Condo living in Hawaii Kai

Photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties

One thing about condo living in Honolulu—the spaces are pretty small, unless you spend about a million dollars. The Commodore in Hawaii Kai, however, is known for oversized units, and since the place is a bit older, it’s not as pricey as a brand-new apartment.

Although built in 1982, the grounds are still lush and very well-kept, almost resort-like. There are many private picnic areas with barbecues and two pools, and the residents often bring their food and drinks downstairs to have dinner al fresco. The building also has a large amount of guest parking spaces and plenty of street parking…so your friends can join you at your private picnic area for dinner.

“One of the reasons my client was drawn to the building when she bought her unit 10 years ago was the lush grounds, and all the amenities, as well as how quiet the building is,” says realtor Diane Pizarro, who is having her first open house for it this week.

The listing is a spacious, 1,019-square-foot unit with one bedroom and two bathrooms. It has ample storage space with two closets in the bedroom, plenty of cabinets and a storage locker. (Click here for details.)

This unit has Silestone counters in the kitchen and upgraded stainless steel appliances, including a side-by-side refrigerator with icemaker, stove, microwave hood and dishwasher. There is, again, plenty of storage here in the solid oak cabinets, including a pantry, additional cabinets in the dining area and a built-in bar nook.

The flooring has been updated throughout the home; the carpets are Stainmaster—the expensive kind treated all the way through the fibers, with a transferrable lifetime warranty—in the living room and bedrooms.

You get sweeping ocean and canal views from the living room, just above the treetops and palm trees. The specially tinted windows soften the rays of the afternoon sun to keep the unit cool, but if you need to be cooler, there is also central A/C.

This will be open from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.