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Here’s my kitchen - After my DIY efforts, we had a smoky kitchen fire. In order to make the best use of funds, my contractor had cabinets built in the same footprint. We kept the tile floors that had replaced vinyl about 10 years before at a discount. I pick a common granite and got pulls on a discount site. This is Jacobean stain on maple. I picked GE’s lowest priced stainless appliances - I like long lasting knobs rather than all digital controls.
The most expensive parts of a kitchen redo are cabinets, flooring and moving walls. If you aren’t changing the footprint then it is a bit easier. OP: my old kitchen was made (cabinets and flooring) in 1932. The appliances were from the 50s…early 50s. I got to say…wish we had the original cabinets back…
Agree. We kept the cabinet layout that was in place since 2001 or so… I was going to reface them, but then the sales person for countertops talked me into a quartz color that matched the cream cabinets so well! I pardoned the painted doors. I just need to repaint a few that have peeling paint.
We have a built-in oven and microwave as well. Both broke. H spent many months figuring out which models and brands would best fit in the same holes as the original models, plus vent as he preferred forward instead of going into the wood and cabinet.
We also had our cooktop start burning out elements and then one sparked as well. We replaced with smooth electric cooktop. They had to cut the drawers under the cooktop a smidge so they can properly open and close.
Replacing those 3 appliances actually didn’t cost that much. We like our kitchen and it was 12 or 7 years old when we bought the house. We’ve lived in the house 25 years and haven’t changed much other than replacing appliances as they break.
I suggested to H the possibility of putting a single wall oven in the “combo” space, building a shelf above it in the extra space, and putting a freestanding microwave on the shelf. H (in typical fashion) feels that we should put back what was originally there (i.e. combo unit) because that was how it was originally designed and it would be better for resale.
I pointed out that if we ever WERE to redo the kitchen, then we would be stuck with the combo unit design, but we could reuse the single wall oven by putting it in the space underneath the cooktop, so we could redesign the layout AND still use the stuff we buy now.
I really think any buyer would want to redo the kitchen altogether, so they wouldn’t care what the current arrangement was.
Combo units were the big thing 30 years ago. They are NOT now. It’s a pretty cheap upgrade to go to something more in keeping with NOW than what was “in” 30 years ago.
There is a reason that combo unit is now more pricey…not very many are made.
EVERY (and we know well more than a handful) family we know who had a combo has gotten rid of,that whole concept when they replaced the broken part.
I see, the oven and mico are one unit and the cook top is set in the counter. I would not buy combo appliances and I would paint the cabinet as a low cost update.
The problem is your relationship, talking about this kitchen is futile. What about the long term life plans for stuff like financial planning, SS, healthcare, investments? Are you active in any of that? If you have zero say in an appliance, I hate to imagine the rest.
There are plenty of combo units still made, at all price points in all sorts of widths and combo types. People still put them in, but I would not. Sylvan, you can easily fit a micro and a wall oven - two separate units - into that space. We did it twice, in both houses. All you need is a second outlet (easily done) and a plywood shelf between the units (also easily done). You can go fancy with hardwood shelf or just edgeband the plywood and stain/paint. Go for it!
There ARE combo units…but my bet is there will be none at a price point agreeable to the OP’s husband.
There are so many different ways to deal with this…but keeping broken appliances one more week…would not be one I would choose. No question…they can get something this weekend to be installed this coming week…combo or not.
sounds like OP’s hubby is going to veto anything that costs $$.
you may need to put a " gun" to his head, in the non literal sense, with an "either- or " ultimatum.
Or if you can, contribute 1/2 the cost of remodeling, as I did 3 years ago[ I bought all the appliances- he paid for the cabinetry and labor]
Now I have a kitchen that I love in a home that we will live in for the rest of our lives.
But I also had to wait 30 years to get what I wanted.
My mom got rid of her combo unit in her condo a few years ago and replaced with stove with micro over it. She bought a Samsung appliance package (stove, micro, dishwasher and fridge) from an appliance store for about 4K installed. They took out and carted away all the old appliances.
I think it’s nuts to replace with another combo unit.
In my kitchen before we remodeled we had a 50 year old wall oven that was only 24". Replacing it wouid have been extremely expensive because they also make very few ovens that small. We nursed it for years as we couldn’t afford to do total remodel for a long while. H had to go to this specialty electronics store that has a gazillion parts of old appliances and find a replacement top coil for it. Otherwise I wouid have been SOL because no way were we spending upwards of $5k for a teeny oven that would eventually be tossed.
Oven was a Thor - a brand I’d never even heard of and probably wasn’t in existence after the 50’s
My microwave oven sits on the counter…not a builtin. Why? We zap many things during a day. The microwave last…18 months…or so. Mr. Ellebud goes out and returns with a new one. $79 max. Install free…
^^^ Microwave on counter for easy replacement is my preference also. We remodeled 2 years ago - I refused a built-in set-up. We have plenty of counter space designed in the remodel so I couldn’t see the need for a built-in. Other than counter space saver, can anyone enlighten me as to why almost every kitchen I see has a built-in?
I didn’t put a built in when I remodeled. I just have a special shelf for it. I needed every inch of counter space in my small kitchen. If/when it breaks all I need to do is buy another micro. It’s ten years old and still going strong.
When we did our kitchen, we put the microwave in an upper, doorless cabinet but didn’t build it in. We’ve had to replace it twice, so that was a good decision.
Microwaves (like most appliances these days it seems) are not built to last any more, so we just buy cheap ones now.
Since Mr. Sylvan is so in love with the combo unit and stove, perhaps he could remove them from your kitchen and install them in one of his apartments. Me thinks the renters would let him know what they think…
Keeping them separate will give you more flexibility when the time comes to remodel.