As former "main-landers," many of us at Kauai Vacation Rentals and Oceanfront Realty have at one point had the thought of picking up our lives and moving them to a remote island in the Pacific. We did it, and so can you! If you are in fact considering a big move to an island in Hawaii, you are probably going to want to send over a few of your most valuable possessions. This can be a daunting task, but moving anywhere always is. Here are a few tips to make the relocation a bit easier for you.
Keep in mind, Hawaii is the most remote land masses in the world. There is 2,500 miles of ocean in every direction. This is going to make the cost of moving here from any other major land mass (short of another island in Hawaii) quite a bit more than moving to any other state. But the lifestyle and simple beauty all around us here makes it well worth the effort.
Decide What You Do NOT Need to Ship
Have a yard sale, and get rid of most of the unnecessary baggage right off the bat. Those entire shelves of books you're hoarding? Donate them. Anything breakable, but not valuable? Sell it, or risk it breaking during the trip. Anything you could not easily replace at a thrift store? Try and find a home for it before you leave. An entire wardrobe of winter clothing? Hand them on down the line or put them in storage. Simplify your belongings. It will leave you feeling lighter, freer, and more ready to make the big move. If it is a special piece, rare, or sentimental in some way, think about keeping it, but otherwise, try and snag a few bucks for it, or donate it to a good cause.
Figure Out How Your Belongings Will Make it to Kauai
There are a few major shipment companies, such as Matson, which will deliver a 24 foot long shipping container to your home for you to fill, and then get it to a major port in Hawaii for you to pick up the contents. This is the perfect option for moving over an entire household, including cars, but will run you several thousand dollars, and take a few weeks to get across the ocean. Another option, if you do not want to ship an entire container of belongings, are freight forwarders such as DHX or UPS. These companies will palletize your belongings, measure and weigh them, and charge you simply based on their mass. You can also use the service known as shipping cubes. These are boxes smaller than a full shipping container delivered to your home, and once filled, sent off to Hawaii. These provide the added benefit of keeping your belongings safely locked, and can even be stored in Hawaii waiting for your arrival. The top rated companies that provide this service are ABF, PODS, and U-haul. U-haul offers the ability to attach your belongings as a trailer to your car and drive them yourself to the port of your choice.
If you are making the journey alone, and happened to take Tip #1 very seriously, another option is to stuff a few flat rate boxes and ship them using the United States Postal Service. These boxes are very affordable, can be tracked and insured, and will make their way over in usually under a week. This is a super convenient service and should not be overlooked.
Decide Whether to Ship your Car, or Buy on Island
A car is going to be essential in your relocation and settling in to your new home, but is shipping your current car the right decision? Any car can simply be shipped to Hawaii for about a grand, and it would not be a bad idea to add your current car to a shipping container if that was your decided method of shipping, assuming your current car is in fact great condition and you really enjoy it. However, if your car is in its final days, isn't worth much, or you would simply prefer to get a different one once you land, selling it where you are and putting that money towards your new car fund is not a terrible idea, and will save you the cost of shipping it.
We hope these tips help make the process of moving to Hawaii a bit clearer for you. If you have more specific questions for us, please leave a comment or drop us a line!
