About two dishwashers
JC and I have a pretty good arrangement for our meals. He is a chef and does all the cooking. I’m not a chef or even a very good cook for that matter, and I do all the cleaning up. To be perfectly honest, I use the dishwasher.
This all changed when my dishwasher went belly up recently. Granted, it’s rather old like everything else in the kitchen and it was probably its time to go. Of course this annoyed me.
I hadn’t hand washed dishes in AGES!!! Even when I was a kid in the early seventies my mom had a dishwasher. Spoiled brat that I was:~)
JC, who’d never had a dishwasher before he moved in, bought me a scrub brush and said, “Learn. You can do this. It’s actually very calming.” I can’t say I found any peace in washing dishes, but I did it for several weeks.
We were both busy and didn’t have time to shop for a new dishwasher. In addition, we had conflicting ideas about what to buy. We did our research and knew to get an energy efficient dishwasher, but remained undecided about the appearance of our new dishwasher. This had a lot to do with a show called “House Hunters” on the Home and Garden Network (HGTV).
Influenced by “House Hunters”
I’m addicted to “House Hunters”, a show about people shopping for a new house in the States. Some are buying gigantic homes and others are buying more modest ones, but these shoppers have one thing in common; the kitchens must have stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.
When a couple on the show sees a kitchen without these items, they shake their heads and sadly say, “Well, I like the kitchen, but we’ll have to replace the appliances and countertops with stainless steel and granite.”
After watching the show, I began to believe what I had learned and when we started shopping, I emphasized how essential it was that we buy a stainless steel dishwasher. JC was less certain, feeling we should just go with what we like.
Off to Lowe’s we went. We liked a solid black dishwasher better than the stainless steel one because it matched our other appliances. Since both were equally energy efficient, we decided to buy it. Still, I had doubts. I believed that if we were to sell the house at some point, a stainless steel dishwasher would be a better option.
Second-guessing doesn’t pay
I bugged JC so much that one of his gremlins came out to play. He has this interesting habit: when he buys something, he researches it thoroughly and usually makes an excellent choice. Later, he will often second-guess himself.
He called a friend who is a house appraiser to check things out. Knowing how difficult stainless steel can be to clean, he was confident his friend would tell him “House Hunters” was just free advertising for the stainless steel industry.
However, his friend disappointed him by telling him it is true that houses with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops sell better.
So, we switched to stainless steel, which cost us a lot more money! Making this change also meant I had another two weeks of hand washing dishes before the new one arrived. When it was finally installed I was disappointed.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This is a great dishwasher. I can fit so many dishes in it that we’re down to our last two plates before I have to turn it on. It runs quietly and has an eco-friendly wash and dry cycle so I feel less guilty about using a dishwasher.
However, to be perfectly honest, it doesn’t fit the décor of our kitchen. The dishwasher is bright and shiny, making my 30-year old cabinets and countertops look drab. This new dishwasher stuck out like a sore thumb.
I am sure it would fit in beautifully if we remodel our kitchen. Then, if we decided to sell the house, potential buyers would walk into our upgraded kitchen like they do on “House Hunters” and say, “Wow, this kitchen is perfect! It has granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.”
Trust your instincts
We can’t afford a complete kitchen makeover right now and, as we both love this house, we aren’t intending to move any time soon. So, the stainless steel dishwasher wasn’t really necessary.
The truth is that both JC and I got snookered by our own selves. Instead of paying attention to what we liked and what fit our kitchen today, we bought our dishwasher based on what we thought other people would like and what might happen in the future.
The moral of this story is simple. Live your life for today and not for what might happen in the future. Follow your instincts about what you like and not what someone on a TV show tells you. Believe me, you’ll be happier (and richer) if you do. :~)
What about you?
What has the most influence on you when you buy something?
What preparation, if any, do you do before making a big ticket purchase?
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
lol! It’s funny how influenced we are by television. I personally can’t stand stainless steel appliances or granite countertops so if in the future someone buys my house, they’re definitely going to have to get those things for themselves. We’re in the process of preparing to remodel our kitchen and there’s no stainless steel in sight.
It’s tempting to go with what’s in fashion when you own a home and you think of resale down the line, but it’s true that what makes you happy right now, what suits your lifestyle and your tastes is what makes your day to day life in your own home beautiful.
I never have a problem buying what I like. My problem is quite often that what I want doesn’t exist – lol!
Talon´s last blog ..Fiery…
Oh, I’ve been there! You get one new modern appliance in your kitchen and it can lead to a total remodel that wasn’t in the budget. I’m also amazed at the lasting power of stainless steel. I think we’ve all been brainwashed. But I thought by now we’d be on to something different. Or rather back to something that was popular in years past, because that seems to be how these cycles go. So I’ve been back and forth about this. We do need to replace our appliances and probably will sell our house in a few years, but, shrug, the part of me that’s a non-conformist doesn’t want to give in. But the part of me that loves House Hunters? She says, “go for it!”
Thanks for the great post, Sara.
Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..Dancing Around the Living Room
Another fan of House Hunters! I love it! I’m totally addicted too!
Like you, we research things. I’m personally not a fan of stainless. Some years back I “antiqued” our kitchen cabinets to get rid of the oak. We have (gulp, how tacky and dated?) almond appliances that really go well with the whole French Country look – new buyers would either love it or hate it. Our dishwasher quit a few yrs back and it was almost impossible to find almond – now I understand it is gone forever.
We are doing a complete make-over in our lake house – probably where we will retire – and I went with the stainless, modern maple cabinets w/o stain. I’m sure hoping the stainless is easy to care for – jury is still out on this! I dread selling THIS house we live in cuz I know I’ll hear about our kitchen being dated. Yes, I think there is some brainwashing going on about the stainless and granite. I want to know what’s “in” in 10 yrs! What’s NEXT? One day stainless will seem dated!
@ Talon — You go girl!!! It was a good lesson for both JC and me. Your closing comment made me laugh…it is so TRUE:~)
@ Patty — As I mentioned in the article JC is a chef and he isn’t so fond of stainless steel because it’s a pain to keep clean and he agrees that it’s strange how long the craving for stainless steel has lasted.
The lesson I learned from this is pick what you like, unless you stainless steel is EXACTLY what you want. Who knows in a few years things might change again and the popular thing will be hand painted appliances:~)
House Hunters is a fun show to watch. I haven’t stopped watching even with this episode of the new dishwasher. I just now do “reality checks” more often:~)
Hi Sara — thanks, this helps me to understand an issue that has perplexed me for a long time — I know a number of people whose kitchens are constantly under construction and it’s never made sense to me.
I feel your pain, Sara.
We love “House Hunters,” too, especially the international version (daydreaming!). But I must say, I think I was born with a different take on things than others, because I don’t find myself easily influenced by what I see. I just know what I love.
What I love is very often different that what my husband loves. When we started building our house, that made things interesting. He insisted on stainless appliances for the ultimate resale value; I couldn’t budge him. I’m glad I couldn’t; I have come to love the look. But, they ARE as hard to keep clean as we always imagined! While just a good hard rub with a damp cloth or paper towel gets rid of the finger smudges, I think I’ll finally have to resort to the specially prepared cleaners for the more heavy-duty cleaning—like for the range front. But, and it’s a huge “but,” I LOVE, love love love! my granite counters! I never want anything else. It’s just one of those things…
Ahem, [clearing of throat], good luck with your new kitchen remodeling savings plan.
Julie´s last blog ..More in Love Than Usual: Celebrating Fall
Sara,
I completely agree with you on trusting your intuition rather than the TV. I myself learnt this the hard way.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m not fussy. My husband is very. He insisted on replacing our appliances with stainless steel when we moved in our home. Once at Lowe’s he discovered “fake stainless steel” that was lower priced. So we got the fake.
I could’ve lived with the old. I chose to support his decision because he does the same for me in other ways. I never heard of the show!
Tess The Bold Life´s last blog ..Nothing Changes Until Something Changes
I can be quite stubborn when it comes to making up my own mind on things. I usually won’t go with something just because some told me to or I saw it on the telly, and I’ll deliberate over a decision for so long that poor Cassy ends up clawing the walls in sheer frustration. I hate being told what to do by experts (or anyone for that matter) if I get even the slightest hint of being manipulated into a particular choice. I can be a little ornery that way.
Tony Single´s last blog ..Infertile, Not Dead
@ Tony — Your response doesn’t surprise me. This is how I would imagine you’d be…but good for you. One of major points of that story was to stay to your truth and not be swayed!
@ Tess — I didn’t even know they made fake stainless steel!! Is it easier to clean than the real stuff? This makes me think of the arguments about corian and granite. Corian evidently looks almost exactly like granite, but it is a better lasting product than granite, which can crack and break. If I ever do get to replace my countertops, I will probably go with corian; even I, who falls for House Hunter’s recommendations, can’t justify granite.
I’ve noticed the comments are mixed about House Hunters; some people love it, others ignore it and some, like you, say “What’s House Hunters?” As always, thanks for sharing your thought:~)
@ Sunny — I think you’re absolutely right about learning things the hard way. The good thing about this, is that when the lesson is tough, it’s also easier to remember:~)
@ Julie — I also watch House Hunters International and enjoy this show very much. It’s different than House Hunters because if the buyer is looking in international places, especially in countries with buildings dating back to the 17 or 1800s, they are lucky to get the toilet inside the house, or even inside a full bathroom:~)
If you buy something and love it, then it doesn’t matter if it’s something recommended on TV or not….because you’re making your own decision about it and that’s what’s important:~)
We’ve been keeping lots of coin jars with the hope that someday, we’ll be afford the remodeling this house will require. After all, it was built in the seventies. Then again, it also lasted pretty well, given that I still have most of the original things in it and that’s after two kids and many different cats and dogs. As I never declaw cats, the furniture hasn’t been quite so lucky:~)
@ Chris — LOL…you are funny. I suppose House Hunters could lead to constant remodeling if you believed everything they said. Now, when we watch the program, JC gives me a hard stare if I even start to say…”I think we should consider buying [fill in the blank] just in case we want to sell the house!” I smile and say, “Just kidding!”