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I was just wondering about people's comments on airtight shipping. We are going to scale down as much as possible. Mainly what Ill be taking is some electronics, dvd's, pictures, clothes, possibly a few books but not too many as most can be replaced. I have heard things get moldy quick and I'm wondering what my options are. Would those "space bags" work for most things? Don't know if you've seen them on tv, they are basically big bags with a vacuum hookup to suck all the air out. Most things to be honest could be replaced, but I'm really worried about my pictures and kids baby books. Anyone know of something better I could use to ship those?
When I moved here I got caught up in a dock strike. My stuff took 3 months to get here, but only because of the strike. That being said, everything got here in perfect condition. So, I truly believe that the containers are safe for your belongings. If you are worried about your photos and baby books perhaps using a suit case just for that and bring it with you on your person will help you feel better and not worry while you await the rest of your belongings.
Thank you Lambert, I was thinking that as well, I'm just not sure how much room I will have as Ill be full of nintendo games for my boys to survive the plane ride. I was thinking of doing the trip at night so they might fall asleep, but I think they will be too excited being on the plane to pass out.
It does help to know that even after a time your things were ok though. It puts my mind at ease a bit more.
Aloha,
We are relocating in 12 months to the Big Island. We are having the same dilemma. What goes, what stays, what can be replaced affordably. Well, we have decided on the
following. The dogs go. My Parrot goes. Both vehicles go because they are paid for. Our Tiffany style lamp collection goes. Our vase collection goes. Some of my garden tools/equipment goes. We are going to box stuff and have friends ship them UPS once we are settled. The rest stays. We're selling our horse, our home complete w/dishes and silverware. Having a garage sale next summer to dump my 7 years of plant propagation and everything 'I can't live without'. We have many dogs. Four are going, the rest are not. There are days when it is almost depressing until I realize what I am doing and where I am going. I'd bring my horse if it wasn't going to cost $4,000.00 Jobs? Who knows. Who cares. We're talented, determined people with a dream. We've spent a few months going back and forth between which Island, so as you can imagine, we have books,maps,videos on the entire Hawaiin Island chain...lolol.
Did I get off topic...lololol...I don't even know if I was ever 'on topic'...sorry, shifts over
gotta run.
Tony
Location: not sure, but there's a hell of a lot of water around here!
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Just rent a ten or twenty foot container, depending upon your needs, fill it up and have Matson ship it. Containers are watertight, so I would assume mold would not be a problem. Years ago Young Brothers barge got caught in a very nasty storm out in the Molokai Channel, and lost a container or two. They had a little thing on the evening news, alerting the public as to the situation. I'm out paddling way off Kihei, look off in the distance, sure enough, there's a 40' container bobbing about in the ocean..
I am in a similar mode in possibly moving to the big Island and would appreciate anyone's experience on shipping pets (I have a lab cross @ 70lb who's 11 years old) . I understand with proper shots vet certficates etc done in advance it's not a huge quarantine time but I'm wondering about the plane experience. We'd be shipping from Edmonton.
aloha
Nancy
On shipping - the container is delivered by a 3rd party to your curb where you live now. You will need to reserve enough parking space to have them slide it in. Then you fill it.
My advice:
Most of the problems with shipping happens because things aren't secured, and people forget that on the ocean everything moves in ALL directions - up/down, left/right, forward/backward. And sometimes all of those at almost the same time!
We got some wooden pallets, SCREWED them into the wooden container floor with long screws, stacked the boxes on top, and used the big plastic wrap to bundle the boxes around & around to each other then down onto the pallet. That means nothing moves. The next pallet goes in, same procedure. If you have a pallet loader (we borrowed one from a friend) you can do the stacking & wrapping at the open end of the container then push the wrapped bundle back into place, then screw it down. Remember to take out all the screws when you unpack the container or they might charge you.
If you want to be less enthusiastic (OK, anal) about the loading, just make use lots of rope. Make a Spiderman web to secure your boxes & belongings. Put in a layer, web it. Then another layer, web again. There will be some hooks in the side of the container where you can secure the rope. Again, the goal is to make sure nothing moves.
Think we're crazy? A few bucks and a little extra time will save you a lot of money. We had not one single broken item.
For precious goods, put a clean garbage bag into your packing box, fill it, then tie the top and seal the box. That way if your is one of the containers stacked on the deck of the ship and there is a little deck wash, your stuff is safe and dry.
Another note - when you take delivery in Hawaii, the truck driver will want you to sign for the delivery without opening the container. You will have your own lock on there, but DON'T SIGN the papers until you open it up and take a look. Let the driver wait - give him a soda and a tip - and take a look, or any claims are voided.
When you are thinking about what to bring, it's good to know what costs a fortune here.
Pottery - get rid of your plants, but bring your pots! Ceramic pottery is outrageous.
Furniture - really consider your intended decor, and get rid of anything you don't need.
Tools & electronics - you can always sell them here. But take out all batteries - they leak very quickly here.
Remember - don't skimp on shipping over something you will just have to buy here. You will pay shipping costs one way or another...either your own, or to the retailer.
On shipping - the container is delivered by a 3rd party to your curb where you live now. You will need to reserve enough parking space to have them slide it in. Then you fill it.
My advice:
Most of the problems with shipping happens because things aren't secured, and people forget that on the ocean everything moves in ALL directions - up/down, left/right, forward/backward. And sometimes all of those at almost the same time!
We got some wooden pallets, SCREWED them into the wooden container floor with long screws, stacked the boxes on top, and used the big plastic wrap to bundle the boxes around & around to each other then down onto the pallet. That means nothing moves. The next pallet goes in, same procedure. If you have a pallet loader (we borrowed one from a friend) you can do the stacking & wrapping at the open end of the container then push the wrapped bundle back into place, then screw it down. Remember to take out all the screws when you unpack the container or they might charge you.
If you want to be less enthusiastic (OK, anal) about the loading, just make use lots of rope. Make a Spiderman web to secure your boxes & belongings. Put in a layer, web it. Then another layer, web again. There will be some hooks in the side of the container where you can secure the rope. Again, the goal is to make sure nothing moves.
Think we're crazy? A few bucks and a little extra time will save you a lot of money. We had not one single broken item.
For precious goods, put a clean garbage bag into your packing box, fill it, then tie the top and seal the box. That way if your is one of the containers stacked on the deck of the ship and there is a little deck wash, your stuff is safe and dry.
Another note - when you take delivery in Hawaii, the truck driver will want you to sign for the delivery without opening the container. You will have your own lock on there, but DON'T SIGN the papers until you open it up and take a look. Let the driver wait - give him a soda and a tip - and take a look, or any claims are voided.
When you are thinking about what to bring, it's good to know what costs a fortune here.
Pottery - get rid of your plants, but bring your pots! Ceramic pottery is outrageous.
Furniture - really consider your intended decor, and get rid of anything you don't need.
Tools & electronics - you can always sell them here. But take out all batteries - they leak very quickly here.
Remember - don't skimp on shipping over something you will just have to buy here. You will pay shipping costs one way or another...either your own, or to the retailer.
Thanks for posting this excellent information! I feel so overwhelmed about the container. I am using real estate agents that specialize in relocation and they are in the process of getting me set up with a container. We have several rooms of furniture we are taking and will probably be able to get by with a 20 foot container. I am sending my China FedEx and some other personal delicate stuff I just don't want to put in there. The "Webbing" you mentioned sounds like the better way for us to go.
Does anyone know if these companies have any service that will load your stuff for you? I would put evertyhing right by the container outside my house and they could just put it in there the best way?
Does anyone know if these companies have any service that will load your stuff for you? I would put evertyhing right by the container outside my house and they could just put it in there the best way?
When we moved a 20' container from Orange County, CA to Oahu in 1989, we priced having the whole thing done by a moving company, and found that we could do it for about half that by doing each step ourselves. We obtained a container on a trailer from Matson; had a trucking company in California deliver it to our house and later take it to Matson; hired two men by the hour on a weekend(from a moving company - they were moonlighting) to pack the boxes and load the container; hired Matson to move it from LA to Honolulu; hired a Honolulu truckng company to deliver it to our house in Kailua, and unpacked it ourselves.
I'm with Hank. You will save a LOT of money by doing your own packing and also loading. If you hire someone to pack you, they aren't usually professionals. They are just labor, and they are told to use as much packing material as possible - because you are charged for every foot of bubblewrap and tape.
My advice is to start packing early. Get boxes, pack up everything you don't need to live, and stack the boxes in your garage or get a storage place for a month or two. Keep packing and discarding until your current place is fairly empty. You will be able to see how much you have, and how big a container you need.
* Label the delicate boxes so they go on top
* Don't pack your blankets & pillows (all kinds) - use those see below
* Use your towels to wrap up breakables like pictures. First bubble wrap, then towels, and into the box. Use small pillows and stuffed animals around things like TVs or other electronics where you don't have the original box.
* Never pack up something in a box that you can use as cushioning for other items. Foam camping pads, pool noodles, whatever.
* Wrap up the cords of lamps and other appliances with plastic wrap or rubber bands or twist ties. When you are tired and sick of packing, a loose cord will make you lose your mind as it tangles in everything.
When they deliver the container, you can have about a week to pack it up. That means you don't have to kill yourself getting it in there. Load up all the boxes you have packed, wrapping or webbing them in place.
Slide your furniture on top. Put pillows into plastic trash bags, and use those between the legs of furniture (sticking up). Rope the legs of the furniture to the boxes below, but NOT to the sides of the container. You don't want the container to flex and rip the leg off your nice dining chair.
I really, really, REALLY recommend getting that plastic wrap on rolls they sell at all packing supply places. You can wrap things together instead of using rope. You can bundle your garden tools. You can wrap it around dressers so the drawers don't open. You can even wrap up jewelry and other small items to put into drawers and boxes so they don't spill out. And it doesn't leave any sticky residue, it won't budge when in place, and it comes right off without having to use a knife. It really is miraculous.
Anyway, boxes on the bottom, furniture on top. Weird shaped items can go between the furniture legs. When you pack your container, try not to leave room at the top. Pack back to front, going as high as you can. Most people leave 2-3 feet open at the top, and you are wasting space. Go as high as you can fit things in, then start the next layer. Slide mattresses and box springs over the top OR use them between layers of boxes, vertically, as extra padding. But put something down on the floor so they don't get all dirty.
If you do wrap rope around anything that is not a box, remember it will rub around, so put something protective between it and the item, like a towel or bubble wrap.
If you are worried about valuables, label the box with something like, "baby clothes" and not "DVD player".
Get all the way to the end of the container, then load in things like bicycles, lawn mowers, etc. Plastic wrap or rope these into a solid tangle, shut the door, and LOCK IT with a good lock.
OH YES - take pictures as you pack! If you need to file a claim, pictures will help to prove you did everything possible to ensure any breakage wasn't your fault. Take a picture of your stuff piled on the sidewalk in boxes, of every layer as you pack, and just before you shut the door. Besides, you will LOVE those photos a couple of years later when you are telling stories of your move and your Spidey web. Honestly, it's worth the few seconds.
It really isn't bad loading a container, as long as you have things pretty well packed up beforehand, and ready to go. That way you can grab the odd shaped things to fit in to extra spaces, and you aren't having to leave open areas.
When you are considering the cost of packing goods, look at places like ULINE. I could order boxes of bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, rolls of tape & plastic, and they delivered it all to my door for cheaper than the moving companies.
And when it comes to using bubble & plastic wrap, don't skimp. Would you rather spend $100-200 more in supplies, or buy a bunch of new glassware and picture frames? How much will it cost to replace something you love?
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relocating to Big Island
