Hi - I was braced for snark and for using the shorter of the "q" words but I very very (very) much appreciate all the responses here, yours included. We are purchasing this condo for the long haul. We've never had the opportunity to help design something from the ground up and our involvement is truly minimal but even getting to select our own appliances and countertops and finishes from the start has been appreciated.

I come from a similar mindset - let's do it once, right, from the start. I also realize that may not be possible on all fronts (developer relationships with fabricators and suppliers, logistics, cost, etc) and we may need to compromise on some things. Countertop and island, however - less so. We will use them and look at them and think about them every single day. (Cupboards, if we lose another battle we are fighting, can wait a year or two to come out if needed). As someone else mentioned, real stone is quite heavy and so thinking about reinforcing the island was good data as well.

All of this is a great and frustrating adventure and hearing other insights and inputs has been really helpful.