How to Clarify
the Appliance Muddle
by Patrick J. Galvin
Major appliances never have been much
of a problem for home builders. There
might be a standard package of basic
range and refrigerator, there might be the
option of adding dishwasher and disposal,
there might be an upgrade option, or
there might be no appliances at all.
But the builder who historically has
paid little attention to appliances now has
reason to rethink the whole issue.
One reason is the tremendous proliferation
of models and features in recent
years. The plain vanilla "white goods" of
the past no longer may be good enough
for today's more affluent, more
sophisticated consumers.
Another reason is that the appliance
industry has been moving