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Hey hey now. Ha ha - I was just going to weigh in on this topic and confess I have an “almond” stove. A mint condition workhorse and white fridge and dishwasher. I AirBnB’d the entire summer without that being an issue.
Also I am going to reno in the winter months and will get an SS set because I only plan on being at this house for 2 more years then “flip” it so want to enjoy the reno for a while before selling.
But no ice maker. They are another thing that can go wrong and I don’t want to have to attach my fridge to the plumbing in the home. Ice trays all the way.
Curious, does your hubby prefer one over the other ?
BEACH REALITYSince you mentioned: being at the beach, that is really tough on appliances. You will find out fast that things don’t last that long, so stick with what you have until it stops working.
Instead of buying a shiny new washing machine, we bought the most simple model.
We have a smart ice maker in the fridge, never used it because it will fail fast. (We are also not into ice cubes …use them seldomly).
We have a second old fridge that we use for our guests and …take a look …
As long as you know that giving guests an ice maker only provides them with one more thing to mess up! I am constantly amazed at what difficulties guests seem to encounter with the most simple thing. My ice maker produces those half circle cubes. If one happens to come down the chute sideways, it will block the spout for the rest of them. And even though I can hear the ice dropping into the chute, for some reason guests apparently don’t recognize the sound of backing up ice and continue to hold their glass against the dispenser. By the time i can get to the kitchen, the ice has overflowed into the fridge making a ridiculous mess. Compound that with a home that is not shared and when the fridge runs its defrost cycle, the existing ice starts clumping. Then the next guest can’t figure out how to get the ice to dispense and calls the property manager. Then the service call bills come in. You get the picture. Sometimes less is definitely more. Go with the ice cube trays or let them buy bagged ice. The built in dispenser doesn’t hold enough for a cooler anyway. And if they do fill their cooler with it then they’ll be complaining when they get back that the ice maker doesn’t make enough ice.
I’m 60 and I split my time between NYC and the Catskill Mountains. I’ve lived in NYC for the last 29 years. I’m not particularly well-travelled, I suppose, but I live in one of the most urban environments in the world and I’ve never owned a dishwasher nor a fridge that dispenses ice - of any shape - in the door.
Another reason not to have an ice maker. Those cubes are irritating AF. They cling to the side of the glass and impede the liquid flow of my gin and tonics!!
Bottom line: How many guests will you need to rent to – and how much profit will you make for each rental – to pay for those new appliances, taxes, deliver, and setup?
I was a server for three months about 15 years ago and couldn’t hack it. My hat is off to you. LOL!
I did see other listings in my building that had white appliances and others that had SS. I was naturally more drawn to the SS. Again, that is what I like.
I am getting the sense here from everyone that it won’t matter that much as long as they’re nice and work. Also, I am a little concerned about an ice maker but it is in the Florida market so that will give me a lot to think about as well.
We decided we are going to stay there when we close on it (two weeks) and live there for a week and decide if it’s that important. We live out of state and decided to buy there because it’s close to my Mom.
As a guest, it certainly would not matter to me. My STR had SS when I bought it, but I used white for my last 4 kitchen renos. Guests love my kitchen, but no one has ever commented on the SS appliances. The fact that it’s well stocked with everything you need to cook and serve meals is what people comment on - a $12 Crock Pot has been my biggest hit, followed by a popcorn popper and sharp kitchen knives. The last time I bought an appliance (summer 2018) there was still a premium for SS, another expense that’s not needed.
With each of my furnished rentals I have stayed in the home for at least a weekend. It has been invaluable to understanding what works well and what tweaks are needed - from placement of a robe hook in the bathroom to realizing that the pillow protectors sounded crunchy when I slept on them.
I would make a list of what you need and take advantage of the US Black Friday sales next month - you’ll get fabulous savings.
My husband and I love popcorn and have a popper as well. I was thinking of adding one but then thought I would constantly have to supply popcorn as well. I decided to put microwave popcorn in instead because it’s easier and can last a long time without going bad.
Such a simple thing, but so important (at least to me!). I hate it when you stay somewhere and if you do decide to cook, you find a selection of cheap bazaar knives that are all blunt.
We’ve got a couple of decent cooks knives in each apartment, both get a steel run over them every few sets of guests. We’ve actually had a few guests comment on the fact that they are pretty sharp, usually after them dashing to the FA kit for a plaster
I provide cooking staples (spices, sugar), including a small bottle of vegetable oil ($2). I also leave a bag of popcorn kernels - gourmet popcorn from Trader Joe’s. I replenish it a couple of times per year.
I personally don’t eat packaged microwave popcorn. I have a silicone microwave air popper that I love, but there is a learning curve so I haven’t added one to the house.
I don’t eat microwave popcorn either. So you think just one jar will be fine to leave? I’d much rather leave a popcorn machine there if I could. We buy amish popcorn from amazon and love it.
I leave a jar. Try it and see how it goes. You can always stop if it becomes a pricey proposition or if people aren’t cleaning up afterwards. We’ve never had any issues and guests comment that they love it; it seems to be a novelty.
Yes! I recently stayed with a friend in IN. Nice home and guest room set up. No towel bar near the bath sink…I guess they used the drawer handle like I did but then water gets on the wood cabinet and floor. No hooks in the shower area, just the toilet, shower bar and one small towel bar to put clothes and damp towels on. I’d put another towel bar on the other wall that’s also has the heater vent in the floor below with the added benefit of drying and warming towels in the winter. One nightstand with a crappy light. Forget reading anything but a device. No plug accessible on either side of the bed. No luggage rack, hooks or even closet space in the BR so my stuff was strewn all over the floor. I also woke up in a sweat each night due to those horrid microfiber sheets.
This is my friend’s home so I didn’t say a thing but they probably have no idea how poorly set up the room is even for family and friends.
