Include dishwasher? Washer and dryer?

[Matthew S.]

Hey folks, I've had a duplex for a decade where I've provided a washer/dryer and dishwasher on each side. Have had to replace one dishwasher and a couple of w/d's over the years. I just bought a new property and, in talking to my landlord friends, have found that most of them don't provide any of these.

Installing a dishwasher in my new property would mean:

1) cutting out some of the cabinets (it's a 1951 house, so the kitchen is already small, with limited cabinet space) or

2) get a portable one that the tenant could connect to the sink when needed

The washer and dryer would be easy to put in, but the hookups are also positioned where it would be easy for a tenant to get them themselves (directly by outside door) without danger of tearing up the floors.

I want to be able to charge fairly high rents for the property, and preferably rent to a family (it's in a hot neighborhood and has an absolutely gorgeous and huge backyard, which is rare). I personally would not want to live in a property without a dishwasher, and wonder if not having one would be a turnoff for prospective tenants. At the same time, the expense and ongoing maintenance is something my investor friends warn me about and I have a little experience with already.

What would you do?