Built-In Versus Freestanding Appliances

lerougegorge

Hi All - Going to undertake my first DIY kitchen install in a few weeks and am considering the pros and cons of freestanding vs.built-in appliances. This is for the fridge, microwave, dishwasher, and washing machine (hob and oven will be built-in). Probably my main concern is the resell value (of the house), does built-in really add to that? My analysis so far:

Freestanding:
- Less expensive to buy
- Easier to install/change/replace
- Doesn't look quite as good

Built-In
- Maybe adds to house value?
- More expensive to buy
- A lot more work to change your appliances

Any thoughts?

loracan1

lerougegorge wrote: »

Freestanding:
- Less expensive to buy True
- Easier to install/change/replace True
- Doesn't look quite as good Very true (just my opinion)

Built-In
- Maybe adds to house value? Not really
- More expensive to buy Slightly, I managed to get a Bosch D/W for 350
- A lot more work to change your appliances Depends on the appliance, I managed to install the D/W singlehandedly

Any thoughts?

An integrated fridge doesn't hold as much as a freestanding one and despite that I'd always choose an integrated one. I just think they look better, resale might be easier for looking sleeker but I doubt any value would be added.

System

i don't think you really gain anything from built in appliances, i have had both, and really wouldn't go with built in again, yes they do look better (unless you buy expensive) but i would say that's it.
built in washing machine is generally smaller than a free standing, fridge is smaller too (unless you go for the expensive in-drawer type). first washing machine was professionally installed, but still shook itself loose meaning the door didn't sit flush, eventually broke free! reinstall by myself is solid (so far)
maybe the only built in thing i would have is a dishwasher....

Meepster

It all depends on what look you want to go for at the end of the day.

If you want the kitchen to have clean lines and look neater, then pay a little bit more to get integrated.

If you don't mind the plinths not being continuous and the odd appliance sitting slightly proud of the rest of the kitchen, then choose freestanding.

Just bear in mind that if you do come to sell the house, integrated appliances are generally expected to be left in the house. Freestanding ones are not part of a "fitted kitchen" so can be take away when you move. This is why it can effect the selling price of a house (but only marginally)

I get a mixture of both type of people through the door. The designs I do using integrated appliances look MUCH better than those with freestanding though...

ic

Personally I'd say yes to integrated oven, hob, hood and dishwasher as these aren't too expensive, and generally look better, and you don't lose any functionality/capacity. As for microwave, washing machine, fridge/freezer I'd say no - they generally are overly expensive and tend to have a lower capacity in order to fit the space.

Doozergirl

In a magazine I saw a very clever solution where a lady had bought regular appliances (as far as d/w and w/m go, I do prefer freestanding) and actually installed the kitchen units forward a couple of cm from where you normally would. This allowed her the room to place the appliances simply behind normal 60cm doors. She needed a wider worktop but depending on what type you have, it doesn't always cost more. So she acheived the look without incurring lots of expense.

Inbuilt hobs and ovens I much prefer to freestanding cookers - they do look nicer and they often work out cheaper anyway.

latecomer

We've just done our kitchen and I've got to say the one thing I really notice is that the dishwasher seems significantly smaller than the old standalone one. Now its possible that its a bad design rather than being related to it being integrated but I'm not entirely convinced.

Personally I still like the integrated look.

Meepster

Doozergirl wrote: »

In a magazine I saw a very clever solution where a lady had bought regular appliances (as far as d/w and w/m go, I do prefer freestanding) and actually installed the kitchen units forward a couple of cm from where you normally would. This allowed her the room to place the appliances simply behind normal 60cm doors. She needed a wider worktop but depending on what type you have, it doesn't always cost more. So she acheived the look without incurring lots of expense.

I get asked this all the time, and yes, it is possible by pulling the unit off the wall by a FEW cm (you actually need to do it at least 6cm to get the plinths to look anywhere near right. The problems you then incur are:

a) If the units you are pulling of the wall have an exposed end, then you will struggle to get an end panel to fit, you will therefore have a joint showing

b) the units wont be attached to the wall anymore, which reduces stability.

I've done it twice in kitchens: once where it was the middle wall on a u shape and got the fitter to build up a frame system to attach the units to the wall and once on a run that had an exposed end. I would never do that type again...

Ebe_Scrooge

This is only a personal opinion, but I much prefer a free-standing dishwasher. The reason being, with a built-in one, you can't see what it's doing - i.e. you don't know when it's finished the cycle. Maybe it's just the model that we had ( came with the house ), but you couldn't rely on listening to it, as it spent about 20 minutes silent whilst it finished drying. When it did finish, it beeped for about a minute, but if you weren't in the kitchen to hear it, you were never sure if it had really finished or was just drying.

Not such a problem if you only usually put it on overnight, but when it's a busy mealtime and you're waiting for it to finish so you can empty and reload it, I found it really annoying :-)

Doozergirl

Meepster wrote: »

I've done it twice in kitchens: once where it was the middle wall on a u shape and got the fitter to build up a frame system to attach the units to the wall

Lovely. Thanks you for the heads-up, and the warning! The way you did that one sounds like a good idea - for my next kitchen it's just the dishwasher (will have a utility for the washing stuff) but the run will be butted either side by walls. So get our chippy to make up something like studwork behind...

Meepster

Doozergirl wrote: »

Lovely. Thanks you for the heads-up, and the warning! The way you did that one sounds like a good idea - for my next kitchen it's just the dishwasher (will have a utility for the washing stuff) but the run will be butted either side by walls. So get our chippy to make up something like studwork behind...

He'll hate you forever

My fitter STILL makes reference to it every time I do something to annoy him...

If it's only a dishwasher you have to hide, then it would make sense to put an integrated one in. It's different with washers as they are MUCH more useful being full size, the difference with dishwashers is no where near as much...

(and it will save your fitter from wanting to hit you over the head with a bit of 4x2...)