The Hot and the Not

Stainless steel kitchen appliances, not too long ago a must for any kitchen that wanted to be considered luxe, are beginning to get mixed reviews. The real estate agents gave them a thumbs-down, saying that many buyers were irritated by the need to wipe down the steel all the time to conceal fingerprints. Nash, who conducted the industry survey, acknowledges that builders say they help sell houses, but said some buyers who own them have gotten irritated by the upkeep.

"I'm hearing people say, 'I'm tired of it,' " Nash said. "They say: 'I don't have time to polish it. I have kids. I have dogs. It's too high maintenance.' "

But Creig Northrop, Long & Foster's top-selling agent, who is based in Howard County, said buyers in Howard, Carroll and Frederick counties still love stainless.

"It's huge," he said. "It's the biggest hot button. That's what buyers are looking for now."

Another agent giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up to stainless is John MacArthur, an agent with Long & Foster's King Farm office in Rockville.

"People here walk in and see that stainless steel, and it dazzles them," he said.

But to MacArthur, the biggest buyer turn-on today in the Washington market is the dual home office.

"More people want a home office today than anything else I've seen this year," he said. "They want to work from home."

MacArthur suggests that people selling their homes take the smallest of their bedrooms, what he called the baby-bear bedroom, remove the bed, and put in a desk and computer station. To make it really alluring, install fiber-optic cables so people have almost instantaneous Internet connections.

Those who are building new homes and want to ensure maximum resale value should make sure that each of two rooms -- one for him and one for her -- is at least 10 feet by 10 feet and doesn't feel cramped, according to Nash's research.

So how do these trends play out in a real person's house? Thompson, the chef in Vienna, actually wanted some of the items that agents say are dropping in popularity. He had considered all his options carefully and wanted them done his way to add more ease and leisure to his life.

He likes vessel sinks, calling them a "very desirable upscale bathroom feature," and installed them in his house, but he prefers versions made from ceramic and stone, which he said are easier to maintain than glass and stainless steel.

Thompson opted for wooden kitchen cabinets painted antique bisque white, which allowed him to save money to use on upgraded bathroom fixtures. He also chose stainless steel appliances, being careful to select models that are relatively easy to clean.

And he installed hardwood floors through the house. He wanted the popular seven-inch-wide planks, but found that they would add $35,000 to the cost of the home. So instead, he dropped down to a slightly lower quality of wood, with a darker grain. That allowed him to get wood that was still wider than average but cost less than the wide planks of top-grade lumber.

He said, "People think the floors are the most gorgeous thing they have ever seen, and it was a huge savings."