We would have a hard time living w/o our water and ice dispensers on the outside of our freezer door. But we are not CA high end buyers interest in aesthetics. We like efficient function, and we drink a lot of water in the dry CO climate.
I am torn between water/ice dispenser functionality versus clean line looks. I think I need to talk to my agent about the trade offs. I see a lot of flips where there is no refrigerator - buyers have to bring their own refrigerator. Personally, I changed to a refrigerator faced with matching cabinetry that blends into kitchen and I have to open door to get to filtered water dispenser and I have to mess around in freezer to get out some ice cubes. I kind of miss the in-door dispenser.
I have had the same refrigerator for 20 years and will keep until it dies, as I had panels made to match the cabinets. and it is semi-built-in (counter depth). It has an in-door dispenser that has been replaced several times (and needs work again). My favorite everyday drinking glass is too tall (and fragile) to fit under the dispenser, so I have been opening the door to obtain ice for years. I would be quite happy w/o an in-door dispenser, however when at homes of friends who have Sub Zero, I find myself frustrated waiting for freezer door to ‘unlock’ if you wish to reopen quickly.
RE: earlier post about floor models. I completely lucked out last year when my Jenn Air double ovens died. Found a $3500 GE Cafe model at Home Depot, reduced to $900. It had never been used but was being replaced by this year’s model in the display kitchen. Being slightly fearful of both a HD appliance purchase and a floor model, I purchased a five year service contract for not all that much money. (Service contract pricing was a function of appliance purchase price.) Would I have bought this model at $3500? No, but it will do until the 20 year old kitchen is torn out. Similar median home prices to what you quoted.
The local independent appliance store said they pull out and sell floor models each summer. (I wasn’t looking until fall when oven died.) Have you tried your independently owned retailers?
Around here newer kitchens have ice dispensing pull out drawers that are separate from the refrigerator and filtered water from a separate tap at the sink. It gives a sleeker look to the fridge but you give up 15" or so under your countertop.
That bathroom isn’t just wow, it looks like the Alhambra!
The nicest bathrooms I’ve seen are in Radio City Music Hall. The Ladies’ Lounge, with those beautiful art deco mirrors and sconces and the fabulous wallpaper… so lovely.
The filtered water dispenser at sink is a brilliant idea. I think I could do that and then have a sleek front refrigerator. I do have an aversion to air gaps on countertops (described many times before!!), but I’m OK with the filter water dispenser. Still doesn’t solve the problem with fishing around in the freezer trying to get a couple of ice cubes 
Just to clarify, the filtered water dispenser is a tiny little thing on the edge of the sink, not a big clunky thing that sits on the main faucet. The one in the picture is actually higher than usual.
http://www.waterfiltercanada.com/images/BelKraft2000Installed.JPG
The ice maker could look like this:
http://idcstl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Uline-Wine-Captain-Available-through-AUTCOhome.jpg
"The filtered water dispenser at sink is a brilliant idea. I think I could do that and then have a sleek front refrigerator. "
thats what I have., as well as an adjacent slender hot water dispenser, right next to it, right at the sink. And a sleek subzero with 2 big freezer drawers and an ice drawer.
. and I have NO airpgap! My miele dishwasher doesn’t need one. my contractor didnt believe that the dishwasher didnt need one until i showed him the instillation instructions.
there is a small filter canister below the sink for the cold H2O dispenser that need to changed once a year.
I will never buy another fridge with a through the door ice maker again. I don’t like the look, and I don’t like the ice maker thing inside.
We got our first when our kids were younger thinking they would use it…a lot. They didn’t.
I like the ease of getting ice but I hate cleaning the nasty little dispenser drain area.
I dislike the look of the water/ice dispenser on the door.
I had no idea that water/ice dispenser wasn’t an extremely desireable thing for buyers. I am now educated and will look for a sleek french door refrigerator, hopefully with an easy way to get out some ice cubes.
A lot of the refrigerators have the door in door feature where you open up one side and the door opens, but there is a glass ‘heavy use’ area and the rest of the refrigerator stays closed. Evidently it saves energy because the cold air is not released from the majority of the refrigerator. Also, the LG one I was looking at has a Linear Inverter condenser which saves 30% energy and is 25% quieter. (I had to look that up… couldn’t figure out why that feature was inscribed on outside of refrigerator)
Dishwasher air gaps are a thorn in my side. I hate them and will not install them on top of the counter. But, every single home inspector calls it out as a installation error and gets in an argument that it is required by code and then gives a giant scare story to the buyers that all the gross stuff from their garbage disposal is going to back up into the dishwasher. I have learned my lesson… now I leave the dishwasher installation manual open on the counter with the ‘alternate drain’ installation page circled. I asked my friendly building inspector and he said as long as the dishwasher drain hose is installed per manufacturer instructions, they do not require an air gap.
Don’t think I have room for a separate ice maker in the kitchen design, and it costs a lot of extra money. Buyers can install it if they want it (and it would be really nice to have a refrigerator drawer and ice drawer upstairs on the deck). I will put in a couple of extra outlets inside the cabinetry so they can put in extra stuff if they want to.
Here’s an interesting article on the different flavors of fixing up a house for sale
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/buyers-716599-home-tile.html
@coralbrook - I hope the info I sent you in the PM was helpful :-*
Yes, very helpful. Thank you so much for the referral.
At the project today because it was the only day my roofing guys could come by. They are extremely busy during the week now. They are carefully removing the concrete tiles from back of the house. Its funny that they are being as quiet as possible.
Turns out that tiles were installed with screws, not nails. This means they are up there with drill guns trying to be quiet:)
A little late to comment - but We are in your target market other than being in Northern California.
We want a pro style gas stove and electric oven. Ideally in a range configuration but I can see a range top and wall oven working. We have walked away from multiple houses with induction or other forms of electric cooktop (if there isn’t gas in house with easy way to plumb for new stove).
We also greatly prefer sleek look fridge. No through the door ice and water - takes too much space in freezer. Ideal is fridge on top freezer drawer on bottom. Not a fan of side by side.
We also are looking for wine fridge, farmhouse sink, full extend deep drawers, no lower cabinets. Quiet dishwasher, garbage compactor also required.
I’m with you on everything but the trash compacter.
I heard the farmhouse sink wasn’t in style anymore?