Hello, my family and I will be PCSing to Yokosuka in June 2010 and had a few questions about on-base housing....  (We have two kids, and a large dog... so I believe that we will be slated for a 3-bedroom).
   1.  Do the town-houses have fenced-in back yards?
   2.  What is the actual wait time like around the June time frame for a 3-bedroom? (Every time I look on the housing website or call them, I only get thier stock answer of 4-8 months, which doesn't really help me to mentally prepare for how long we will have to stay in the Navy Lodge).
   3.  Are outdoor fireplaces allowed?
   4.  Can anyone point me to where I can find out what the square footage amounts for the 3-bedrooms are?

Thanks!!!

Sammygirl

Hi Sammygirl, if you go to the link below and click on the photos it will show a floor plan, at the bottom of the floor plan it shows the square footage. I believe that the units are fenced but if your dog is large and can jump a fence you may have an issue as I don't think the fences are very high. Hope that helps. Also, if you go to the pictures section of this site there is a sub category called housing pics with sub's of onbase and off base, the more subs. Check it out. I also think the longest wait time is for Yoko itself.


http://www.housing.navy.mil/onestop...hototours/

You are only allowed to get TLA for 60days unless you are "Actively" looking for a home off base...I've heard that for you to be considered activly looking you must see at least 6 homes off base a day...I had originally heard 6 a week, but my husband was the one who made it to the brief (I was with the kids) and that's what he said, but who knows...my husband has a tendancy to think he hears things he didn't hear. Not to mention it was the day after we arrived and jet lag was in full effect!

1. Yes the backyards are fenced in!

2. & 4. 3 bedroom homes here are in high demand, especially town homes, and unfortunatly there is no way of telling what your wait will be 3 months from now. But I can tell you that the trend is for lots of people to PCS during the summer months due to children being in school. So there will probably be lots of people moving around. You can usually bet that Negishi is gonna have the shortest wait time, simply because it's the furthest from base, and less people want to live there... I think the sq footage fluctuates depending where you go and whether you get a TH or tower. I was told that the housing office websites has sq footage on the "one stop" link at the bottom, but I was never able to find it...

3. On base you should be fine with the out door fire place, since grills are allowed. In AOB we were told that Japanese people aren't use to grilling like Americans are, and if they see smoke they will most likely call the fire department thinking your house is on fire.

Have you read up on the requirements for bringing a pet to Japan? The housing office does not take pets into consideration when assigning you a unit. In a nutshell, you could be assigned housing to a tower unit and they don't allow dogs in the towers.

https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Yokosuka/Relocation/YokosukaHousingWelcomeCenter/index.htm

This is a cut and paste from the above link:

Important information for Pet owners:



Bringing a pet dog with you when you transfer to Yokosuka will seriously interfere and/or impede finding a place to live, both on and off base. This is because pets are not taken into consideration when making on-base housing assignments, and most of the off base housing allows dogs “by exception” only. The majority of local community housing landlords do not allow pets. So to expedite finding a place to live in Yokosuka, you should plan to bring your pet dog ONLY AFTER you have arrived and secured suitable housing that allows pets. Consider the following:

(1) Assignment to military family housing is made based only on eligibility date of member, family composition, and availability date of the housing unit. It does not consider the geographical location desired or whether or not you have pets. Therefore, your first offer could be for a highrise or midrise unit in Ikego or Yokosuka, neither of which allows pet dogs. Since 60% of our MFH inventory is comprised of highrise and midrise units, this situation will more than likely occur.



(2) The only MFH allowing pet dog(s) are “townhouses”. These are units that are connected with each other similar to duplexes, or stand alone. Stand alone units are Flag Officer Quarters and most of the Senior Officer (O-6) quarters at Yokosuka or located only at Negishi Heights, and connected units are located on all three housing areas of Yokosuka Main Base, Ikego, and Negishi Heights. In these units, a combination of two pets (two dogs, one dog plus one cat, two cats) is authorized. However, as previously explained, all families are eligible for these units and the pet owner must compete for them accordingly. The only alternative for the pet owner that turns down military family housing is to move off base.



(3) Lodging facilities including Navy Lodge do not allow pets in their rooms. Guests with pets will be required to seek a pet boarding facility. Pet boarding fees are high in Japan and can prove expensive.



(4) Several major airlines have also revised their pet policies on transporting pets to overseas locations. The majority of our families who PCS transfer during the peak season are unable to fly out with their pets due to these airline restrictions.

Based upon these challenging conditions, it is strongly recommended that you leave your pet dog(s) in the States until you locate suitable housing. For more information, please see our other web pages at Pet Policy and Bringing pets?

Yes tulips is right about sqft...forgot about that. For some reason I was thinking about the room dementions...just more proof I need a nap...

and again...

Hey, thanks for everyone's responses to my questions... I was wondering about something that "retired CPO" said about turning down base housing though. My family wants a 3 bedroom on Yokosuka naval base. What happens when we have let housing know this and they slate us for a high rise, or a house over in Negishi or Ikego? Can I keep turning them down until I get a 3 BR on Yokosuka? Or are there a certain number of refusals that one is allowed before housing takes you off of the list completely?

You will get only so long in the lodge. The will offer you first available, NOT taking into consideration the dog. So, whatever you qualify for, and since it's 3bdrm, a tower offer will be your first. You'll turn it down because of the dog. Then your looking at Ikego or Negishi. They'll have availability long before Yoko. You can only wait it out for so long and then you'll be off base.

Well to be honest, you can tell them what you want, but they are gonna offer you what they have. You get 1 refusal before you get bumped to the bottom of the list... Remember if you stay past the 60 days in the lodge you are going to be paying out of pocket, and if your dog comes with you when you transfer, you will have to board him/her at the kennel and that place sucks! My dog weighed just over 10lbs when we arrived, when we got her out 2 weeks later she weighed 8lbs...that's a big weightloss for a small dog. With just one room and boarding for your dog you're looking at around $90 a day, and that's not even counting food or taxi's or anything else... I totally understand wanting to hold out for what you want; I felt the same way. But again 3 bedrooms are hard to come by, especially for townhomes. I wanted to hold out because my wait was only 3 months...yours is probably gonna be 4 at best. That's 2 months out of pocket...but it's your funds and you know what you can afford. I just want you to keep that in mind. Also dispite what people say, there are houses out in town that have small yards and allow dogs. That might be an option you want to look into.

As far as how one is placed on the "wait list" for housing....  How does that work exactly... I have been told several different things....  I have been told that you are placed on the list based on your departure date from your last command and that is where you are placed, (ie, if you depart from your command on May 1st and check into Yokosuka June 1st, then you already have one month "wait time" under your belt and are placed in a "retro-active" way).  But then I have also been told that you don't get placed on the list until you check into housing.  Which is the correct answer?

And hey, thanks a bunch to everyone who is answering my many questions.  I really can't tell you how grateful I am.

Sammygirl

I can for sure tell you it's based on your Departure date. So yes, you would have that time under your belt.

I was also wondering if the town houses have carpet? If they don't, do you recommend that I purchase some before we PCS there or wait until we get to Japan.... Oh, and how are the shops there for things like carpet?

Bring lots of rugs. It will be cheaper.

The town houses do not have carpet. If there's something special you want, go ahead and buy it. They have carpets in town which are very nice and expensive, or really cheaply made and expensive. There's IKEA, and the NEX has some but you don't have a lot of choice (orange shag carpet anyone?!). The bazaars sell nice oriental carpets. It really depends what you want and if you can live with a boring cheapy rug you buy here. Again, if there's something specific you want, get it there and pack it with your HHE.

Someone has mentioned before- have you already started the paperwork, vaccines and blood work for your dog? Since you're looking at a lengthy wait for a townhouse, have you considered leaving the dog with family or friends until you have housing and sending the dog on his own once you're moved in. I'm a big advocate of that route- and using a pet shipping company to do all the work, lol.

I live in a townhouse in Yokosuka and we have carpet upstairs (all bedrooms and stairs), and downstairs we have laminate flooring and linoleum in the kitchen.

Tirani... yes we did start our dog's paperwork...What we have done so far is get her microchipped, two rabies shots after that, the bloodwork test FAVN completed and we have the results back, and I notified Narita airport of our arrival and they sent me our Quarantine number via email last week. (We will be flying into Narita because of the size and weight of our dog and her kennel). Right now we are waiting for her six month quarantine period to be done from the date of the blood being drawn for the FAVN. Can you or anyone else tell me if there is anything that I have missed or any tips on making things easier getting my dog through the screening process?

ilovesushi..... (I love sushi too and can't wait to get over to Japan to go nuts.. :-) Anyway, I was wondering are you in 3 or 4 bedroom townhouse on Yokosuka? When did you transfer over there and how long did you have to wait on the list before getting your town-house?

I've gotta ring in on the rugs, too. Bring a few to match the rooms you've got, but 'specifically your living room. The carpet here is not padded and very low pile (if not any pile). It's very industrial.

And the rugs on base suck, sorry. And then off base they're $$$ and hard to come by if you don't drive to your destination and pick them up. Ikea is the best I've seen, and I'm currently waiting to get back there in a hurry so I can have a rug, lol.


With your dog... it sounds like you're okay (health certificate 10 days before you leave, of course). And if you get base housing you can continue your quarantine period in the house if you have time left. Don't let that hold you behind.

It sounds like your paperwork is in order. Yokosuka Townhouse availability sucks and is a pain to get into. I live in Ikegami which is a new area very close( like 10min drive) from Yokosuka Base and every house has a small yard and the houses are built to Western Standards so you have insulation. With the Summer moving season there should be some openings but they do tend to go fast. I have seen a few American families with pets in those houses. This might be another option to look into if you can't get into Yokosuka and don't want the drive to Negishi. You will probably pay a pretty hefty security deposit no matter where you rent, if you have to move off base. The Navy pays well here so it will not be too bad.
You may want to look at leaving him with family as people have already mentioned. This will make it so much easier on you if you do so.
Good luck and Welcome to Japan.

Sammygirl, we live in a 3 bedroom townhouse and I guess we were lucky since even though according to the waiting list we would have to wait 7-8 months, we got a townhouse in Yokosuka in a month. We applied for the base housing in July and moved in August 09.

Sammygirl, I just wanted to weigh in on the process of being offered and turning down housing. The housing office will offer you the first thing available that you qualify for, not taking your pet into consideration. You can turn this down and then ask to be put on a specific wait list (i.e. 3 bedroom town house in Yokosuka, 3 bedroom townhouse in Ikego) and then you just wait to be offered something. If, for some reason, you turn down your second housing offer, THEN you go to the bottom of the list. That being said, the 60 day limit in the Lodge goes into effect on your first day here. After that, you have to prove that you are actively looking for a place out in town in order to get them to continue to pay for the Lodge.
As for the rugs, we bought a bound remnant for our sons' room when we got here and are happy with it. It's not thick and luxurious or anything, but it keeps them from having to sit on the cold linoleum when they play. But Elizabeth is right, the choices are limited and everything out in town if pretty expensive. If you know what you want and can get it before you come here, I would definitely do it.
Good luck with your move!

Thanks everyone for the info you are providing. I can definately tell you all that it is helping my family and I decide what to bring with us and what we should leave behind. Of course, I have some more questions though... :-)

We have a gas grill and patio furniture. Are the back yards big enough for us to bring them? And also, are propane tanks available for purchase to go with a gas grill?

Also, can anyone give me any insight as to if there are activities in the summer for kids? m (You see, we will be coming over at the end of June and then my husband will be leaving at the end of July for the rest of the summer. So I will be left behind with kids that are new to the area). So I was wondering what you all did to get your kids involved immediately so that they could make some new friends.

Thanks a bunch!!!

the yards are big enough for grills and patio set unless you get screwed like we did and get a botched yard...it's a fraction of the size of all the other yards around us...NEX sells propane tanks so don't bring one...deposit required.
I am kinda new to the area too so not sure what's available for kids this summer...I know we will be spending a lot of time at the pool this year...

YES!!!

There is room for patio furnature...hubby and I were just discussing yesterday that we needed to get some ourselves! Grill will be fine!  Don't think I've seen the place to pick up the tanks, but I'm sure they have them.  And there are alot of activites for kids over the summer.  I was just looking yesterday at sports and classes for my kiddos to get started in.  If you go to the sites I've pasted below you'll be able to find lots of stuff your kids can get involved with from baseball, to piano, to Japanese language and lots of other things...It just depends on their ages and intrests!


https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Yokosuka/MWR/index.htm
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/navycni/groups/public/documents/document/cnicp_a159383.pdf
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Yokosuka/MWR/ChildandYouthPrograms/YouthSports/index.htm

So, I think that Electric Blankets are a must pack!

FYI, propane tanks can be found at the Autoport.

I wanted to chime in here. We moved from a tower to a three bedroom townhouse. We 1st got offered a tower in Ikego and turned it down and then they offered us the townhouse. They wait list said we had to wait 7-8 months but the offer within a month. They even gave us the keys that day to look at it. We went back to the office said we would take it and then signed the papers, got the keys the same day and moved in

Heather, what month did you arrive? And, you said you MOVED FROM a tower to a TH. Did you actually move INTO a tower, and if so where, and then you got offered a tower in Ikego and turned it down and THEN got offered a TH in Ikego. That's how I'm reading your post, or am I confused.

Heather, I would also like to know what month did you arrive? And also how many months had it been since you all had detached from your previous command? (ie... how many months did you have under your belt so as to bump you up on the list).

Well, we got here in Jan 07. We got offered a housing the 1st week were here only because our rotation date was Sept 06. My husband had to go to a school before we got here. We got offered a tower at Ikego and turned it down, then got offered a tower on main base and accepted it. In Jan. 09 I found out I was pregnant. I went to housing to see if I could get a bigger house because we were living in a 2 bedroom. I was told that I could fill out the paper work but would not be put on the list to get a 3 bedroom until I started my 3rd trimester. We were just waiting. They asked me what kind of housing I preferred and told them I wanted a townhouse on main base. They told me that they couldn't promise me anything. I hit my 3rd trimester and was put on the waiting list for a 3 bedroom townhouse on main base. I was number 7 on the list and the projected waiting time was 7-8 months. Within a month of being on the list we got a call from housing telling us they had a house for us. When we got there she told me they had a townhouse on main base for us but I had to 1st turn down a 3 bedroom tower in Ikego. We turned it down. She gave us the keys to the TH tokd us to look at it and tell her if we wanted it (of course we did we turned down the 1st offer) we saw the house, went back signed the papers, got the keys and moved in. Here we are 10 months later and getting ready to leave. Did I clear everything up?

I would really not base any of these answers on what will happen to you when you arrive. We came in FEb....waited 2wks for a townhome in ikego...we wanted main base or Neigishi...was told a 4 month waiting or longer...In Jan...a CPO with a 4 bdrm entitlement was offered a TH on main base...so just in that short time there was not one for us.
then last month, hubby told me of two more people that came to his ship and were given a home in Neigishi....
It's all a matter of timing I think and maybe who you know...while I am happy with our TH I don't like our yard...we have a normal size patio brick area but the grass part is the same size...other neighbors have a way bigger yard...oh well, at least I only need a weed eater to cut the grass...

Hey, thanks for all of your input. We will be arriving in June of 2010, so hopefully folks that are leaving after the school year will be vacating the townhouse and we get lucky. We'll see.

About the yards, should we bring our lawn mover and yard equipment, or is there lawn equipment there for everyone's use? And if we should bring our lawn equipment, is there a shed for us to store it in at the townhouses? Also, I have been looking at the floor plans of the different townhouses, and I am a little confused. What is the "Service Court" on the floor plans....Is it a patio or something?

Hello, it's me again... :-0

I was wondering does Yokosuka on-base housing have ceiling lights, or should I bring a bunch of lamps? (I read on one of the blogs that some of the townhouses on one of the locations doesn't have ceiling lights).

And, I was looking at some of you all's information about different places that you go to eat for your "meetings." I was wondering if anyone knows of any cooking courses over there that teach how to make real sushi? And I was wondering, when someone moves to Yokosuka, do they just show up at one of your "get-together" meetings, or is there someone that I would need to let know that I would like to attend?

wooo hoooo Sammygirl, i detect a fellow Southern Belle there with the "you all's". I'm a Mississippi born Texas living, TN housed chick here. Happy to make your acquaintance, lolll!

Tulipsonly, Actually I was born in Maryland. (Lots of folks seem to forget that it is below the Mason/Dixie line, though). But my hubby is from Alabama, and we have lived most of our tours in Pensacola, Florida, (which is right next to Alabama), North Carolina, and Virginia. So between where we have been stationed all his career and the fact that ALL of my kids are "southern belles and beaus," I have definately embraced the Southern ways and values that I think are in all of us.

Here's another question for everyone...where do you store things like Christmas trees/decorations? I've heard about the storage lockers that the towers have, but we'll either be off base or in a town house as we need a 4 bedroom place to live. I'm also interested in what the "service court" is on the floor plans. We will be there in July...going to the dr. tomorrow for our overseas screening!

The Service Court can be seen in the TH pictures in the photos section of this website. It's a walled in patio off the room that is referred to on the OneStop website as the family room but everybody seems to be using it as a dining room. So the "service court" appears to be just a walled in Patio off the dining room on the front of the TH.

And that's my two cents.

Hey Dana, my hubby will be arriving in June. But the kids and I will be arriving on July 3rd. So we should be arriving around the same time you do. Maybe some of our blogger friends here will be nice enough to show us around. :-)

Oh, and hopefully you and I both get lucky with regards to getting the housing that we want!!! :-)

Ya'll need to meet Chancie, she just got there in March and also moved from Pcola.

Hey Tulipsonly, I am a little confused still about the "service court". I went and looked at the pictures and it doesn't look like it has a roof. Is it attached to the house or just in front? You said that folks are using it as a dining room. Are they putting pation furniture out there, or is it covered so that you can put indoor furniture in it?

And I would love to have someone who lives in a 3 bedroom or 4 bedroom on base to take pictures of thier place so that those of us that are looking at our furniture here in the states can better judge what we should be able to bring and fit inside one of those units...... Just a request if anyone wants to do it. :-)

Sammygirl, we will be arriving mid-July, maybe we'll be neighbors in the good 'ol Lodge.

Chancie posted pictures of her 4 bdrm in Ikego on the site. No the service court isn't the dining room, its a patio. Off the Family Room (which is really the dining room) there are sliding glass doors that open up onto a patio which is wrapped with a tall wall on two sides, with the only open side facing the sidewalk to your front door. Basically, it's just a concrete floored patio with access into the dining room through sliding glass doors. I'm assuming you could put patio furniture out there or park your bikes there, or a grill. That sort of thing. Hope that helps.

No offense Dana, but from what I have read in the blogs.... I HOPE NOT!!! :-) I am hoping that you and I beat the odds and get housing right away. Ok, I know that I am living in la la land. But as George said in one of my favorite Sinefeld episodes...... "it's not a lie, if you believe it!" :-)

I'm just getting to the point of throwing my hands up lol. My husband leaves soon and I don't want to bee stuck in the lodge by myself with the kiddos....I guess Ikego it is!

Tullipsonly, the information on the front patio does help a lot. Thanks about the info on Chancie's pictures. I went and viewed them and they were very helpful too.

I was wondering about lawn mowers.... did you all bring them or are there some available on base in order to mow the lawns?

hnbsmom, how long have you been in the Navy lodge and how long have you been on the waiting list?

Lawnmowers are available for useage in each housing area. But, you can still bring your own, but if you get a tower, then you're stuck with using your storage space to store a mower

we have been here for 4 days but have been detached from our old place since 1april. We are 8 on the generic list so we should get an offer in the next couple of days. I'm just nervous about being thrown into everything all at once, alone in a new country with 2 kids is scary. I know I'll figure it out but it would have been easier to get main base.

hnbsmom, Hang in there!!!! I will also be in the same place you are, (theoretically anyway). Right after we arrive, my hubby has to leave also. So I will be left with two little ones and a dog. :-( I guess those are the things we spouses are left with.

Hello everyone... I do have a question about the "list." Is everyone put on the same list? How does that work?