Tricia - exactly what we were thinking as well with the overhead door vs. the two pocket doors for the MW. I looked at the system that keeps the door out and pulls upward, but it blocks the cabinet above...and I knew that wouldn't work because even though we don't use our MW a lot, it would be in use every time I needed something from the blocked cabinet! As I said, we don't use our MW a lot, so hiding it really appealed to us. Something that you may want to consider depending on how your unit is being built - we are having a "cutting board" installed between the oven and the opening for the MW so that it can come out to make it easier to stir things that are being MWed. Our cabinet maker said that it would wind up taking up 3". It reduces the overall height possibly for your MW cavity, but it may be worthwhile so that you don't have to move things very far to stir and put back in the MW.

I took some pics at the store that might show the pull better than the image I linked above; I can post those tomorrow. I was thinking it would look best to mount this particular pull centered in the bottom 'border' of the cabinet face. That looks to be about 1.5" so the pull would be about 3/4" up meaning the knob would hit against the top frame of the cabinet when the door lifts up marking up the wood - UNLESS - you are always careful to stop the door. Anyway, I'll upload some more pics tomorrow. The pull is about 1" wide left to right, maybe 1/4" tall and projects out 3/4". Does that help visualize it more?

Everyone's cooking habits are different, but I use my microwave a lot. In a small kitchen, I wouldn't want to give up counter space for one. I like the idea of a microwave box. Post your kitchen layout for more specific recommendations. Also, unless the kitchen is wrecked and unuseable, I always recommend against doing a kitchen remodel for resale. There are plenty of buyers who will want to remodel it themselves to their taste. However, you have to also consider the condition of the bathrooms, the rest of the house, and your market. Are you a flipping this house or have you been living there?

The cabs mentioned in your link are Cliq Studios, which is Chinese import junk. Search for other threads on Cliq. I would in no way compare Cliq cabinets to what I have, a custom line from Tedd Wood…made in PA, and having a lifetime warranty. As the thread you linked to indicated, there’s no reason a mw placed in an upper shelf at the end of a cabinet run, cannot be placed there…as long as the cabinet is sturdy, and screwed into the back wall. Again, your cabs are quite old, and are partial overlay. I have no idea of their quality, and whether they are sturdy enough to achieve what you want. Between the quality of my cabs, and my experienced, excellent contractor, I had no qualms about putting the mw there. Nearly 8 years later, no issues.