Is it weird to not have a dishwasher?
March 29, 2017 11:23 AM Subscribe
On the heels of the microwave question, I am wondering about the importance of dishwashers to the hive mind.
I will be having renovations done on my kitchen this year. There is a dishwasher there, but it's very old and I've never used it -- I personally hate dishwashers, it's just a thing with me. I would LOVE to reclaim that cabinet space with the remodel. But, I'm also planning to sell the house in about 10 years. What do you think, will people not want to buy my house because of no dishwasher? How would it strike you, if you were house hunting? Is it weird?
About the house, in case it's relevant: it's a very small 2-bedroom house (one large bedroom, one small bedroom), 1 bath, large living room, about 1,000 square feet plus a basement. The kitchen is TINY -- think apartment kitchen -- with a tiny eating area. There are no other rooms.
I will be having renovations done on my kitchen this year. There is a dishwasher there, but it's very old and I've never used it -- I personally hate dishwashers, it's just a thing with me. I would LOVE to reclaim that cabinet space with the remodel. But, I'm also planning to sell the house in about 10 years. What do you think, will people not want to buy my house because of no dishwasher? How would it strike you, if you were house hunting? Is it weird?
About the house, in case it's relevant: it's a very small 2-bedroom house (one large bedroom, one small bedroom), 1 bath, large living room, about 1,000 square feet plus a basement. The kitchen is TINY -- think apartment kitchen -- with a tiny eating area. There are no other rooms.
If you're thinking about resale value, I would have a dishwasher put in. I have at least one friend who decided not to live in places solely because they didn't have a dishwasher. And as one who's thinking about buying a house in the next couple of years, I can tell you that dishwasher or no would be a major consideration in whether to make an offer on a place. I lived for about ten years without a dishwasher and now I have one again; it's a HUGE difference in my quality of life before and after.
posted by O Sock My Sock at 11:27 AM on March 29, 2017 [22 favorites]
posted by O Sock My Sock at 11:27 AM on March 29, 2017 [22 favorites]
It's not exactly weird to not have a dishwasher - many homes, especially old and small homes - don't. But yes, to some extent it will hurt resale value and turn off some buyers.
If your kitchen is very small, you could consider at 18" dishwasher or a single drawer dishwasher, which would take up less room?
posted by brainmouse at 11:27 AM on March 29, 2017 [5 favorites]
If your kitchen is very small, you could consider at 18" dishwasher or a single drawer dishwasher, which would take up less room?
posted by brainmouse at 11:27 AM on March 29, 2017 [5 favorites]
From what I've seen or heard, especially in such a small space, it is not that weird to be without a dishwasher. Renovated or not.
posted by monopas at 11:28 AM on March 29, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by monopas at 11:28 AM on March 29, 2017 [5 favorites]
Though it might be found unusual to have deleted it entirely, even if you never use it.
posted by monopas at 11:29 AM on March 29, 2017
posted by monopas at 11:29 AM on March 29, 2017
If you put in a dishwasher now, and sell the house in 10 years, the new owners will get a 10 year old dishwasher. I'd use it as cabinet space and then plan on adding one before selling. No reason to have it clutter your space for 10 years and who knows what wonderful energy saving dishwashers will be out in that time. Popping in a dishwasher is pretty easy.
(I'm not a fan of dishwashers myself.)
posted by Vaike at 11:29 AM on March 29, 2017 [67 favorites]
(I'm not a fan of dishwashers myself.)
posted by Vaike at 11:29 AM on March 29, 2017 [67 favorites]
I think it's weird in a renovated kitchen, yes. If it were a old antique-y kitchen and the age was built into the price of the house that would be one thing - like I don't think it would be an obstacle to a buyer if they understood that a kitchen upgrade would be an obvious upcoming project. But a kitchen that's new ought to have one.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:29 AM on March 29, 2017
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:29 AM on March 29, 2017
If you really don't care to have a dishwasher, then you could surely add one (or even a half-dishwasher or "drawer"-type) when you are getting ready to sell the house. Maybe just get your current renovator to think in advance about that, and to plan where it might go and to plan how it could later be added with relatively little cost and trouble.
I do think that the absence would make it at least a bit harder to sell the house. It sort of screams (to some potential buyers, not to you I guess) "this is not a house that you would ever entertain in."
posted by sheldman at 11:31 AM on March 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
I do think that the absence would make it at least a bit harder to sell the house. It sort of screams (to some potential buyers, not to you I guess) "this is not a house that you would ever entertain in."
posted by sheldman at 11:31 AM on March 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
When I was house-hunting, "dishwasher or at least SPACE to put in a dishwasher" was one of my top criteria. The lack of a dishwasher wouldn't be a dealbreaker in itself, but the kitchen absolutely had to allow me to easily install one without wreaking havoc on the existing cabinetry. So that's an option as you consider your layout.
posted by anderjen at 11:31 AM on March 29, 2017 [23 favorites]
posted by anderjen at 11:31 AM on March 29, 2017 [23 favorites]
I'd find it weird, and I wouldn't like not having a dishwasher. Also, they're substantially more energy and water efficient than hand washing.
posted by General Malaise at 11:31 AM on March 29, 2017 [13 favorites]
posted by General Malaise at 11:31 AM on March 29, 2017 [13 favorites]
I wouldn't buy any 2-bedroom house without a dishwasher. Houston's Heights area is full of 2/1 bungalows built in the 1910s-1920s, and pretty much all of them have been updated to include modern kitchens with dishwashers.
If you are personally opposed to them, and wouldn't use it, maybe you could have the plumbing and electrical done to accommodate one, and have your cabinets built in such a way that you could use them for storage NOW, but slide in a dishwasher when you sell with minimal changes? Sometimes you see "open" cabinets with just shelves, so maybe a space like that could be done that would support the d/w later.
posted by uberchet at 11:33 AM on March 29, 2017 [17 favorites]
If you are personally opposed to them, and wouldn't use it, maybe you could have the plumbing and electrical done to accommodate one, and have your cabinets built in such a way that you could use them for storage NOW, but slide in a dishwasher when you sell with minimal changes? Sometimes you see "open" cabinets with just shelves, so maybe a space like that could be done that would support the d/w later.
posted by uberchet at 11:33 AM on March 29, 2017 [17 favorites]
Agree with Vaike. 10 years is about when dishwashers start to go iffy on you. I'd put in the piping connections now, so installing one later won't be an issue, but go ahead and build the kitchen you want. When you're ready to think about selling, put in a new dishwasher.
Not having a dishwasher might or might not be a dealbreaker for people. But having to wreck or redo the kitchen in order to install one would be.
posted by Mchelly at 11:35 AM on March 29, 2017 [14 favorites]
Not having a dishwasher might or might not be a dealbreaker for people. But having to wreck or redo the kitchen in order to install one would be.
posted by Mchelly at 11:35 AM on March 29, 2017 [14 favorites]
For me to buy a place, I don't necessarily need it to come with a dishwasher, but I need to be able to install one fairly painlessly without remodeling / taking out cabinets / whatever. That would be one of the first things I'd want to do after buying your house.
There's value in having the place the way you want it for the next decade - you don't need to be held hostage to your resale potential if it makes your life in the meanwhile less pleasant. But you should probably at least have the discussion with your contractor about "can we do this renovation so that ten years from now I can put in a dishwasher with minimal pain"?
posted by Stacey at 11:42 AM on March 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
There's value in having the place the way you want it for the next decade - you don't need to be held hostage to your resale potential if it makes your life in the meanwhile less pleasant. But you should probably at least have the discussion with your contractor about "can we do this renovation so that ten years from now I can put in a dishwasher with minimal pain"?
posted by Stacey at 11:42 AM on March 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
A lot probably depends on your market overall. Are you in an urban area? Buyers might not be 100% expecting a dishwasher, especially if your place is the kind of house that a first-time homebuyer, fresh from similarly-old apartments, would be looking at. Buyers in a suburban area with lots of new housing stock, though, will be expecting one, yes.
Can you compromise: remove the old dishwasher but leave the space, and use temporary/roll-out storage in it? That way a buyer could at least *install* a dishwasher without a big project.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 11:45 AM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Can you compromise: remove the old dishwasher but leave the space, and use temporary/roll-out storage in it? That way a buyer could at least *install* a dishwasher without a big project.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 11:45 AM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
I know people who don't do dishwashers. Kitchen has one and they ignore it, or use it as drying rack space. Or kitchen doesn't have one, and they don't care. It's totally an individual preference. These people are not weirdos. That said, they're in the minority
The thing is, there's an imbalance. People who don't want a dishwasher pretty much don't care; all things being equal, a dishwasherless kitchen would have an edge because it would feel better-designed to match their needs, but if it's there they're willing to just not use it or use it for storage or drying space or whatever. But people who require a dishwasher will not look at a place that doesn't have one (or space to put one, including plumbing and electric).
posted by aimedwander at 11:47 AM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
The thing is, there's an imbalance. People who don't want a dishwasher pretty much don't care; all things being equal, a dishwasherless kitchen would have an edge because it would feel better-designed to match their needs, but if it's there they're willing to just not use it or use it for storage or drying space or whatever. But people who require a dishwasher will not look at a place that doesn't have one (or space to put one, including plumbing and electric).
posted by aimedwander at 11:47 AM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
I've never had one as an adult. So I wouldn't mind.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:47 AM on March 29, 2017
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 11:47 AM on March 29, 2017
We bought a house with no dishwasher recently. It's not like it's that difficult or expensive to put one in. When you redo your kitchen, ask your contractor to configure the cabinets in such a way as it would be easy for the next buyer to reinstall a dishwasher if they want. I wouldn't think twice about buying such a house, even though I definitely prefer a dishwasher. In the grand scheme of a home purchase, putting out the $1000 for a dishwasher and installation is not a big deal.
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:49 AM on March 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by soren_lorensen at 11:49 AM on March 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
To me, who rents in an area where dishwashers are relatively scarce in rental stock, having a dishwasher would be one of the major reasons to buy! I would squint hard at a place without one. But I agree with everyone else who says you're probably going to update in the ten years before your planned sale, so you don't need to put in today. Just make sure your kitchen is configured for easy installation when the time comes.
posted by praemunire at 11:50 AM on March 29, 2017
posted by praemunire at 11:50 AM on March 29, 2017
When I was purchasing last year, I saw a good number of older homes - some with smaller kitchens, some not - with no dishwasher. But we eventually went with one that had one.
Some people won't care, but I think at least having it dishwasher-ready is a huge plus.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:53 AM on March 29, 2017
Some people won't care, but I think at least having it dishwasher-ready is a huge plus.
posted by dinty_moore at 11:53 AM on March 29, 2017
When are you planning on selling your house? Are you located in a tight market? A place like yours, in my city, would go for upwards of 600k (with bidding wars pushing it way up, potentially, depending on location) - first time buyers (who I would think might be the main demographic for your home) may or may not have the $ to do a reno immediately. But then again, lack of a dishwasher wouldn't put them off, so scarce are actual houses with a bit of property. If people are likely to have access to more of a cushion for renovations, it wouldn't bother them, either, I'd imagine. Only if the market is such that people are buying & moving in as is might it matter, imo. (If you planned on renting it out, yeah a dishwasher would be a major bonus, afaic. But again lack of one wouldn't be a deterrent [tight rental market, too].)
(I suppose mentioning roughly where you are/what people tend to do where you live might help. Oh sorry - 10 years - do what you want!)
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:53 AM on March 29, 2017
(I suppose mentioning roughly where you are/what people tend to do where you live might help. Oh sorry - 10 years - do what you want!)
posted by cotton dress sock at 11:53 AM on March 29, 2017
I could live without a dishwasher way before I'd want to live without a microwave.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 11:55 AM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 11:55 AM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm one of the weird people in the other post who didn't have a microwave. When we bought our house, a dishwasher was one of the 2 things I insisted on. (2 toilets was the other.) Put one in when you're closer to selling.
posted by kimberussell at 11:56 AM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by kimberussell at 11:56 AM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
Vaike's got it: do what you want now, but be prepared to install a new dishwasher right before you sell. If you take out the current dishwasher entirely, make sure that whatever you put in its place is modular enough to easily remove to install a dishwasher for your prospective buyers later.
(If you had a one-bedroom place, I'd be more inclined to agree that no dishwasher would be fine, because at most any prospective buyers will consist of two residents; but with a two-bedroom, the prospective buyers could be a family of four people, and they'd want one.)
posted by easily confused at 12:00 PM on March 29, 2017
(If you had a one-bedroom place, I'd be more inclined to agree that no dishwasher would be fine, because at most any prospective buyers will consist of two residents; but with a two-bedroom, the prospective buyers could be a family of four people, and they'd want one.)
posted by easily confused at 12:00 PM on March 29, 2017
Response by poster: I'm so glad I asked this question, because the idea of making the kitchen dishwasher ready without actually putting in a dishwasher had never even occurred to me, so thanks very much to all who came up with that!
Location is in my profile. It's a small city of just under 20K. I don't think it's a tight market. I'd be lucky to get 1/6 of the price cotton dress sock mentioned if I sold the house today.
posted by JanetLand at 12:00 PM on March 29, 2017 [6 favorites]
Location is in my profile. It's a small city of just under 20K. I don't think it's a tight market. I'd be lucky to get 1/6 of the price cotton dress sock mentioned if I sold the house today.
posted by JanetLand at 12:00 PM on March 29, 2017 [6 favorites]
Aren't there such things as half-sized dishwashers, that are half as wide as a regular sized one? I can't think of where I've seen this, but I think it exists. Maybe it was in one of those Tiny House TV shows. Maybe that is a good compromise?
posted by molasses at 12:16 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by molasses at 12:16 PM on March 29, 2017
I would definitely be turned off by a house that didn't have a dishwasher. I do like the suggestion of doing the remodel without the dishwasher, but designing the kitchen with it in mind. You'll probably get a better ROI when you sell if you put the dishwasher in before you sell, rather than leaving it to the buyer.
That said, my friends bought a house that didn't have an OVEN! They checked with a contractor, who said it would be straightforward to put one in. But that's the strangest thing I've heard of.
posted by radioamy at 12:22 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
That said, my friends bought a house that didn't have an OVEN! They checked with a contractor, who said it would be straightforward to put one in. But that's the strangest thing I've heard of.
posted by radioamy at 12:22 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
Remove the dishwasher, and preserve the water line, drain line, and power by stubbing them out in the back of the space. Then build, or have built, drawers or a cabinet in the remainder of the space. You can advise that the area is dishwasher ready.
As far as not having a dishwasher, it is a personal choice. My father-in-law lives by himself and hand washes everything. When four of us visit we use his compact dishwasher two or three times a day.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 12:26 PM on March 29, 2017
As far as not having a dishwasher, it is a personal choice. My father-in-law lives by himself and hand washes everything. When four of us visit we use his compact dishwasher two or three times a day.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 12:26 PM on March 29, 2017
If this were an apartment, I would suck it up as a trade-off of apartment life (come to think of it, I've been in apartments and haven't had a dishwasher since 2001). If I were buying an actual house, though, the lack of dishwasher would be a huge turn-off. Not "weird," just a turn-off.
I would be willing to keep the house on my list if I could see there were an easy way of putting in a dishwasher, but if I was going to have to pay to rip things out and mess with lines and whatever, that would probably be a dealbreaker. So yeah, nthing those who suggest you do what you want now so long as you make it very, very easy for the next person to install a dishwasher.
posted by DingoMutt at 12:49 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would be willing to keep the house on my list if I could see there were an easy way of putting in a dishwasher, but if I was going to have to pay to rip things out and mess with lines and whatever, that would probably be a dealbreaker. So yeah, nthing those who suggest you do what you want now so long as you make it very, very easy for the next person to install a dishwasher.
posted by DingoMutt at 12:49 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
I lived in a 600 sq foot apartment with my then-SO. It had no dishwasher, so we bought a used, portable one. We passed up on some other places because of the lack of a dishwasher! For my lifestyle, my options seem to be 'dishwasher or disposable plates'
posted by Jacen at 12:51 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Jacen at 12:51 PM on March 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
If you're not going to use a dishwasher and your only concern for one is the home's resale value at some point in the future, don't install a dishwasher now. You're not going to upsell a space based on an appliance that's a decade out of date.
Instead, use the space for the cabinetry that you want now. Leave the hookups in place so that, when you go to sell, you can either advertise that there are dishwasher hookups in place or, if you need to for your market, install a current model.
We're also dishwasher-averse, and haven't had one in maybe 8 years. When buying or selling a house, it's a fairly minor detail that wouldn't sway my interest. You can always treat it as an expense you'd be willing to deduct from your asking price for interested buyers, in the same way that people give you an offer that asks for you to drop the cost of replacing old carpet from the asking price.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:17 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Instead, use the space for the cabinetry that you want now. Leave the hookups in place so that, when you go to sell, you can either advertise that there are dishwasher hookups in place or, if you need to for your market, install a current model.
We're also dishwasher-averse, and haven't had one in maybe 8 years. When buying or selling a house, it's a fairly minor detail that wouldn't sway my interest. You can always treat it as an expense you'd be willing to deduct from your asking price for interested buyers, in the same way that people give you an offer that asks for you to drop the cost of replacing old carpet from the asking price.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 1:17 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yeah, if you are really worried about resale, make sure there is a dishwasher or a dishwasher ready space.
Our kitchen is tiny, so we put in an 18" dishwasher. It is enough dishwasher to handle the dishes for our family of 4, and doesn't take up much space.
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:17 PM on March 29, 2017
Our kitchen is tiny, so we put in an 18" dishwasher. It is enough dishwasher to handle the dishes for our family of 4, and doesn't take up much space.
posted by fimbulvetr at 1:17 PM on March 29, 2017
I have lived without a dishwasher (in apartments) since 2004. If I ever buy a condo, dishwasher is at the top of the list for must-haves.
posted by sugarbomb at 1:26 PM on March 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by sugarbomb at 1:26 PM on March 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
I would have the space made and a roll-out island-cabinet built for the hole, just because doing it now will be so much cheaper than any changes you make later.
posted by Lyn Never at 1:46 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Lyn Never at 1:46 PM on March 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's not weird at all not to have one - just ask anyone who rents a small apartment! I miss having one terribly and wouldn't buy a place without one if I were on the market.
posted by capricorn at 1:49 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by capricorn at 1:49 PM on March 29, 2017
I'm a fellow dishwasher-agnostic. (I have a really nice one I have never used). And in a small kitchen cabinet space is priceless. Still I think the answers here prove you have a lot to gain from making sure the change is easily reversed. Compared to the price of a house, the cost of putting it back in right before showing the house ten years from now will be practically nothing. Certainly worth ten years of having your kitchen the way YOU like it.
posted by lampoil at 1:52 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by lampoil at 1:52 PM on March 29, 2017
I live in a 1BR apartment with a small dishwasher -- I believe it's about 75% the width of the one my dad had when I was a kid. Works for one, but I can fill it quickly.
I would avoid renting a place without one, and would consider a kitchen without one less desirable. I've never tried to buy a house/condo, but I imagine I'd try to negotiate based on the expected cost of having one put in, or give a place without a pass.
posted by Alterscape at 1:54 PM on March 29, 2017
I would avoid renting a place without one, and would consider a kitchen without one less desirable. I've never tried to buy a house/condo, but I imagine I'd try to negotiate based on the expected cost of having one put in, or give a place without a pass.
posted by Alterscape at 1:54 PM on March 29, 2017
My first house was a tiny house. 450 square feet. I bought a tiny dishwasher on smallappliances.com, one meant for RVs and such. You can hook it up to the faucet in the sink. It was WONDERFUL. Took up a tiny bit of counter when in use, and a tiny bit of floor when I needed the counter. It held a small dinner party worth of dishes (like three people)and solved the problem of no dishwasher when I sold the house.
posted by butternsugar at 3:40 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by butternsugar at 3:40 PM on March 29, 2017
We bought our house (in Toronto, for crazy money) with a crappy dishwasher in place in the somewhat recently updated galley-style kitchen. Rather than spend even one minute cleaning the clogged-up trap or fighting with my family over who's turn it was to empty it, I bought the $200 worth of drawers from Ikea that replaced it exactly, and paid $150 to have them installed. I now have a drawer for dishtowels and potholders, one for baking supplies, and one for cleaning supplies. When we have to sell, we'll pop a good-enough used Craigslist dishwasher in there since the kitchen will no doubt be renovated to some subway tile and marble or whatever's trending ideal by the purchaser.
The house rule is "wash, dry AND PUT AWAY" and I can easily make cookies or wash the floor in no time at all. I open a drawer of clean, freshly-folded pretty towels and smile every day. Dishes don't sit in there for three days until there's enough of them to run. We have FEWER dishes, because of that.
That said, we didn't even look at houses that didn't have an awesome bathtub for soaking in, or room to put one. We shaved a few inches off the back of a linen closet in the hall to fit a 5 footer instead of a 4'6" one. That's what I'll say when someone asks the bathroom renovation question.
Keep it flexible for the future, but build it for how you'll live every day.
posted by peagood at 4:56 PM on March 29, 2017
The house rule is "wash, dry AND PUT AWAY" and I can easily make cookies or wash the floor in no time at all. I open a drawer of clean, freshly-folded pretty towels and smile every day. Dishes don't sit in there for three days until there's enough of them to run. We have FEWER dishes, because of that.
That said, we didn't even look at houses that didn't have an awesome bathtub for soaking in, or room to put one. We shaved a few inches off the back of a linen closet in the hall to fit a 5 footer instead of a 4'6" one. That's what I'll say when someone asks the bathroom renovation question.
Keep it flexible for the future, but build it for how you'll live every day.
posted by peagood at 4:56 PM on March 29, 2017
Another advocate for an 18 inch dishwasher. We put one in recently and I am super happy with it.
posted by vunder at 6:58 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by vunder at 6:58 PM on March 29, 2017
I have a small house built in the 1930's and the kitchen is tiny. I've never been a fan of dishwashers at all, but that's because I apparently never lived with a good one. Previous owners put in a Bosch and it's fantastic and I use it quite a bit. It's changed how I think about dishwashers.
posted by quince at 7:03 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by quince at 7:03 PM on March 29, 2017
I've managed to get to 53 without a dishwasher, a microwave, or until 8 years ago a tv, but even so I NEVER use it as a tv (NZ tv is crap) - just for dvd's. Computers tho' are another matter, can't have enough of 'em. But ... I don't know anyone who doesn't have the first three!
posted by unearthed at 7:03 PM on March 29, 2017
posted by unearthed at 7:03 PM on March 29, 2017
I think a lot of it has to do with the market-- people are willing to put up with that sort of thing to live or near major cities, like in LA I think many of my friends don't have dishwashers, or in the older neighborhoods in Chicago. What's the market like where you live?
I would never rent a place without a dishwasher. If I bought a place without a dishwasher, I'd install one the first day.
posted by jenlovesponies at 7:29 PM on March 29, 2017
I would never rent a place without a dishwasher. If I bought a place without a dishwasher, I'd install one the first day.
posted by jenlovesponies at 7:29 PM on March 29, 2017
I got my first dishwasher at age 35 and as God is my witness etc etc I will never be without one again. I don't have a microwave or TV either. Dishwasher = happy relationship.
posted by fshgrl at 8:04 PM on March 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by fshgrl at 8:04 PM on March 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
I came in here to say it's not weird and am REALLY surprised by all these answers but I haven't used a dishwasher in 10 years--and 5 of those years were living in a place with a dishwasher. (But I also don't have a microwave.) I would rather have the cabinet space. I still think that in a small two bedroom, especially with a small kitchen, no dishwasher isn't weird. When you sell you can just make sure to point out that a dishwasher can be installed if they choose.
posted by Polychrome at 3:42 AM on March 30, 2017
posted by Polychrome at 3:42 AM on March 30, 2017
I've slowly finishing a kitchen remodel. Before starting this, a house would probably have had to be about 5% less than other comparable houses to consider buying it with the plan to put one in (I.E. a full $15k less for $300k houses (which is a lot for a $500 appliance)). Having done my kitchen reno, I would not consider it at all.
Not only would I not consider it, but knowing myself, if I saw a house that had been remodeled anytime since the 90's and didn't have a dish washer, I might even spend the next month or two bringing it up in a mini 10-20 second rant to my wife every week or two. "Hey, remember that house we saw that had the modern kitchen, but no dish washer? What were they thinking? I just can't let it go..." In the same way that maybe every year or two either my wife and I will bring up the "cat poop house." we'd be bringing up the no dishwasher house, and wondering if they had to pay someone to take the house; or if someone bought it, not noticing the lack of dishwasher, and upon move in was all, "WTF?!"
Of course, with all of that said, in 10 years that kitchen will no longer be "newly remodeled." So if you really will never use it, keep the plumbing in place to have one, but put in a 24" cabinet with a spacer so that you can easily put in a dishwasher when looking to sell.
posted by nobeagle at 7:17 AM on March 30, 2017
Not only would I not consider it, but knowing myself, if I saw a house that had been remodeled anytime since the 90's and didn't have a dish washer, I might even spend the next month or two bringing it up in a mini 10-20 second rant to my wife every week or two. "Hey, remember that house we saw that had the modern kitchen, but no dish washer? What were they thinking? I just can't let it go..." In the same way that maybe every year or two either my wife and I will bring up the "cat poop house." we'd be bringing up the no dishwasher house, and wondering if they had to pay someone to take the house; or if someone bought it, not noticing the lack of dishwasher, and upon move in was all, "WTF?!"
Of course, with all of that said, in 10 years that kitchen will no longer be "newly remodeled." So if you really will never use it, keep the plumbing in place to have one, but put in a 24" cabinet with a spacer so that you can easily put in a dishwasher when looking to sell.
posted by nobeagle at 7:17 AM on March 30, 2017
Response by poster: Well, I will talk to the contractor about making sure the kitchen stays "dishwasher ready." Thanks everybody!
posted by JanetLand at 8:10 AM on March 30, 2017
posted by JanetLand at 8:10 AM on March 30, 2017
I spent 10 years in an old house (built 1890) with no dishwasher. Most of those years it was just me living there, so not having a dishwasher wasn't a big deal. The kitchen had been updated/flipped right before I bought, and they had not installed one - but without completely reconfiguring the kitchen there was no logical place to put one.
When I sold the house, I had 50+ showings (definitely a buyer's market), and the "no dishwasher" thing was only mentioned to the realtor a couple times. She said in an older neighborhood of older houses, it wasn't uncommon to not have one. But if you have the opportunity to have the plumbing/space in place, and sell as "dishwasher ready", that's not a bad idea.
posted by writermcwriterson at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2017
When I sold the house, I had 50+ showings (definitely a buyer's market), and the "no dishwasher" thing was only mentioned to the realtor a couple times. She said in an older neighborhood of older houses, it wasn't uncommon to not have one. But if you have the opportunity to have the plumbing/space in place, and sell as "dishwasher ready", that's not a bad idea.
posted by writermcwriterson at 8:14 AM on March 30, 2017
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