My girlfriend and I are nearing the end of our 12-month lease of a one bedroom, one bath apartment ("Broadmoor" floor plan) in the "Woods" partition of Avalon at Fairway Hills.

Aside from living in this apartment for nearly a year, I've viewed several apartments personally through previous occupancy (Dominion King's Place), acquaintance occupancy, and "shopping around," and several more through virtual tours, photos, and floorplans.

I've been in three different units in the community since I've lived at Avalon Fairway Hills: Our unit and two occupied by friends. Two out of these three I was able to view prior to move-in. All three are in the "Woods" partition. I'm providing this information so you can rest assured that any observations made in this review that pertain to unit quality are based summatively on those three units, and not just on my own singular experience.

I can't speak to anything in the "Meadows" or "Fields" partitions. When we moved last November, those units hadn't been renovated so I can only assume that they're quite different then what I've experienced. A lot of the apartments in those two partitions are leased under the Howard County Bond Housing program as well, so be sure to read about that program to see if you're eligible before considering an apartment there.

**** UNIT ****

Carpets: The carpets here are no different than most apartments I've seen - a nondescript beige nylon (may be a poly-blend, I'm not 100% sure). We had the good fortune of being only the second tenant to occupy the unit after its renovation and the previous occupant left no measurable wear, so our carpets were immaculate. Our friend's unit had noticeable (but not unacceptable) carpet wear when he moved in, so it appears to vary at least somewhat. As with any unit, insist on seeing the place before you sign the lease to ensure that you're getting something that's acceptable to you.

Walls: The walls are painted with the defacto flat (Shell') white. The walls are generally in decent shape. It looks like they slap a coat or two on between tenants (as MD law requires, I believe). As with most apartments, there are numerous small imperfections throughout the unit (probably the accumulation of various spackle jobs over the years). It's nothing unreasonable, but I'd recommend a paint with a flat finish if you're planning on doing your own painting as it'll mask these blemishes better than a satin finish. Avoid glossy finishes if at all possible. There are no mouldings or chair rails, both of which I have seen at cheaper apartments. I'm not picking on the absence of these features from an aesthetic standpoint (it probably doesn't matter much if you're not going to paint), but I thought it was worth mentioning from a price standpoint.

Kitchen: The kitchen in our model ("Broadmoor") is a galley-style kitchen. There is plenty of cabinet space and a pantry enclosure (with a sliding folding-style door). Ours happen to have shelving installed by the previous tenant but this is not standard. The sink is a stainless single sink with a removable nozzle that can be toggled to spray mode. The countertops are a light grey patterned formica that complements the cabinetry well. The floor is a greyish-white, generic linoleum tile. The kitchen boasts a great, wide-open breakfast nook with a recessed light overhead. It's the nicest design feature in the whole apartment and probably the best feature of its kind in any apartment I've seen. It really opens up the kitchen to the rest of the apartment and makes the rooms on either side appear much larger. This feature isn't available on most floor plans in this community, however (I think the "Broadmoor" might be the only one that has it). One of our friends resides in the "Pebble Beach" layout which has a square-shaped, open kitchen with exits to both the dining room and hallway. The floor, cabinets, and appliances are the same. All in all, the kitchens consistently impressed me more than any other rooms and also add the most value to the units.

Appliances: The appliances in our unit (and in our friends' units) were up-to-date and in working order. The refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, washer, and dryer are all white (I believe they're all G/E). The side-by-side, full-sized washer and dryer set have been a nice perk (at least 50% of the apartments in this area seem to offer only half-size stacked W/D sets). The features on the appliances are about average at best, but that's to be expected in an apartment so there shouldn't be any disappointment there.

Cabinets: The cabinets are white with silver hardware. The craftsmanship is only so-so. I've had to do some repairs on my own as the tracks weren't very well secured. We also made some adjustments to the hinges as most adjacent cabinet doors were not even with each other. I'd be wary of putting a heavy load in any of the sliding drawers as the track hardware isn't sturdily built.

HVAC: We haven't had any issues with heat/air-conditioning so far. The electricity bill was definitely a little higher in the winter, but a little vigilance goes a long way in keeping your bill as reasonable as possible. The main door and sliding door aren't as tightly sealed as one might like (some air gets in/out). The main door frame is actually not properly fitted to the door, so there's a gap that required additional weatherstripping (our bathroom door also needed to be sanded to properly fit in its frame). The sliding door is within acceptable limits and not atypical of most sliding doors.

Bathroom: The floor is generic linoleum tile and the cabinets are the same as what's in the kitchen (white finish, silver hardware). We've had no substantial plumbing issues that a plunger or a solvent (Drano, for example) couldn't solve.

Pets: The pet policy here allows for dogs under 25 lbs (it seems, based on my observation, that this weight limit is overlooked by staff and disregarded by tenants as many large dogs such as labradors reside in the community). The price for having a pet in this community is, in my opinion, too expensive. There's a deposit of $200 (at least - it might be more) and a monthly fee.

Other: The fireplace has a (faux) marble hearth and perimeter which makes it look much nicer than the eyesore fireplaces of many apartments. Not all apartments in this community have fireplaces. Our apartment has vaulted ceilings (all top floor apartments do, I think) which is a great aesthetic benefit as it really opens and enlarges the feel of the room, but there's a substantial added cost for it. We also have what they refer to as "View Premium" which means that are balcony faces the golf course. This also costs extra, but for the money, all we get to see is a bunch of trees instead of the parking lot.

**** AMENITIES ****

The amenities were another large draw for us when considering apartments. There are workout facilities and guarded pools in both the "Woods" and "Meadows" partitions (I don't know about "Fields" - I haven't looked over there). The "Woods" gym is particularly nice, boasting an assortment of cardiorespiratory training machines, circuit training machines, free weights, a tanning bed, a racquetball court, and men's and women's washrooms. Both pools have gas grills which you can use free of charge. You have access to the facilities in either partition, regardless of which you call home.

For all this luxury, however, you pay quite a price. There is a $400 non-refundable amenity fee which must be paid when you sign the lease. This can seem almost unfair, especially if you maintain a gym membership outside the community or have no interest in using the amenities provided. I've visited other communties that provide an equal offering of amenities totally free.

**** MAINTENANCE ****

We've had limited run ins with maintenance so I can't speak with great authority here. They do seem to respond well in emergency situations (lock-outs, heat/air-conditioning failure), but have a disappointgly slow response to everyday matters (it sometimes takes days and multiple phone calls).

**** PARKING ****

Parking is fine if you're home by 6:00pm. After that, good luck finding a space. If my girlfriend and I want to go out to dinner, at least we know we'll get to walk it off afterwards.

**** BOTTOM LINE ****

The units themselves are in slightly above average condition. The kitchens are above average. Everything else is basically of average or very slightly above average quality. The cost of our one bedroom apartment, however, equals (and in some cases, exceeds) the cost of many two bedroom apartments in the area with comparable community offerings. Couple that with the nearly unreasonable amenities fee and you've got a situation I'm tempted to label as a rip-off.

Avalon's motto is "TIME WELL SPENT." Remember the old axiom, "Time is Money'" It's obvious that they haven't forgotten.

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