It really depends on your house-keeping habit. If you're the person to be able to wipe off dust on all surfaces at least every other day, you may consider to buy stainless appliance, otherwise, I would suggest to try plastic one. I have seen some houses with stainless appliances full of fingerprint and it looks a little "terrible". As for the resale value, it should also be compared to the original purchase price as well. Overall speaking, the value of an appliance is decreasing over the years, almost same as cars. The more expensive you purchase, the higher price you sale, however, as for the gain, it is hard to say.