Kitchens & Appliances) occasionally get panic posts from somone trying to find a refrigerator to fit a smaller than standard space.

Regarding the cooktop, if you stick to the same manufacturer, you may be able to just switch on old one out for a new one. We have a 36" GE Profile electric cooktop and when I was looking at induction cooktops a year or so ago I noticed all 36" GE cooktops had the same cutout specs - induction and "regular" electric - and GE Profile/GE Monogram. You might check Whirlpool's specs.

I think someone here a few years ago built a frame for a new cooktop that had a smaller cutout than his/her old one. So, that may be something to keep in mind as well, especially if you get a more expensive countertop (e.g., granite, soapstone, engineered stone). It's tougher if you need a bigger cutout b/c then you have to bring in a fabricator to enlarge the cutout onsite.

Since you are sticking with your current cabinets, I would only replace the cooktop. Even if the refrigerator has to be replaced later, and does require some cabinetry alteration, it should be relatively minor and your finances will have recovered, hopefully allowing you a wider range of choice.

On the other hand, depending on your countertop choice, altering for a cooktop later could be risky, expensive or impossible.

What is the situation re flooring? Is the current floor under your current dishwasher? In the past, when our dw died, they broke our new countertop when pulling out the old broken dishwasher. There is an important relationship between the flooring, the dishwasher and the countertop. If the flooring is under the dishwasher then removing and replacing the dishwasher may be ok. The old one may more easily be slid out. Have I explained this. Dishwashers are not as expensive as other appliances so there may be some value in installing a new dw now and then putting a new counter over it.

We we went over budget last May and still haven't replaced the old biscuit colored range and dw in our new grey and white kitchen. We replaced the fridge a few months after completion (the small old one looked ridiculous in the big built-in cabinet space). This morning we woke up to a flood so perhaps dw shopping is on the horizon. And our range is not in good shape so we are watching for sales. We had decided before cabinets were built that we were doing a double oven free standing range so the size is the same as our current one. We couldn't justify replacing working appliances after spending so much on expansion and custom cabinets. As long as you plan for specs i think you can wait.

all in all, wouldn't 9 y old counters and existing backsplash be fine if left......painting cabinets is hard work, but if you are commited, then you are saving money there. Do you have a hood...do you have a built-in microwave....does your fridge have side panels...these things, when you get to replacemnt and/or full remodel will affect those dimensions of where the backsplash ended, is the bull nose, or lack of it correct/etc. New counters and backsplash are a commitment..not so much painting cabinets. If dimensions are off when you want even an inch or two to accomodate something different... or if you proceed with a full remodel, you might be spending excessively on counter/backsplash now and affect your long term budget. I might consider paint/new hardware/lighting and call it a day.

westsider40 I put in wood floors a little over a year ago. I got down on my knees and looked and they do not go under the dishwasher, they look like the stop just barely before it. Don't know what that means for replacement down the road when it breaks. When we first moved in the house our dishwasher needed a repair and it was able to be slid out and worked on. Hoping that is still the case, not sure if putting in the wood floor changed that.

herbflavor, yes I should have left well enough alone, but converting to a white kitchen has been my dream for years now and I'm trying to keep the dream alive in the most fiscally responsible way possible without letting go of the dream. My counters and sink are being reused by a friend so really it's just the backsplash that went into the trash. I'm paying a fortune to have the cabinets painted at pretty much a factory grade level, so I'm hoping that will ensure the longevity of the kitchen without a full scale gut, but with the same effect as a complete remodel. We will see how it all works out!

Is the height of your new floor higher than the floor the dishwasher is sitting on?

Jillius, yes. Does that mean we won't be able to replace the dishwasher when it breaks someday without damaging the floor?

Floor...What is the flooring under the DW and refrigerator? Is it the same height - i.e., are the floor materials flush with each other?

Whether you put finished flooring under the cabinets or not was your choice (and a done deal). However, if you chose not put the same floor under the cabinets and in the DW and refrigerator alcoves, you should have ensured the floor was the same height in both the alcoves and the flooring in the rest of the kitchen. So, if you did not put finished wood in those "alcoves", did you at least put down plywood or other flooring to ensure the floors are the same height, regardless of material?

Why are we asking? Because if the floor under the DW or refrigerator is lower than the floor in the rest of the kitchen, you run the risk of "trapping" the DW and/or refrigerator. If you need to remove either the DW or refrigerator - for repair, replacement, or to clean under - you will need to raise the appliance up to get it up to the higher floor in the rest of the kitchen.

Usually, the required air clearance is enough to give you the space needed to lift the refrigerator up - but not always. Check.

The bigger issue is the DW. When the counter is installed over the DW, it's installed tightly to the cabinets. If you now have a lower floor under the cabinets and in the DW alcove, you have now trapped the DW without any space above to remove it. This will most likely cause you issues down the road when (not if, when) you have to replace the DW.

If this is the situation you find yourself in, then a possible solution is to:

1. Once the old counters are removed, measure the difference in heights b/w the new floors you recently put in and the floor under the DW
2. Next, build up the cabinets with a frame of some sort that is the same height as the difference you just calculated/measured (it may be anything from 1/2" to an inch or so).
3. Install plywood or other flooring in the floor of the DW alcove so the floors are flush (the same height)
4. You will now have a level space to move the DW in/out and you will have enough height to fit the DW into the space (the frame you built adds the necessary height overall so your counters will still fit tightly to the frame and DW and still allow the DW to fit under the counter)
5. Install the counters over the frame and DW.

If the flooring under the DW is the same height - no problems! If the floor under the DW is higher (doubtful), again, no problem!

Edited: Cross posted! So the answer is you did not. Yes, this will be a problem, but you can "fix" it when you replace the counters as I described above. It's more likely you'll damage the countertops, but it might be the floor.

If you ever do this again, it's always a good idea to run the same flooring under all "open" places like the DW, refrigerator, and, if you have one, range alcoves. You can put plywood under the cabinets so all the floors are the same height, but any place where you can potentially "see" the floor should have the finished floor.

The reason I suggested making the changes now, if needed, to accommodate at least a 36"W x 72"H refrigerator is b/c you will be working on the cabinets NOW and any paint, etc., will match. If you do it later, matching up paint will be an issue. Make all the fixes now that you can so everything fits together and you don't have additional issues to solve later!

Thank you so much for that detailed explanation. The wood floor is under the refrigerator but I obviously didn't know enough when I had them install it to ask about the dishwasher. I stuck my fingers under it and I can feel about an inch to two inch gap (it's not even) between the new wood floor and then the old tile that they demoed up. I'm guessing the dishwasher is sitting on the old tile floor with that small gap between the old and new floors. They feel about level heights except for the gap between them. I will ask my contractor friend who is helping me how we should proceed once the counters are removed. Sometimes I think there is something to be said for leaving your house in the exact same condition as when you bought it.

You have 8-year old appliances ... all matching stainless steel ... all standard sized ... not fancy, but all in good working order? And you're not unhappy with their function now? And you're already over budget?

No, I wouldn't replace them. Not until they NEED replacing.

Buehl explained thoroughly why and how the dw can and I think will be a problem. The fridge has no counters above it but the dw does. As I said, my counters were broken when my dw was replaced because it was trapped. And they did not put your new wood floor under the dw. Big trouble. Yes you are over budget but there are pros and cons re a new dw. You gotta add flooring under the dw, gotta, gotta. But new vs. old dw has pros and cons. Does it leak?

Westsider40 it doesn't leaks that I know of. I will talk to my contractor friend who is helping me and see about pulling it out when the counters are off to level the floor and either replace or make sure it can be pulled out easily when the time comes. I really appreciate everyone's knowledge. I obviously don't know what I'm doing.