I know this is a typical question (Honolulu: real estate, apartments)
OahuIncludes Honolulu
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My Fiance and I are moving to Oahu within a year (after we sell or house). This is something we always wanted to do, and we are doing it. I have read over and over the horror stories of those moving there and not making it. I have an associates degree in business management technology, and am currently working on my bachelors in Information Security. My Fiance has a real estate license and has worked in sales/baking for the past 6 years. We have no kids, and a dog (I know all about the quarentine).
As of now (excluding airline tickets) we will have around 10k to go there with, and a free place to stay until we get a place. Now, I personally would like to live near honolulu, because I am sure whatever job I get, it will be near that area. I plan to take the bus, and the lady will most likely try and buy a used car. Now, I used the money we make now, which isn't much, and see how it would compute there, if we made the same. Combined we make about 3,200 a month, but I have cut it down to 2800$ just to see.
Now if we found a studio, or 1bd for 1300/mo and had 500 in utilites, 300 for food, 200 for gas and another 200 for whatever else, we would still be left over with around 250. I highly doubt we will spend that much on groceries, but either way. I have been looking for a few years, this is not something we just decided on and went for it. I have seen multiple 1 befrooms/studios for 900-1000/mo downtown, that is what would work best, I just put 1300 as a working number.
I do not need something big as all, although the fiance (like most women ) want nice things. But she is understanding that it is extremely expensive and that we will not have the lifestyle we have now. We have been there 3 times and she actually lived on the big island for a year with her sister (who doesn't live there anymore). Like I said, we have no kids (1 dog) we do not drink or do drugs and are able to live frugally. We are 30 years old and hace been planning this for 3 years. we do not want to be 50 living in Ohio wishing we would have taken a chance when we were younger. So, the main concern is the deog, he is a pit bull mix, but I have spoken with quite a few people and landlords that didn't seem to have a problem as long as we bought renteres insurance. I am also aware, that this will not be vacation, and working a lot (possibly 2 jobs) will be expected, but I love the people there, the varying cultures, and everything else! But even if I only had one day every two weeks to enjoy the island, it would be worth it!
So, are there any areas that people typically move in and move out that are somewhat cheap (for hawaii) where landlords would love to have someone who was stable, responsible, and be long term? any thoughts would be great!! Sorry for the novel....
all you can do is get here and try to rent a place that will take the dog. it really does just depend on the landlord. you can't count on a rent price to try to budget unless you see the place. many nice places are overpriced as well as some not so nice places and areas. you have to see what works for you and how much it will really cost. come first get a place then send for the family. good luck
all you can do is get here and try to rent a place that will take the dog. it really does just depend on the landlord. you can't count on a rent price to try to budget unless you see the place. many nice places are overpriced as well as some not so nice places and areas. you have to see what works for you and how much it will really cost. come first get a place then send for the family. good luck
Thanks! That was the plan, I was going to come first, get a place, and go from there. Only problem is, my fiance knows what I consider nice, and what she considers nice is totally different! haha. But she realized that we will have to get used to not living as nice (not that we live like kings now) and having to deal with me in the same room at all times! I just said 1300 as a high price because didn't want to go that high. Her sister lived in ko olina after the big island for 3 years, and we know we will never afford that unless we get really great jobs, but for now, we just plan on as minimal as possible and shoot for the smaller/cheaper places. a 1bd would be great, but a studio will most likely have to do. Thanks for the input!!
So, are there any areas that people typically move in and move out that are somewhat cheap (for hawaii) where landlords would love to have someone who was stable, responsible, and be long term? any thoughts would be great!! Sorry for the novel....
Your best bet for "cheap" and an area with high turnover of tenants would be around the Univeristy of Hawaii area. You should budget about $1,000 for the dog/quarantine process and expect to pay a rental premium over other units that don't allow pets.
Quite a few apartments will include utilities in the rent. So you could possibly increase your rent budget if the unit includes utilities.
You'll also want to consider washer/dryer. Some units have one, other units have community coin-op w/d's. Coin-op w/d could add $30 or $40 / month to your living expenses.
I know of 2 nice secure buildings in Waikiki that are pet friendly with frequent rental availability: The Four Paddle is a nice building. Rents include all utilities (including electric). Units are typically 550 sq ft 1 bedroom units and typically come with parking also. The building if pet friendly (size restrictions though) but not all landlords will accept pets.
This is an active listing on craigslist for a Four Paddle Unit. Most units in this building run $1,500 to $2,000 /mnth (with utilities). This unit is lower priced.
Utilites and Parking Included in Rent - Waikiki - One Bedroom with Exc (http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/2717496134.html - broken link)
The other building is Kaiolu Sunrise. Some units have parking, other units do not. These are larger units (625 sq ft). Pet friendly building (with size restrictions) some landlords will take pets, others won't. Rents again are typically $1,500 to $1,900 but they do include all utilities including electric.
Waikiki is not a "cheap area". But there is a lot to do there and if you look, you could still units that would fit your budget (if your budget is $1,300 + $500 for utilities).
Those were just 2 buildings I'm familiar with to give you an example.
The only observation I would make is that $200 per month for food for 2 people is not enough.
That's $25 each, per week. There is really no way you can eat 3 meals per day x 7 days on $25. That is $1.19 per meal. Unless you want to dumpster dive, you'll need to up that amount. If you plan on eating out instead, you should probably quadruple your food budget.
Look up Safeway on line and enter a Honolulu zip code to pull up weekly ads. Then make a 7 day, 3 meal a day menu and add it up. That at least will give you a more accurate idea of food costs.
For me, the budget busters come in waves. I wanted to make chex mix and needed Worscheshter sauce....6.39 for the meduim bottle. (Yikes) Baking chocolate? 2/7.00. And of course, we don't use worchester sauce every day, nor baking chocolate, but I find that usually once a month or so, I'm outraged at buying an "extra" that costs 3 more in Hawaii than mainland! YMMV.
MY first impression was the low rent expectation and food expenses. Food adds up QUICK here, even a small hand cart quickly adds up to $100.
When we planned on moving here, I too planned on $1,300 as a max for rent. I found a studio that accepted pets for $1,050 +$25 per cat (3), per month. The place was a 230 sq ft studio in Mo'ilili (2 mi from Waikiki). We thought we prepped prior to the move by renting a 600sq ft 1 br apartment for 6 months. But it could not prepare us for this place. I quickly had to buy an A/C unit to suck the humidity out of the air and cool things off ($400). That made the electric bill near $200. The only laundry was a shared 4 machine coin-op with lazy neighbors who would leave their stuff in the dryer or washer. No dishwasher, microwave, etc. For 5 living creatures it was just too small, loud, hot, and light at night. It took some time to aclimate to the warm humid weather. We moved from a place that has an average temp of 60. The building "security" lights lit the place up at night, and the trash guy came at 5am, needless to say I didn't get much sleep those first couple months. Grrr. We broke the lease to get out of there and get into a better place. It was just too much to take. I like sleep, ya know?
The reason I am typing that out is that it's one thing to say you can handle living with less, but it's another thing to do it. Those first couple months were tough. We were also getting used to big city life. The place we moved from has a population equal to the average amount of tourists at any given time in Waikiki, 70,000. There are some really cool things about the culture here, and some not so cool things about it too. It takes time to adapt. I'm not trying to be negative about it, just honest.
My advice would be to give yourself more room on rent. Like others have stated, a place that has a washer/dryer in it and utilities included is a great way to go. I drive by the Four Paddle every day on the way home, that rent price is a steal, especially if they allow pets. I would say if you can plan for an all utilities included place for $1,700, you should be able to find something you actually WANT to live in. I have yet to see a rental that has a dishwasher FWIW.
For food, it adds up quick. And we don't really eat out much. We spend about $400 a month in food. For example, for 1.4lbs of Hamburger (90%), I usually spend $8.50. Some things are less expensive, but most things are a solid $1 or $.50 more.
Pet food is crazy priced. Costco food is cheaper, but we are about to switch back because it's causing the cats to hurl more often. You might check the prices at Petco for dog food so you have a good heads up. There are two of them on Oahu.
Quite a few apartments will include utilities in the rent. So you could possibly increase your rent budget if the unit includes utilities.
You'll also want to consider washer/dryer. Some units have one, other units have community coin-op w/d's. Coin-op w/d could add $30 or $40 / month to your living expenses.
I know of 2 nice secure buildings in Waikiki that are pet friendly with frequent rental availability: The Four Paddle is a nice building. Rents include all utilities (including electric). Units are typically 550 sq ft 1 bedroom units and typically come with parking also. The building if pet friendly (size restrictions though) but not all landlords will accept pets.
This is an active listing on craigslist for a Four Paddle Unit. Most units in this building run $1,500 to $2,000 /mnth (with utilities). This unit is lower priced.
Utilites and Parking Included in Rent - Waikiki - One Bedroom with Exc (http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/2717496134.html - broken link)
The other building is Kaiolu Sunrise. Some units have parking, other units do not. These are larger units (625 sq ft). Pet friendly building (with size restrictions) some landlords will take pets, others won't. Rents again are typically $1,500 to $1,900 but they do include all utilities including electric.
Waikiki is not a "cheap area". But there is a lot to do there and if you look, you could still units that would fit your budget (if your budget is $1,300 + $500 for utilities).
Those were just 2 buildings I'm familiar with to give you an example.
Good luck.
Thanks! I actually am more worried about the size of the dog and that it is a pit bull mix. But as I said, I talked to a few landlords who said the same thing, that some will not allow it, and some will as long as you get renters insurance which is like 300-400/year. I will spend a while actually there, trying to meet with people, introduce the dog etc. I have no doubt this will be tough, but I think it will be worth it and will go through whatever I have to go through in order to make it happen!
Quite a few apartments will include utilities in the rent. So you could possibly increase your rent budget if the unit includes utilities.
You'll also want to consider washer/dryer. Some units have one, other units have community coin-op w/d's. Coin-op w/d could add $30 or $40 / month to your living expenses.
I know of 2 nice secure buildings in Waikiki that are pet friendly with frequent rental availability: The Four Paddle is a nice building. Rents include all utilities (including electric). Units are typically 550 sq ft 1 bedroom units and typically come with parking also. The building if pet friendly (size restrictions though) but not all landlords will accept pets.
This is an active listing on craigslist for a Four Paddle Unit. Most units in this building run $1,500 to $2,000 /mnth (with utilities). This unit is lower priced.
Utilites and Parking Included in Rent - Waikiki - One Bedroom with Exc (http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/2717496134.html - broken link)
The other building is Kaiolu Sunrise. Some units have parking, other units do not. These are larger units (625 sq ft). Pet friendly building (with size restrictions) some landlords will take pets, others won't. Rents again are typically $1,500 to $1,900 but they do include all utilities including electric.
Waikiki is not a "cheap area". But there is a lot to do there and if you look, you could still units that would fit your budget (if your budget is $1,300 + $500 for utilities).
Those were just 2 buildings I'm familiar with to give you an example.
Good luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dthraco
MY first impression was the low rent expectation and food expenses. Food adds up QUICK here, even a small hand cart quickly adds up to $100.
When we planned on moving here, I too planned on $1,300 as a max for rent. I found a studio that accepted pets for $1,050 +$25 per cat (3), per month. The place was a 230 sq ft studio in Mo'ilili (2 mi from Waikiki). We thought we prepped prior to the move by renting a 600sq ft 1 br apartment for 6 months. But it could not prepare us for this place. I quickly had to buy an A/C unit to suck the humidity out of the air and cool things off ($400). That made the electric bill near $200. The only laundry was a shared 4 machine coin-op with lazy neighbors who would leave their stuff in the dryer or washer. No dishwasher, microwave, etc. For 5 living creatures it was just too small, loud, hot, and light at night. It took some time to aclimate to the warm humid weather. We moved from a place that has an average temp of 60. The building "security" lights lit the place up at night, and the trash guy came at 5am, needless to say I didn't get much sleep those first couple months. Grrr. We broke the lease to get out of there and get into a better place. It was just too much to take. I like sleep, ya know?
The reason I am typing that out is that it's one thing to say you can handle living with less, but it's another thing to do it. Those first couple months were tough. We were also getting used to big city life. The place we moved from has a population equal to the average amount of tourists at any given time in Waikiki, 70,000. There are some really cool things about the culture here, and some not so cool things about it too. It takes time to adapt. I'm not trying to be negative about it, just honest.
My advice would be to give yourself more room on rent. Like others have stated, a place that has a washer/dryer in it and utilities included is a great way to go. I drive by the Four Paddle every day on the way home, that rent price is a steal, especially if they allow pets. I would say if you can plan for an all utilities included place for $1,700, you should be able to find something you actually WANT to live in. I have yet to see a rental that has a dishwasher FWIW.
For food, it adds up quick. And we don't really eat out much. We spend about $400 a month in food. For example, for 1.4lbs of Hamburger (90%), I usually spend $8.50. Some things are less expensive, but most things are a solid $1 or $.50 more.
Pet food is crazy priced. Costco food is cheaper, but we are about to switch back because it's causing the cats to hurl more often. You might check the prices at Petco for dog food so you have a good heads up. There are two of them on Oahu.
I hear ya, I actually planned 300$ for food, and costco, and safeway was the plan, go by a budget, eat what we have even if it is not what we are in the mood for. I didn't think about looking for a more expensive place that had all utilities included. Great idea!
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) want nice things. But she is understanding that it is extremely expensive and that we will not have the lifestyle we have now. We have been there 3 times and she actually lived on the big island for a year with her sister (who doesn't live there anymore). Like I said, we have no kids (1 dog) we do not drink or do drugs and are able to live frugally. We are 30 years old and hace been planning this for 3 years. we do not want to be 50 living in Ohio wishing we would have taken a chance when we were younger. So, the main concern is the deog, he is a pit bull mix, but I have spoken with quite a few people and landlords that didn't seem to have a problem as long as we bought renteres insurance. I am also aware, that this will not be vacation, and working a lot (possibly 2 jobs) will be expected, but I love the people there, the varying cultures, and everything else! But even if I only had one day every two weeks to enjoy the island, it would be worth it! 
The Honolulu diet?
