A 48" range and a 25k appliance budget do not seem congruous to me. Maybe a Thermador package could get you there with some discount for buying everything from them?

Impossible to predict what any imaginary buyer will want or what’s important to them. Just buy what you need & want, in my area, appliances are really not important, location is paramount. I would never make my remodeling decisions based upon future resale considerations.

The most your nice appliances will do is help your property sell faster.

Go to Zillow and find your neighborhood. Look at the pictures of homes that have sold or are on the market in your approximate price range. Look at the kitchens with particular attention paid to the number/type of appliances and the brands.

If all of the homes have a 48" professional range and a set of side by side Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezers, you may have to up the budget. If they have a slide in four burner economy stove, then you have your answer.

There are some rules of thumb as to the percentage of cost of the kitchen to the total sales price, but they are unreliable. Neighborhood competition is the best rule of thumb. While you want to be competitive, you don't want to spend too much or too little.

Some of this has to depend on your preferences. I spent 15K on thermador package with dishwasher, hood, 36 inch refrigerator, and 36 inch range + wine cooler for 1000 that is under the counter and I'm happy with my choices. Others want a full height wine refrigerator or larger range, but if I had 10K more I would have went with a bigger regular refrigerator as I feel like that matters more to me. Especially if you are doing a built in, which I recommend in higher end homes, they are pretty shallow and there isn't a ton of space for a family, which I'm assuming you'll have in such a large home. Some people find double ovens are a must, but I didn't care about that. Others want a jaw dropping custom hood (not sure if that's in your appliance budget or separate). I second that maybe talking to a realtor or just looking at other houses on a realty site might be best if you are looking for resale value.

real estate is local. Go look at other homes for sale and see what is selling. I'm assuming that you are planning to sell very soon.

All - really appreciate the timely comments, don't think I was expecting them that quickly. I think I put in too many details which somewhat distracted from my intent. Really my question should have been:

If you had $25k to spend on appliances for a kitchen, which appliances would you purchase?

For me? Subzero fridge, 36 inch GE Monogram dual fuel gas range. After that? Whatever you want! Those two? Nirvana

I agree with others. Check your area. The 2 dishwasher idea depends on how much cooking you are doing and or if you live in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. The Kosher kitchens do need 2 of everything. We rarely do 2 unless the above two options are issues of if you have a secondary utility kitchen.

You need to visit a few different showrooms and try out the products yourself. I think appliances are somewhat personal and dependent on your own cooking style. I think that realistically, most people go look at appliances and alter their budget and/or expectations accordingly. For most people, the more they spend on appliances means less they can spend on something else (other projects, vacations, kids’ college, etc.) so there’s a give and take relationship at play. I wouldn’t want to put a Wolf range in my kitchen just for the Wow Factor when I could go on a cruise for the price difference ;) But there again, it’s a give and take.

Spend your money on what is important to you. Save on what isn't.

This is a strong budget. I just designed a kitchen with all Viking appliances. Mind you there is not a brand that I know of that has all appliances. Example I did Viking and they do not have a fridge unless it’s counter depth. They also don’t have a microwave.

As far as 2 dishwashers. I’d stick with one. Resale is important However you should live happy and compfortable in your home now. Don’t spend 10 years in the future.

That was about what we spent on appliances 4 years ago when we remodeled our kitchen: Sub Zero 36" French Door, Sub Zero Beverage Fridge, Miele built in coffee maker, Viking Double wall over, Viking Microwave, Viking cooktop, Bosch 800 Series dishwasher.

The brand of refrigerator or stove will not likely matter as much as the width because the new owners could well have some of their own appliances. A more common "standard" width would appeal to more people than an oversized or undersized appliance space.

Choosing a pair of built in ovens so new buyers would have the cabinets for that appealing choice is worth considering as is creating a built in space for a large microwave -- the spaces for appliances will likely have more impact on resale appeal than your specific appliances.

A "traditional" home would have a large, deep kitchen sink at the window. A second sink -- such as a bar sink -- wouldn't be common in a more "traditional" 100 year old home but having plumbing in an island could be a plus -- those not wanting the second sink could change the countertop and just leave the rough-in for the plumbing hidden.

Depending upon the size and location of the laundry or mud room in your home, any second sink might actually serve owners better in that area rather than in an island/bar.

If you're opting for more modern upscale vibe, you could choose stainless steel appliances; however, if you're wanting to embrace the "traditional" nature of your home, you should probably choose white appliances.

Let us know how your project turns out.

How about a layout with measurements? I'd go with a Miele dw, Miele CSO, Miele or Bosch induction cooktop and Liebherr Monolith or Sub-Zero frig.

I just completed a DIY kitchen remodel. Materials ran me about 70k, 30k of that was for appliances. I got professional local quotes for all the work I did, which came out to about 75k if you don’t count related labor that benefited more than just the kitchen area. My kitchen is smaller than yours at 200 sf. All in all, for a total kitchen remodel cost worth about $140-150k, I ended up with the following appliances:

Bluestar 48” range - 12k

Bluestar hood and blower - 4.3k

MUA system + misc. ducting - 1k

Thermador integrated 36” fridge - 9k

Thermador dishwasher - 1.6k

Bosch speed oven - 1.6k

Filtered water dispenser: $400

If I had 300sf to work with I would have increased the budget to include a 42” - 48” integrated fridge, increasing the cost another 5k. From my experience, for a high end six figure kitchen remodel, you will need to make some smart compromises to hit your 25k budget. If you keep that in mind when you lay it all out I think you will be in great shape. Good luck!

We put in a 36" Thermador french door refrigerator and I have to say I would never choose it again. While it is very pretty from the outside, it holds practically nothing. Way less than the 36" built in fridge (I think it was a Monogram) that was here when we bought the house, or the 36" counter depth Kitchen Aid fridge that we used for a decade after the Monogram broke (thank goodness we kept this awesome KA for the garage). Once we put in the Thermador (and realized it was inadequate), I spent more time looking at built in refrigerators and realized we would have been so much better even doing the 36" Thermador with one door for fridge on top and drawer for freezer on bottom. The design of the door shelves in the french door Thermador just does not allow it to hold much.

On the other hand, I have been very happy with Sharp Microwave drawer and Thermador dishwasher (with the silverware rack on top).

I'd be darn sure to get a great hood....maybe a custom designed hood....and a built in microwave..maybe drawer. A great French door fridge [average but generous size] and maybe a small chest freezer in basement to augment food storage capacity. Dishwasher-Miele...Range and one wall oven if you bake a lot..otherwise..range and just be sure to get a simmer burner for sure, but almost any range will cook food...so the range selection can be variable. If you can save money out of the 25000, use it for a pantry cabinet with specifications of the rollout caddys/etc tailored for you, and a fantastic sink and faucet.

Do not overbuild for your neighbourhood! It won't help resale value, and may even hurt it if people looking are overwhelmed by your luxe or "commercial grade" appliances.

I know what I would do for my personal preference in a 300 sq ft kitchen -- an induction stove, a convection oven, a combo steam oven (preferably one oven in a range and one as a wall oven), a bottom freezer fridge (no water or ice hookup), a second (upright) freezer, a Sharp microwave drawer, and two Bosch dishwashers. And a nice, quiet range hood.

“I just designed a kitchen with all Viking appliances.”

Oh dear. To the OP, don’t do what Tessalah Florentino Decorating did. First, because Viking is a dog of a brand, and has been for at least a decade. They’ve been coasting on their reputation from 20 years ago, but even that no longer impresses most buyers because the reviews over the past years are dismal. Second, you shouldn’t get all-one-brand of appliances unless there is an irresistible package, and even then think that through carefully. With $25k you should not feel compelled to get a package. Suites of appliances are typically seen in large housing developments or condo buildings where it is much cheaper for the developer to buy and install appliances that are all the same for every unit. Depending on your region and local COL, an appliance suite may be looked down upon for that reason. Instead, you should choose Best in Show of the different appliances. That would be SZ for fridge, Miele or Bosch for DW, Bluestar for gas range or rangetop. I am not familiar with induction, but if you are interested in that, there are induction recs on this forum.

Do not skimp on the hood size, the exhaust duct size, or cfms. There is much greater attention being paid to indoor air quality these days. I’d re-think the 48“ range size because a hood sized for that range will take up 1/4 of your budget. Look into a 36” rangetop and wall ovens instead.

You might even consider that using over the top (by some's standard) appliances might actually HURT the sale of your house instead of increasing it. I was recently having a discussion with my cousin who had purchased a home a year ago and she was telling me that she wish that she'd paid more attention to the huge luxury appliances that came in her kitchen before purchasing because the gas range had just gone out and it was going to cost her $15K to replace it. She couldn't go smaller/less expensive because of the cabinets and granite. Therefore, buyers may look at things like a SZ fridge, 48" high end range, two dishwashers, etc. as a liability instead of an asset.

25K is way too high of an appliance budget if you are even thinking of selling the house. Jenn Air, GE Monogram, Kitchen Aid would be mid grade - VERY GOOD appliances. Ck our the black stainless steel - or GE has some new Matte colors that are really cool and fashion forward. If you want something more gourmet and high end Meile - a much better brand. Thermador, Wolf, Viking etc... are over priced and for snob appeal only...In my humble opinion.

I wasn't concerned about selling, so I picked what I liked. It would have been $25K had I replaced the fridge, but the existing one didn't need replacing so I ended up only spending $15K. What I purchased was:

Bluestar 30" french door electric wall oven

Wolf Induction cooktop 36"

Meile dishwasher

Vent-a-hood 42" 600 com

Rachiele 42" copper sink

After two years, I'm pretty happy with my choices.

Kitchen · More Info

Kitchen · More Info

My absolute-by-far-#1 priority is making sure we maximize resale value.

This is a risky priority. You're trying to guess the mindset of strangers. Build a solid kitchen that the average homeowner in your neighborhood would like, and you'll be fine.

I'd care a lot about keeping everything "standard" in size. We all know that appliances don't have forever-lifespans, and buyers will want to know they can easily replace items without big expenses in terms of cabinetry

Do I need to splurge on a Wolf range knowing that the rest of the appliances will be squarely mid-tier?

They don't need to be the same brand, but they need to be "of the same caliber". By that, I mean you shouldn't put a Wolf appliance next to a Frigadare dishwasher from the Sears scratch-and-dent outlet.

To me, a refrigerator is a refrigerator but to the next person purchasing the house, maybe they care if its GE vs. Thermador?

That's how most people think. I'd go with a large French-door refrigerator in stainless steel with the freezer on the bottom and water /ice through the door. This is the snazzy "real people" fridge today.

It's possible that you'll take your refrigerator with you. People do that, and while all other appliances are "expected", you can sell a house without the refrigerator.

I'm very interested in what people have to say. So far, I'm thinking a range (48"), refrigerator (36"), dishwasher, microwave, wine cooler.

I would skip the oversized range. Keep in mind it costs beyond the appliance itself; that is, you'll need support under the floor and additional electrical needs. And you're committing yourself /future buyers to that 48" space. I can't see a need for this, and I can't see it as a reasonable splurge. If I were your resale buyer, an oversized range would give me pause. While it wouldn't stop me from buying, I wouldn't be willing to pay a single penny more than I would pay for a good quality mainstream brand. Without doubt, you will lose money on this (used) range at resale time.

As other people have said, don't neglect the range hood. If you go with the oversized range, you do need the fancy hood to match ... and it'll be in the thousands.

Built-in microwave? Microwave drawer?

A wine cooler would be a huge negative for me personally. Seriously, if I were your buyer, I would walk away because of a wine cooler. I don't like wine, and I'd want to rip it out /make that space into storage, but could I match the cabinets? Could this go into a pantry instead of the kitchen itself?

Duplicate dishwashers? I'd want a drawer stack next to my dishwasher so I could store knives, colanders, etc. I'd see duplicate dishwashers as a negative. What I would want is a QUIET dishwasher with a fast-running cycle -- and that probably does mean a higher-priced brand. If you had "the wrong dishwasher", I wouldn't mind -- I'd be willing to live with it a while, then replace it.

As the number 1 priority is resale, I'd suggest talking to realtors who deal in housing in your neighborhood. I think they would be best positioned to give you this advice.

Very good advice. But be clear with the agent: You're not looking to be the tip-top kitchen in the neighborhood -- you want to know what's average /typical for the area.

Personally, I would utilize half of that money toward appliances and stash the rest away for a rainy day or another project.

Me too. Regardless of the brand, I don't think (used) appliances are going to sell your house. A new buyer can change out most of them in a single day.

Mrs. Pete, I totally agree with everything you said. And unless the poster personally needs or wants a 48" range, I wouldn't put it in as a selling point-- it would definitely be a turnoff for me, as well a huge vent hood. I would love to go into a home where I see an induction cooktop (30 or 36"). That would be fantastic!

Truth ^^^^^

Hopefully these pictures come through - i'm new to this site. So this is where we are as of today.
Still doing homework and I'd love feedback:

+ 48" Wolf Range - this will be hard to change, wife loves it, good job Wolf marketing team

+ 36" Liebherr French Door Refrigerator - still undecided on this. It will be built in so no one will ever see a brand name. Considered going with a Fisher / Paykel but I cannot find one to look at in person and the total capacity (16.8 cu ft) seems small.

+ Bosch dishwasher - wanted Miele but think this is a price concession

+Uline dual zone wine 24"

+Hood - Zephyr "Monsoon II" liner - this will be hidden behind woodword. I'm somewhat nervous about this one as I want a QUIET hood but haven't been able to hear this one. Any thoughts?

All of this is coming out to $28k with install.

All, again in advance, thank you for your thoughts! This board is great, I should have joined months ago...

Hi Z,

Please see my post above. Your range ventilation budget is too low. You have a cheap 1200 cfm hood liner spec’d for a 48” wolf range. Aside from the visual differences in quality, the cheap brands never come close to their cfm rating, and having an integrated cheap blower is going to make your kitchen sound like an airplane taking off. You also should include budget for MUA for this specialized setup, it is required by code and is for your safety. I would budget a realistic 4-6k for your hood ventilation, and up to 10k if you live in a cold climate.

I would never suggesst my clients go with a 48” range the cost of ventilation is horrendous, the noise too and honestly even restaurants do not need 48” ranges. Get the appliances that work for how you honestly cook. I run a catering biz from my kitchen a I have a 36” six burner all gas range with convection, double all electric walls ovens with convection, all fridge/ all freezer from Fridgedaire with built in kit a bosch DW and a Panasonic MW a vent-a-hood for ventilation I do have MUA but it was probably over kill in my house since we have a boiler thatis very far from my kitchen. Do not buy pkg. deals as IMO no maker makes everything well. Good appliance stores will give discounts if you are buying everything from them, stick with regular old stainless they will all work together. Do not get talked into things that you have no use for.

I agree with the others that you're going too large with that range. I had contemplated doing the very same, but in the end we went with induction (Wolf) and we absolutely love it. I am so thankful we didn't put in a 48" range now. I really, really wanted gas with the big red knobs, so it took a lot to sway me from that path. In the end, a cooking demonstration at the Wolf Sub-Zero showroom brought me around to induction. The chef was cooking on both gas and induction and the induction was notably faster. Additional benefits: there is less heat added to the ambient temperature of the kitchen, ease of cleaning, and the ability to bridge between hobs, and in our case, less generated heat meant we did not need to do make up air.

This is what we decided to go with: (Our appliance budget was $30K in the Fall of 2016. I'm not sure that our range hood was included in that budget. The range hood was ~$5k.)

Sub Zero 36" Built-in Over-and-Under Refrigerator/Freezer, Panel Ready

Sub Zero 36" Integrated Double Refrigerator Drawers, Model: ID-36R

Wolf 36" Induction Cooktop, Flush Installation

Wolf 30" M Series Transitional Convection Steam Oven, flush mount

Wolf 30" M Series Transitional Single Oven, flush mount

Bosch Benchmark 800+ Series (SHV7PT53UC) Built-in Dishwasher, Panel ready

Sharp Microwave Drawer: SMD3070AS

Range hood: Vent-a-hood JDH142/C2 SS 42", Lip treatment Finish: Anitque copper, 300 CFM

Straight up, I love our appliances. The refrigerators are fabulous and we really like having the refrigerator drawers, which we use for beverages. The Bosch dishwasher is ultra quiet. The combi-steam oven is the best thing evah! The induction cooktop is a treat. It has 5 hobs and 3 bridges. We cook a lot and there is plenty of space. After having a mw drawer, I would not have one overhead again, ever. I'm noise sensitive, so I had a lot of concerns about ventilation motor noise, and that was a driving factor in our selection of a Vent-a-hood.

You can see pictures of our appliances [here [(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/kitchen-reveal-dsvw-vd~4835814?n=150)in my reveal post.

I realize a 48" pro style range is super attractive. There is something very cool and industrial and awesome about it- no doubt- especially if you have been pining for it for a while- but it is not the best use of funds. Having said that, sometimes you just have to scratch that itch.

I love seeing Cheryl's kitchen again :-)

PS If you need to impress people who don't know much about kitchens and quality, then the red knobs and big range are the way to go. If you trust your audience to be more sophisticated, look at Cheryl's kitchen and drool away.

Wow, judge much Rita? People with a 48" range NEED to impress their friends who don't know much about kitchens? And people with induction have more sophisticated friends? Do you even hear yourself? What the hell???

I said if you need to impress someone who doesn't know much about kitchens a Wolfe range is a great idea. I didn't say Wolfe ranges were bad (though I do point people to the blue enamel chipping threads when Wolf ovens are discussed.)

I'll break down the statement further to be absolutely clear. As with everything context is key. This conversation was about someone discussing buying appliances to impress potential buyers: My absolute-by-far-#1 priority is making sure we maximize resale value. The context was not about the OPs desires. I will point out the OP goes tells us the brand of the refrigerator will be obscured by paneling, so no one will see what it is : 36" Liebherr French Door Refrigerator - still undecided on this. It will be built in so no one will ever see a brand name.

If this thread was about some people telling the OP he/she does not need a 48" range because of space issues, my response would have been different- there are plenty of those threads and I don't usually respond, because as I clearly stated in my comment, I get the appeal of the 48" range. In no way did I say otherwise. My comment was about what needs to be done to impress a segment of the population, which does not hang out on these forums dissecting the intricacies of Gagg CSO's vs. Miele's and Lacanche vs. Wolfe and Blue Star.

Here is what I said again:

I realize a 48" pro style range is super attractive. There is something very cool and industrial and awesome about it- no doubt- especially if you have been pining for it for a while- but it is not the best use of funds. Having said that, sometimes you just have to scratch that itch.

PS If you need to impress people who don't know much about kitchens and quality, then the red knobs and big range are the way to go. If you trust your audience to be more sophisticated, look at Cheryl's kitchen and drool away.

And to be totally clear, not only am I not accusing the OP of buying a large range just to show-off, since I am crystal clear that his/her priority is resale, I have nothing against people who don't know much more about ranges than red knobs vs electric coils (that was me before GW.) And that was the target audience from what the OP told us.

We didn't spend much time discussing the cost benefit of kitchen appliances in resale, but I think a big Wolfe range is almost always an impressive sight to potential buyers. But of course there are all sorts of caveats about kitchen spending and ROI.

Rita, you weren't judging. Your comments were very clear/understandable and in no way offensive.

Do I want a 48" range... no. If someone else does, well, have at it! I have different priorities than the OP. Hopefully luckyblue recognizes that now... We all have bad days (I think). At least, I know I do :)

ITA with Rita. In our last house, we really were tempted to get induction vs 36” gas but I KNEW that if I spent over $3k for a cooktop, I wanted people to notice the difference when they walked in. I didn’t want someone less appliance saavy to assume it was a glass top electric stove.

If you buy anything Wolf, avoid the dual fuel range or anything with blue interiors due to the chipping issue Rita mentioned. Google "Wolf blue chipping".

"I wanted people to notice the difference when they walked in. I didn’t want someone less appliance saavy to assume it was a glass top electric stove."

When people walk into our kitchen for the first time they ask about everything, including our cooktop. The next time, they give the new person the tour. Parties at our house can be quite amusing!

That validation that they know your appliance is as awesome as you know it is may be supplanted by the daily ease of not having to scrub baked-on food stuffs off your cooktop. And induction is a conversation starter, so there is that. You could come off as an early adopter, a trail blazer, someone who doesn't shy away from new technology (although induction isn't that new anymore) in their viewpoint. My induction is flush mounted with the granite and that draws attention, plus it's shiny, and as oldbat2be pointed out to me, it reflects the back splash. After nearly two years of use, still as shiny and clean as a whistle.

I'd spend $15k on appliances and take the remaining $10k and take a nice vacation. Paris, Rome, Berlin, maybe Ireland/England.

We had a similar budget (~25k without installation) and did the following:

Thermador Pro 48" rangetop

Thermador Pro 30" double convection oven

Two Thermador Sapphire dishwashers (we struggled with one vs two and now that we have two, we could never go back)

Thermador 30" column fridge and 30" column freezer (stainless panels)

Thermador Pro 48" wall hood and blower

Thermador 24" drawer microwave

Thermador 30" steam oven (which we have not even used since moved in over 2 years ago)

We also ended up eventually adding a Thermador 18" wine column, but, in hindsight, that one also hasn't been worth it from a cost-benefit standpoint.

"in our case, less generated heat meant we did not need to do make up air."

To be clear, and to be safe, one has nothing to do with the other. A kitchen with a strong hood needs MUA because the hood exhaust could cause backdraft into the house of CO from combustion appliances like furnace and hot water heater. Your hood is pushing air out of your home, and in a tighter home, there is nothing to replace that air, except the possibility of CO being pulled from where it's supposed to exit, to being pulled into the rest of your house. Make Up Air does what its title says - it replaces/makes up for the air being pulled from your house by the hood. Depending upon where you live, MUA is required if your hood has more than 300-600 cfms.

I agree with much of the advice given already. We did a complete gut job remodel of our 1920 colonial revival home this past summer.

My appliances -

36" Wolf dual fuel with center griddle

2 sub-zeros, 1 fridge and 1 freezer, placed on different walls (I can't remember the sizes)

built-in under counter dual zone beverage fridge

Bosch dishwasher

Microwave is inside a cabinet, I think its a GE.

My thoughts -

I'll start by saying I was a real estate appraiser for many years and the advice to know your market is spot-on. The industrial range look might be popular in one area but comes across as too exotic in others. People seem to either love or are perplexed by my range choice. I agree with the advice of sticking to standard sizes to appeal to future buyers.

I cook, at minimum, two meals per day from scratch and entertain often. My husband (who doesn't even know how to operate the new range) wanted a 48" but I stuck to my guns and went with a 36". I am very happy with the size and have yet to regret not up-sizing to the 48".

Do not scrimp on the exhaust system. Wolf/Viking/etc range put out a lot of heat.

We are in the construction business and I got lots of valuable advice from peers. All my designer contacts suggested counter depth fridges. This might be region-specific. I love my subzero. Its shallow enough that nothing gets lost (a problem with the old fridge) and the produce drawers have changed my life. Almost nothing goes to waste anymore.