Appliances - white or stainless steel?

[razz]

My farm is going on the market and one suggestion is to replace my old white appliances with stainless steel for the visual images that will be posted online. A package of three basic stove, fridge and dishwasher is reasonable $wise.

I really don't like stainless steel appliances as they are so dark so I don't want to move them with me if the new owner doesn't want them. Smudge-free stainless steel takes care of the smudge problem so that is not an issue despite the increase in price for them.

In my new place, I would want white appliances. Is stainless steel that important? Is it fading in decorating fashion or still worth it?

[CathyA]

I think we've been taught to think stainless steel means "money". I don't like it at all. I like white. (actually, I like almond, but they don't make appliances in that color any more).
Plus......I've heard stainless doesn't hold magnets........which would be a deal-breaker for me. haha
If I were you, I think I'd "err" on the side of going with white.

[Florence]

I have stainless steel for my refrigerator. It is fine but I don't see any reason to get it if you prefer white. (BTW, mine does hold magnets. LOL)

[rosarugosa]

I think it depends to some degree on the style of your home and kitchen. When we finally get around to remodeling our kitchen, there is no way we will go with stainless and granite, because those would seem silly in our modest little cottage.
However, the folks on this forum might not be representative of the population in general. I suspect that as a group, we are less enthralled with the latest trends in home decor.

[ToomuchStuff]

I prefer white and am happy with laminate counter tops (although when Ikea opens here, and I redo my kitchen, I am thinking butcher block/period correct). But granite and stainless is the current fad/window dressing, that means updated visual stuff, to hide the bones, IMHO.
If stainless were really that big, then in my view, we should have seen more stainless steel counter tops (that would make sense).

[Float On]

Sadly.....I have all three (stainless, black, white). The stainless/black stove and the black dishwasher work well together but when our fridge died a few years back all they had in stock that would fit our fridge space was white. At least it matches the top cabinets but black really would look better even though it's a small kitchen. I'm going thru a white phase and am dying to repaint the whole kitchen white and then I'd probably want all white appliances. Or maybe a cobalt AGA stove sounds cool.

[Sad Eyed Lady]

White is my vote. When we built this house, 20 years ago now, I flashed back to other appliance color fads, (think harvest gold, avocado green etc.), and I opted for white appliances and white bathroom fixtures. No matter what comes and goes, white is always going to be okay. Plus, I like the the light, clean look of them.

[pinkytoe]

Seems like stainless has been around long enough to be considered classic. I don't like it because of the fingerprint issue but that's what we have in this house.

[MaryHu]

I think it's folly to try and guess what a prospective new owner might like (since you say you wouldn't take them with you) Beyond basic clean up and repair I wouldn't do any "decorating" (and changing the appliances just for looks falls into that category, no?) You might spend big bucks and than later hear that they couldn't get rid of those new appliances fast enough because they hate stainless steel! If I were in the market for a house and liked everything else the kitchen appliances wouldn't deter me. You could always give them an "allowance" in the price to pay for new appliances.

[catherine]

I do think stainless is starting to wane, and I'm so glad, just because I get so sick of hearing on HGTV, "ooohh, I LOVE the stainless steel and granite!" And you may be in luck: white may be the new stainless (at least "white ice" seems to be):

http://blog.kirstendanielle.com/2014/02/18/ice-ice-baby/


Now we’re nearly halfway through 2010′s, and although stainless steel is still wildly popular, Viking, Whirlpool, and GE have been introducing white appliances back into the mix through their higher end lines. The white has been gaining momentum in the design community over the past year, but it’s quite different from the white we saw in the 90′s. Instead of that funny bumpy texture, the whites today feature smooth surfaces with an almost glossy texture. Quite striking if you ask me.

Here's another, posted on FoxNews (Kitchen Trends to Avoid if you Want to Sell (http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/03/01/kitchen-trends-to-avoid-if-want-to-sell/)):

Stainless steel appliances: There was a time when stainless steel appliances were a must when staging your house for a sale. That time has passed. According to Phoenix, Ariz., real estate broker Lief Swanson, who publishes the blog Ugly House Photos (read it if you never have; it's excellent), Phoenix remodelers are seeing more demand for classic white or black appliances than stainless steel. Swanson says it's because the buyers whom he encounters are afraid of the marks and hand prints that inevitably show up on stainless steel appliances.

I think it would depend on what goes best with your kitchen. If you think stainless actually would match color tones and style better, switch to stainless. If white looks perfectly fine, stick with white.

[Spartana]

I would just keep what you have rather than get anything new just for visual purposes. Like you said, you never know what a potential buyer would want anyways so why spend money and try to second guess them - especially if you have to move them out after the sale. I think most buyers can look at a space and visualize what they want in it. Hard to tell if someone wants sleek and streamline modern kitchen and appliances, or a all-white country kitchen, or a mint green 1950's retro kitchen.

[iris lilies]

I agree with a previous poster that this isn't the crowd to advise on home fashions.

Me--I like white. I like stainless steel as well, but since I have always had white appliances, I think they are fine. We have old fashion looking white paneled wood cabinets that DH built. I love the old fashion look and have been jonsing for a 1940's kitchen for some time now.

razz, the realtors will always goad us into "upgrades" because they are programmed that way.

[Teacher Terry]

I would leave the white. I do not think that will make or break a home sale and I have owned 9 homes in my life.

[Miss Cellane]

I would talk to a real estate agent. If you aren't doing FSBO, you'll be interviewing a few agents anyway--get their take on what needs to be done to your home before it goes on the market.

In some areas, stainless is an expected upgrade and not having it will make the house seem lower-end. In other areas, it just doesn't matter.

So get the opinion of someone familiar with the real estate market in your area as to what buyers expect to see in your type/price range of homes. It also matters who the target buyer is--young couples looking for move-in-ready starter houses or more established homeowners who can look past the color of the appliances to the "bones" of the house. It could very well be that they suggest leaving the white appliances but doing something else to the kitchen, or making changes elsewhere in the house.

[Rogar]

I actually prefer white and have a vague impression that stainless and granite are loosing fashion, but suspect they will be around for some time in the near future. I can't imagine the difference between white and stainless being a deal breaker for a real estate sale, but I'm guy.

[Gardenarian]

I prefer white, and I agree with others that it is probably not worth the investment to change them out. It is important that appliances be spotless when the house is shown. (I really hate to clean the stove and fridge!)

[ApatheticNoMore]

I like white it goes with older kitchens, I wouldn't change them if I thought there was a chance the new owner would just change them anyway (what a waste - and I'd change in a rental if I desperately wanted to - but it would be FOR ME and something I'm convinced anyone coming in would see as an improvement - not color preference) and mostly I find the whole issue ridiculous (the cost of a house compared to the cost of appliances - the whole thing doesn't even make sense to let appliances determine a purchase, it's like buying a car based on the radio it has - maybe they should just sell silver paint for white appliances to make them look stainless - really that' how ridiculous I find the issue :). I'd only change out appliances if I didn't like the *functionality* - though avocado green would sorely test me there ....