Prior to purchasing my oven I did a good deal of research including several conversations with Miele customer service. I was advised by them to go with the Perfect Clean over Self-Clean as a direct answer to the same question. They told me the PC would wipe out well. My previous oven had self-clean and I had to spend a good deal of time cleaning it after the cycle -- the reason for my question. The Miele wipes out very well. So do the racks and glides. I wiped it out today before reusing it after Thanksgiving. Nothing goes into the dishwasher, however. I use Palmolive Dish soap and a microfiber cloth or a Dobie for anything stubborn. It completely comes apart for cleaning, very easily. I've done that only once, after using the rotisserie for 2 chickens. If you use the rotisserie a lot you will need to do the take apart. Otherwise I haven't needed to take it apart fully, just do spots and wipe down the glides and racks. Once in a while it calls for 500 degrees for 1 hour to clear the catalytic converter in the back -- I do this when it gets smelly. The broiler coil unscrews and basically swings down so the plate above it can be cleaned. It's not difficult but must be done carefully. The most difficult surfaces in the oven, strangely, are the lights. They get a good deal of spatter and need to be cleared. I find the PC much easier than my previous self-cleaning oven. Cannot say how it compares to the Miele SC. I am happy not having an oven going to 900 degrees in a wood cabinet -- others like it. I haven't seen complaints. I'm very pleased with the PC choice and recommend it. I don't regret not having gone with the SC at all. Never think about it.

Everything I picked out had to be easy clean. - modified shaker doors (wanted the ones May_flowers has, but not available in my line so I got ones that are close) - simple pulls with no crevices, Amerock Westerly - rounded sink corner vs zero radius - single hole faucet with no fancy details, and a handle without crevices, Kohler Simplice, which will be mounted with handle in the front - cork floor - only 36 in uppers, but will have spacer and crown to the ceiling (8ft) - induction range, which I do feel is easier to clean since things don't get baked on like radiant heat - planned storage for mixer, dishes, etc so everything has a home - hood! Real venting at last! No seams in the housing, and powerful enough to use on low most of the time so it will be quiet. Also have a powder room off the kitchen - skirted toilet - simple vanity with shelf inside - coated vanity light that the lighting guy swore only needs a swipe with a dry rag to keep clean. We'll see. It was calling my name though. I would have used slab doors if I thought the house would support the look. I think I might regret picking a busy granite, thought I'd like it hiding stuff, now I'm not sure. But it will be easy to clean, so might not be a problem.

Never tried a Roomba. Does it hold a lot? Would it pull dirt out of a rug? I think of these as useful for crumbs, other loose debris, but don't know. No, it doesn't have a big reservoir -- expect to empty the "pan" every time it runs. Yes, it pulls dirt out of a rug; it is a good vacuum. Pretty much every time I run it, the pan is full of dust and dog hair. Because my daughters and I both have long hair, the Roomba beaters do need "cleaning" about once a month -- I suspect that in a house of short-haired girls or all guys, this wouldn't be an issue. I sit down on the floor, remove the beaters, and use scissors to snip off the hair; it takes about 10 mintues a month. What I like about it, of course, is that it requires NO effort on my part: We "live" in our family room, so I run it 3-4 times a week in there. I close off the door to the hall, close off the door to the office, move the trash can and a bar stool to prevent it from running into the kitchen, then push a button. When it's done, it returns to its charging station. I must disagree that hardwoods are easier to care for. I know it's not the current trend, but I do think 60s housewives were on to something when they covered up all their hardwood floors with wall-to-wall carpet. I prefer taking care of carpet too. I don't think 60s housewives chose carpeting IN SPITE OF the extra cleaning it requires. They chose wall-to-wall carpeting because it was a new trend, because it is warmer, and more friendly to sit upon. You haven't said whether or not you have children, but two people could be quite comfortable in less than 1700 sq ft. The smaller the house, the less to clean, it costs less to build, less taxes, less for utilities; the HVAC system will cost less because it is smaller, etc. As scone911 said, you could save enough to pay someone to do the cleaning. The goal isn't to have a small house; rather, the goal is to have a right-sized house. You need adequate storage and space in the right spaces ... but not wasted space that'll just be -- as you say -- more to clean, more to build, more to tax, more to heat and cool. The house in which I live now is a study in where not to place space. We have a giant master bedroom -- but the empty space at the foot of the bed isn't particularly valuable. At the same time, our master bedroom closet is cramped. Likewise, we have a giant kitchen, which means that replacing the counter tops was very expensive, but our combination walk-in pantry /laundry room is too narrow for comfort. I wish I could move some of the space around!

Beth is correct re: resale value in 20-30 years time. A 'flip' is sen to happen inside of 5 years (2-5 years and then you are OUT). That's when you pay attention to trends. A long-term floor is one you live with for 10+ years. At that point you IGNORE the trends and resale and pick what YOU WANT. Living with a floor for 10 years while HATING IT is one of the worst things you can do to yourself. It's like buying the most uncomfortable mattress for $30K and not being able to sleep for 20+ years. With your time line, you want to purchase and install something that works for you, your life style and your expectations. The 'look' of something is only valuable to you. In 20 years your Realtor will tell you to rip out all the floor OR offer a flooring discount to the next seller. That's the type of "Fashion Time Line" we are talking about here.