The Pro's and Con's to Living in Military Housing

As with anything in life there are always positives and negatives to a situation. Here I will discuss the different aspects of living in the housing available on a military installation.

No matter what branch of the military you are in, the housing is almost always the same. Older houses that have layers upon layers of paint on the walls, look just like your neighbors house and his neighbors house, and have a strict set of rules. So that being said, for the most part the ups and downs of military housing will be similar.

A big positive is the sense of security that comes from living on a military installation. It is a gated, guarded community that only dependants and military personnel have access to. You don't have to worry about who is knocking on your door or if it is ok to go for a walk in the evening. Most housing is on the actual base or post or very close to it. Being close to the actual base or post, you have everything that you need in a moments notice. The commissary and exchange is there, as well as anything else your base has to offer. This also makes it a easy commute for the military member. You also get the support of the whole military family, being close to other spouses and children for your family to associate with.

The downfall of this is the closeness. People may feel they may not be able to separate work and home life. Everyone is different in the way they feel about this. Yes you are close to your neighbors, more times usually living in duplexes or attached houses. You may be right in your neighbors business or they may be in yours. But this can be true with any suburban community. Gossip flies no matter how close you live to your neighbors.

When you live in housing on a military base or post it is paid for by BAH. You aren't technically living in it for free, but you are not seeing that money either so it isn't out of pocket. Depending on the base you are at decides if you have to pay utilities or not. You do have to pay for the extras like cable, phone and internet and that comes out of your own money. The good thing about this is that BAH is determined by location and rank. So you may be able to find housing off base for lower than your BAH and actually make money. But at some places rent may be higher than your allowed housing money and you are better off living on base housing.

Some bases have been around for several decades and the houses can be older. But just because a house is older doesn't mean it is unlivable. It all comes down to what you can take and what you can't. But with on base housing you can call maintenance to come fix a problem and not have to pay anything for it.

A disadvantage to living in housing is you have to keep your yard in good order. You are reflecting the base or post with your house and yard and they want it to look nice. Some more than others can be more condemning then others. So you do have to keep your yard mowed and looking nice. When you move out of a house on base there are very strict cleaning requirements and if they are not met, you may have to pay out of pocket to have it done. So just make sure you clean all the corners and from top to bottom when you move out. There are companies that will clean your house for a fee and guarantee their work.

Living in base housing puts you "under contract" for the rules they have. From how your yard should look to what types or how many animals you can have. Some bases do not allow certain breeds of dogs and only allow you a selected number of pets. But this can be the same as renting off base.

So when you are moving to a new base or post, check into the area and see which is better for you. Check the costs, the schools if you have children, the convenience and the types of houses or apartments available. A little research can go a long way.