Should Our Military Family Live in an Apartment or a House?
by Rebecca Alwine - May 12th, 2022
As a military family, one of our main concerns is where are we going to live. Over the past ten years, we’ve had to make many housing decisions ranging from living on or off the installation, renting or buying, and even apartment or a house.
Deciding between renting an apartment or a house
Several things play into our decisions regarding housing, and I’d imagine the same is true with your military family. Before a PCS move, it's important to weigh your options, and make the decision that makes the most sense for your family. If you're choosing between renting an apartment or a house, ask these questions:
What's the cost of renting an apartment vs. renting a house?
While renting an apartment may be less expensive than renting a house, the constant rotation of putting down deposits before the next one is returned can be an unexpected financial burden.
Are there decorating differences?
When you buy a house, you can do whatever you want with it! This is a huge plus after years of living in sterilized military housing.
Read our tips for decorating your rental home here.
Which extras fit your lifestyle?
While apartment complexes often come with extras like pools and maintenance, you may miss the garage and the yard a house has to offer. Apartment living often seems glorious. I imagine my younger days with much less stuff. Sort of a carefree attitude that comes with no yard to care for, and no garage full of tools. It reminds me of the years we spent at the beginning of our military adventure, slowly filling rooms with new-to-us furniture, and then children. Eating off a card table and watching TV sitting on a futon.
Be realistic in your housing wishlist
On our last military move, we were excited to move into an apartment. We had a very short tour and thought apartment living would be a great adventure. I remember hanging up the phone after talking to the manager and being very excited about summer afternoons spent at the pool I didn’t have to maintain. I imagined my morning coffee on the balcony looking out over some trees and a small pond.
Then I remember some of the headaches of apartment living. While ten years ago we had no children, now we had three. And a dog. Plus, “stuff” that lives in the garage. And two cars to park. Oh, the groceries would have to be carried up three flights of stairs, and the dog walked down them several times a day. My fantasy of simple, apartment living came to a crashing halt.
You can always choose house now, apartment later
So we moved into a house. A lovely, sensible three bedroom, two bath house with a fenced in backyard, a two car garage, and located in a good school district. No, we didn’t have a pool to visit, but we had enough room for our things. We did have a yard to mow, but we also didn’t have to walk the dog up and down the stairs at all hours of the night.
As I look forward, I imagine us once again living in an apartment, or maybe a townhome, when we are on the flip side of the military. Maybe when we can bicycle to work, or don’t have kids at home. When we can downsize the footlockers in the garage to maybe one in a storage unit. When life becomes inherently simpler, yet possibly a bit lonelier.
Use neighborhood reviews to make your choice
Just like with any aspect of military life and military moving, the opinions and experiences of other mil-families who’ve done it are welcome. Which is why each time I move, I scope out the reviews of the areas I’m interested in. Reviews ranging from installation housing to housing in the community, and even apartments are available on PCSgrades.com. While you’re there, leave one for your current housing situation.
Recommend your neighborhood? Leave a review for new military families coming to the area!
Rebecca Alwine is an Army wife, mother of three and lover of her adorable pirate dog. Over the past 15 years, she’s discovered she enjoys coffee, lifting weights and most of the menial tasks of motherhood. Her days consist of working out in her garage gym, audiobooks and pretending to cook while her Instant Pot and Air Fryer do all the work. Her motto: work smarter, not harder.
