Some installations are very sensitive to vibration problems so you have to be very careful about the washer you put in. If you have an such an installation, or you are concerned that you might have such an installation, then your best pick is one of the new hung suspension top loaders. Machines like this are the GE Harmony, the Oasis, the Cabrio, & all of Fisher & Paykel's washers. Of these, the F&P, the Oasis, & the Cabrio all have water filled balancing chambers both on the top, and on the bottom of the drum. They are the only washers on the market that have dual chambers lke this, so they are especialy suitable for sensitive installations, because most of the vibrating forces are cancelled out at the source by the chambers.

GE...electrolux...LG...Bosch ...Whirlpool...try the aj madison website

Can you recoup the cost of either set? Renters aren't usually choosy about what they get but can be a pain in the rear if you opt for price over quality and the set requires repairs. While I prefer the bells and whistles on my own laundry equipment, I wouldn't expect renters to get top-of-the-line while I used sub-par, or older, equipment. If the average washer lasts about 10 years now then you may want to take that into consideration when making the decision. Cost will always be an issue. Due to my experience with Ropers and Hotpoints when I was a renter, I'll never buy either of those brands nor wish them on my worst enemy.

Sarah, no worries at all! Believe me, I belabored this myself. You're exactly right. The units could move back in my setup. In my photo above that says "see the hose back there," it's showing the hose not entirely tucked into the space that is designed for it. So Miele has correct dimensions, and that drawing is exactly as they are built. The thing is that I put the box with plumbing on the right (as you're looking at the doors of the machines,) and I believe it's a shorter route to put them on the left. See the Miele drawing of the back of the machine and that will make more sense. I was going to ask you anyway, since you're space is tight but you can move a wall, where do you want the shutoff to be? I remember you said you really needed a plumber/contractor to work it all out, so I wonder if you have found one. Truth be told, you'll be able to work it all out in terms of the dimensions, but knowing where your existing electrical and water supply/drain are will be necessary. I think I told you before that I was sold on the Miele because there's no issue for access when maintaining the machines. Whirlpool evidently had the brilliant idea to place the lint clean-out in the back for their HP dryer, which means paying a tech at least 2X per year to pull the thing out just to clean it. Anyway... Also remember you're referencing in your first image the requirements for putting them in a closet. If you're not doing that, don't worry. And if you need more photos of the setup I have, please don't hesitate to ask. As I hear the laundry humming now, I think about all the questions I had before making the leap. It was a lot of work, and certainly expense too, but it's all worth it, and I hope it will be for you as well :-) p.s. Do you have a local dealer? That might help your questions. I asked mine to stop by while we were in construction, which he gladly did. In retrospect, I should have asked earlier. Those are the people who will be installing and servicing (hopefully not) those machines. And yes they're pricey....you do get some extra help for that. Good luck and keep me posted.