Agree, unless you are planning to sell in the next year, go with what you want. Resale won't be effected enough to matter beyond that, and you can always do an appliance allowance at that time if you are concerned about it. I'd hate to live with appliances I hate just so the next people might like them.

I also wondered if, esthetically (sp?), the two white appliances would look okay mixed with two stainless steel?

i think mixed ss and white is fine, in fact i have just exactly that. white fridge and one of the wall ovens, ss dishwasher, cooktop, and other wall oven/mw pair.

Personally I would be turned away from buying a house with SS appliances. Too high maintenance.

A family member has been trying to sell a house in Houston with white appliances and Corian counters. People at open houses and showings complain about both even though the price has been reduced by $40,000 and they have included $5,000 cash incentive for buyer for interior painting/decorations.

I personally wouldn't let appliance finishes, wall color or lack of granite stop me from buying the house I otherwise wanted. But, sad to say, so many people do let the tail wag the dog.

About nine months before we started our kitchen reno, we had the opportunity to buy a much larger fridge in SS. Plan was to keep other white appliances until they needed to be replaced. DW broke during remodel and at that point the 10 yo white range would have stood out like a sore thumb (not just finish but style and dated look). So we completed the switch to SS.

With half of your appliances needing to be replaced, you are at crossroads. I view appliances as a 10 year investment. If planning to sell within five years, I would go SS and the new owner could update the fridge so it's not like they would have to buy complete suite of new appliances.

As for cleaning SS, there's an article on Houzz specifically dealing with that subject.

I replaced my white with stainless 5 years ago and have LOVED the change. As a buyer, I'd be turned off by white appliances as I'd feel I'd immediately want to replace them all. So, I'd go ahead and add the few stainless ones now.

Problem is that it is all personal preference, if I bought a house with stainless apps I would want to swap them to white asap. You can't guess what buyers will want, especially not in a few years as stainless is already starting to fall out of favor in some areas. I personally think mixing finishes looks bad.

Hard to say what any individual buyer might want, but could be worthwhile to google or check with realtors in your area to see what is most appealing to the majority of buyers. As Hal was saying, it can make a difference in resale.

I would do stainless steel. If you watch HGTV almost everyone wants stainless in their homes. If you plan on staying in your home I would get what you prefer.

I am not so much "pro SS" as "anti-white." White appliances typically are the least expensive finish. For that reason many people look down on them. Many elderly people remember when white was almost the only color choice for appliances so they want something "better." Many younger people view white appliances as old fashioned.

Seems like at least one major brand has come out with a new finish (slate?) that handles fingerprints a lot better than SS. Typically SS is much more. Of white, black and SS, SS would be my choice for both personal use and resale value. But if you hate SS, see if the new finish--maybe GE products--is available for the entire suite (so future owner could complete transition). To me that would be a great compromise between current taste and future resale.