Any moving advice? (Honolulu: apartments, rentals, condo)

[dw1045]

Hello!
We are have the option to relocate to Honolulu but we have so many questions about making such a big move. We are in our late 20s/early 30s, no children and currently live in Atlanta. His job would be in downtown Honolulu and we would want to be in an area that has an ok commute and is still nice area that is near restaurants, museums, etc. We are open to a condo/highrise or a house rental until we decided where we would want to be more permanently. What areas of town do you recommend? We are looking to spend between 2800-3200 on rent. What type of property does that cover? How much do utilities usually run? We will both have vehicles but would like to walk to things like the grocery store and coffee shop- is there an area where this is possible? I know it sounds like a lot of questions but we pretty clueless

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by dw1045

Hello!
We are have the option to relocate to Honolulu but we have so many questions about making such a big move. We are in our late 20s/early 30s, no children and currently live in Atlanta. His job would be in downtown Honolulu and we would want to be in an area that has an ok commute and is still nice area that is near restaurants, museums, etc. We are open to a condo/highrise or a house rental until we decided where we would want to be more permanently. What areas of town do you recommend? We are looking to spend between 2800-3200 on rent. What type of property does that cover? How much do utilities usually run? We will both have vehicles but would like to walk to things like the grocery store and coffee shop- is there an area where this is possible? I know it sounds like a lot of questions but we pretty clueless

You would have a lot of choices in that range. There are some nice high-rises just up the Pali Highway from downtown where you would be close enough to downtown to walk to shopping. Try this link:

classifieds - craigslist

Then there is the Wilder area of Makiki, here:

classifieds - craigslist

Maps:

Nuuanu area, Oahu - Google Maps

Google Maps

[husky422]

we just did a similar move from seattle. i work downtown honolulu and live on the edge of waikiki, right by ala moana shopping center. we also have two vehicles and it was a challenge finding a place with two parking spots. i was in corporate housing at discovery bay and really enjoyed the building, very centrally located for work, beach, coffee, restaurants. we ended up moving right down the street to the chateau waikiki, older building but a high rise with tons of amenities (salt water pool, cardio room, weight room, gas bbq's with gazebos, putting green, library, two recreation rooms). the big bonus was two covered,secured parking spots were included! we pay $2350 for a small (667 sq ft) 2 bedroom, one bath, water and electric are included, which is VERY nice. parking is super expensive downtown, so i actually walk/jog to work...nice 3 mile walk in the am. the bus is also a great way to go, driving here is kinda ridiculous

good luck

[hotzcatz]

If you find a place near enough that he can walk, jog or take the bus to work then you'd only need one car. Finding parking for cars is almost as difficult as finding apartments that take pets. I know a lot of folks who live on Oahu and never even get a driver's license.

There are vacation rentals by the week, perhaps finding a one or two week vacation rental would give you a good starting base so you'd be able to look around the areas before deciding? There is a lot of housing near downtown Honolulu.

[isaackko]

If you make decent money, the Windward (east) side of Oahu is an option. The commute is ~45 minutes in the worst traffic, 30 if you leave a little early. Parking can get pretty insane though.

TheBus is very reliable and has a ton of busses running during rush hours to and from downtown.

[dw1045]

This is all great advice We do have two small dogs; any ideas on buildings that accept pets? Thanks for all your help everyone!

[HankDfrmSD]

Originally Posted by dw1045

This is all great advice We do have two small dogs; any ideas on buildings that accept pets? Thanks for all your help everyone!

There is a four month quarantine for dogs arriving in Hawaii which can only be avoided if you follow ALL the rules here - plan on starting about six months before you arrive:

Animal Quarantine Information — Hawaii Department of Agriculture

[husky422]

we brought two cats with us, unfortunately one died a few days after he got here but finding a building a that takes pet can be very challenging. the humane society has a list of pet friendly buildings...their site is undergoing construction right now but you can still view the list with this url:

Hawaiian Humane Society | East Oahu Area Pet-Friendly Rentals

my building only allows, cats and birds...go figure. a lot of the listings on craigslist say no pets but i've been seeing some of those listings taking a LONG time to rent so they may negotiate. we are renting out our house in seattle and i did not want pets but since our house is sititng vacant, i am definitely reconsidering.

as far as the quarantine goes, get started on it ASAP. you can do the direct release program as long as you meet all the regulations: 2 rabies vaccinations, titer testing, wait 120 days, health cert, etc...if you don't they will have to be in quarantine in hawaii for 120 days and they charge ~1000/animal. also make sure your dogs are in great shape. we had been to the vet many times prior to the move and never realized that one of our cats had heart disease (no symptoms), the plane ride over accelerated the disease and as i previously mentioned, died a few days after we got here

the move here has been very challenging but definitley worth it. let me know if you questions, esp about the pet quarantine, the checklist, etc. make it seem more complicated than it really is.

aloha