I'm not sure it's as nonsensical as it once was. Here in the US, the quality of mass-market kitchen appliances has declined sharply over the past 15-20 years,

I'm not sure it's as nonsensical as it once was. Here in the US, the quality of mass-market kitchen appliances has declined sharply over the past 15-20 years, and really high-quality units have a respectable price tag. It's increasingly common for home sellers to keep their higher-quality appliances to take with them, and swap them out with mediocre baseline models. I'm in the process of purchasing a house, where the seller swapped out the fridge between the initial listing and my offer. The dishwasher needs replacement post-purchase, and I'm planning to purchase a high-end one, and my thinking is to do the same thing with it should I move within the next few years. Taking this situation to its logical conclusion, it would make much more sense for both parties to just install their own appliances, rather than to have to bundle the house with what are essentially cheapest-tier placeholders.