Montalvo Travel Blog: Coast Swap: Apartment Hunters Puyallup/Tacoma Edition

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Coast Swap: Apartment Hunters Puyallup/Tacoma Edition

What we are looking for in an apartment:

2 bedrooms (one to use as Ginger's office and also to have guests stay with us)
possibly a second bathroom (to better accomodate guests
maybe a personal yard for Clementine?
a short commute to Stephen's office in Puyallup
flexibility to move when Stephen's job moves to a work site
an apartment that doesn't require renovation (taking a break from that)

We toured 9 different properties, but we'll show you highlights, top two in each category: Apartment Complexes, Duplexes, and Houses.

1. Massive Complex

$949 (pet deposit $500, half refundable.)
2 bed, 2 bath, second floor.
tenet pays for water, electricity, trash.
no a/c
distance from office: 3.9 miles, 7 minutes
Many complexes just like it all over town!

Amenities: 24 hour weights room, pool (9-9)

At first we thought this is the sort of place we'd like to live temporarily while for our dream apartment (and waiting for company to assign Stepen somewhere more permanent) but it immediately overwhelmed us. The amenities didn't make up for feeling lost, crowded, and crushed.

2. Kids Complex

$975?
2 bed, 2 bath (1 shower, 1 tub) 1 bonus room
great living room, small kitchen
cons: small kids playing in parking lot
just North of Puyallup, distance from office: 5 miles, 10 minutes

3. Tall Duplex

$1100
2 bed, 1.5 bath, 1 car garage
on busy street (odd driveway angles)
lawn care up to tenant
fenced back yard
6.2 miles, 17 minutes to office
spacious, two floors!

4. Tiny Duplex

$850
2 bed, 1 bath
small living room, no dining room
w/d in separate building, coin-op
all utilities: $150
distance to office: 9.3 miles, 16 min
(not sure we can make our furniture fit.)

5. North House

2 bed 1 bath, $925
North Tacoma, nice neighborhood
fenced yard, not allowed to use garage (owners store boat there)
small kitchen, combined dining/living room (fireplace)
distance to office: 16 miles, 32 minutes
cute, may be a little crowded.

Kitchen is small, but has good features.

Fireplace is cute, not sure how to fit dining and living room into this space.

6. Red Leaves House

3 bedroom, 1 bath, $1125
North Tacoma, distance to office: 18 miles, 35 minutes
Garage is inaccessible to cars thanks to odd driveway edging. Streetview blocked by red leaves bush.
Spacious kitchen lacks dishwasher.