Survey: Moving to Hawaii (Honolulu, Kihei: transplants, sales, apartment)

[Pheidippides]

I am planning on moving to Hawaii in a little over a year. I am in the beginning planning stages and am just wondering a little on the backgrounds of other transplants. If you could copy and paste the survey and answer the questions, you would be a HUGE help!

1. Where on the mainland did you move from?
2. How long did you plan the move for?
3. How much money did you save for the move?
4. Was it enough?
5. What island did you move to?
6. What town did you move to?
7. Why did you decide on that location?
8. Who did you move with (significant other, children, spouse, friend, solo...)
9. What did you bring with you?
10. Did you have a job lined up when you got there? What was it?
11. Is there anything you wish you would have brought that you didn't? If so, what?
12. Is there anything that you brought that you didn't need? If so, what?
13. Is there anything you didn't plan for that you wish you did? What?
14. Any other hints/tips/suggestions.

Thanks! There is a lot of information out there from lots of people with different backgrounds. I look forward to reading about your move so I can better plan mine.

[hothulamaui]

we moved here after our children had finished school. did not have jobs. we brought with us one suitcase each and moved into a furnished condo until we were settled. bring as much money as you can.

[newUHprof]

These are some very good questions.

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

1. Where on the mainland did you move from?
8. Who did you move with (significant other, children, spouse, friend, solo...)
9. What did you bring with you?

I had a house on the East Coast with most of my stuff (including husband and two cats), but I came from Orange County, CA with my dog. We brought my car from CA but sold his. We brought a small pod of stuff from the house. Big items were a dining room set and a beautiful wine cabinet, both gifts and of sentimental value... we brought all of my kitchen stuff because I'm an avid cook... we brought clothes, though we donated almost all of our winter stuff (just kept enough for one snowboarding trip per year)... we brought lots of books, but I'm an academic and they would have been expensive to replace. We brought our bikes. That's about it.

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

2. How long did you plan the move for?
3. How much money did you save for the move?
4. Was it enough?
10. Did you have a job lined up when you got there? What was it?

We decided for sure in November 2007 that we'd be moving here in August 2008, but then in March of 2008 we pushed the move date up to May. So we had several months of lead time, but really only knew the final move about 2 months in advance.

We had about $80K from the sale of our house. We had lots more we could have accessed if necessary (Roth IRAs to borrow against and such). But we didn't need to do any of that.

The whole reason we were moving was for my job as a professor at UH. We were lucky because that meant our move was (mostly) paid for, so we didn't need to dip too far into our savings to cover expenses... just things like first & last month rent and the expense of furnishing the place (cheaply off craigslist and garage sales, mostly).

My husband didn't have a job before arriving, though he had sent out lots of resumes. He got one within a month or so of being here.

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

5. What island did you move to?
6. What town did you move to?
7. Why did you decide on that location?

We're on Oahu, living in town (that means in Honolulu proper), near the Punchbowl. We chose this area because it was where we found an affordable pet-friendly apartment with a decent commute to campus that could be done on public transit. We have since bought a condo in the area because we like it very much. It's close to Chinatown and downtown (we can walk there if we don't want to deal with parking), a pretty easy commute to work (10 min by car, 30 or so by bus), close to stuff we like to do (dining, shows, theater) so that we can come home and walk the dog and then go out at night easily. We also have friends here and didn't want to move far away from the few people we had gotten to know on the island.

Originally Posted by Pheidippides

11. Is there anything you wish you would have brought that you didn't? If so, what?
12. Is there anything that you brought that you didn't need? If so, what?
13. Is there anything you didn't plan for that you wish you did? What?
14. Any other hints/tips/suggestions.

These are great questions, and a little tricky.

I loved loved loved my old couch, and I miss it when I'm sitting on the one I got off craigslist that isn't nearly as comfy. But I don't wish I had brought it because it wouldn't have been worth the cost. And someday I'll get one that I like just as much... it's just far down the priority list, somewhere after "bathroom door" and "curtains".

At first I was sorry we had brought the dining room set, despite the sentimental value. It's not a very "Hawaiian" thing to have. It made our first apartment feel *really* small, and as we were looking for a place to buy, almost no place had a dining room. But it fits great in the place we bought, and now I'm glad we have it. I probably don't strictly need all of my kitchen stuff, but again the job paid to move it here and I would have paid to replace it.

Anything you choose not to bring, be willing to live without for a while. You're going to be busy setting up house, and you may not get around to getting that stuff for a long time. I did not choose to move my TV, for example, and I still don't have one almost a year later.

We read everything we could get our hands on about moving to Hawaii. We talked incessantly about what to bring and what not to bring. We worked hard to stay within the moving budget provided by my job (we didn't quite do it, but we were close enough that we could easily cover the difference). We made use of friends both here (to do the legwork and write a local check in finding us an apartment) and at home (packing and getting rid of our stuff, and giving us a place to stay in between selling the house there and the actual move date here). So things worked out pretty well.

The main thing is to be patient and roll with the punches. Moving can be a long and frustrating process... moving across an ocean all the moreso.

[bresdo]

1. Where on the mainland did you move from?
Santa Monica, California
2. How long did you plan the move for?
Wanted to move here 8/07 but my ex-wife said no, then she allowed it a year later.
3. How much money did you save for the move?
$15K
4. Was it enough?
Yes
5. What island did you move to?
Kauai
6. What town did you move to?
Kilauea
7. Why did you decide on that location?
Wanted to be on the North shore in a smallish community
8. Who did you move with (significant other, children, spouse, friend, solo...) Me and my 2 girls ages 6 and 8
9. What did you bring with you?
Basics, Clothes, Momento (pictures, etc) just a small shipment of things because we rented a furnished house.
10. Did you have a job lined up when you got there? What was it?
I had my own online business before I came. Would not of if I had to find a job.
11. Is there anything you wish you would have brought that you didn't? If so, what?
In N' Out Burger
12. Is there anything that you brought that you didn't need? If so, what?
About half of our clothes.
13. Is there anything you didn't plan for that you wish you did? What?
Nothing
14. Any other hints/tips/suggestions.
If you are bringing pets plan well ahead of time because there are a lot of things you need to do to make sure they don't go to quarintine.

[MCB0B]

1. Where on the mainland did you move from? New York
2. How long did you plan the move for? Permanently as far as winter is concerned
3. How much money did you save for the move? None
4. Was it enough? Yes but I'm reasonably well off
5. What island did you move to? Maui
6. What town did you move to? Kihei
7. Why did you decide on that location? Best access to everything I required
8. Who did you move with? Myself
9. What did you bring with you? Razor & cell phone charger
10. Did you have a job lined up when you got there? What was it? I'm retired
11. Is there anything you wish you would have brought that you didn't? If so, what? Not really
12. Is there anything that you brought that you didn't need? If so, what? No
13. Is there anything you didn't plan for that you wish you did? What? No
14. Any other hints/tips/suggestions. None

[Mar0]

1. Where on the mainland did you move from? East coast
2. How long did you plan the move for? I didn't really plan it, it just happened
3. How much money did you save for the move? I didn't save any money
4. Was it enough? My company paid for my move
5. What island did you move to? Kauai
6. What town did you move to? south shore
7. Why did you decide on that location? thats where work is!
8. Who did you move with (significant other, children, spouse, friend, solo...) all by myself
9. What did you bring with you? clothes, pots, pans, silver and bedding
10. Did you have a job lined up when you got there? What was it? Yes in the hotel industry
11. Is there anything you wish you would have brought that you didn't? If so, what? Honestly, I needed more cool weather clothing. It can and does get chilly and windy during the winter and I work a lot of nights. I had to go to Oahu to buy some more long sleeve shirts and sweaters.
12. Is there anything that you brought that you didn't need? If so, what? not really
13. Is there anything you didn't plan for that you wish you did? What? Not really...

[NoMoreSTL]

1.Where on the mainland did you move from?
-St. Louis, MO
2. How long did you plan the move for?
-About 1 year
3. How much money did you save for the move?
- A few thousand in spendable cash, a credit card (didn’t need it- but had it just in case), roughly $2,000 for shipping my car STL-HNL (Cascade Vehicle Shipping), $800 for shipping some household things (USPS, parcel post), and $1,000+ for my airfare and my cat’s airfare
4. Was it enough?
-Just barely! But, see #10…
5. What island did you move to?
-Oahu
6. What town did you move to?
-Ewa Beach
7. Why did you decide on that location?
-It’s cost-effective, lovely, & mostly quiet. If you can stand the Ft. Weaver Road traffic and the relatively lengthy drive into Honolulu/Waikiki for “big nights out” (we rarely do), it’s completely worth it.
8. Who did you move with (significant other, children, spouse, friend, solo...)
My fiancée is military and was stationed here beginning 1 month prior to my arrival.
9. What did you bring with you?
-I shipped (via USPS parcel post): pots, pans, flatware (no glasses or dishes), serving ware, some seasonings you can only find in STL & whereabouts, family cookbooks and recipes, a hand-crocheted afghan from my grandmother (wish I had 10 more! They’re perfect out here!!), some clothes & shoes, my laptop, my cat, luggage (obviously), a few books & DVDs, towels, toiletries, personal paperwork, and a handful of super-important photos and keepsakes. And I shipped my car out here a few months after arrival here (Cascade Vehicle Shipping).
10. Did you have a job lined up when you got there? What was it?
-I was lucky enough to be kept on to work remotely for the same company I had worked for in STL. They shipped my computer and work documents/stuff to me. It works out nicely.
11. Is there anything you wish you would have brought that you didn't? If so, what?
-My family! Ha, just kidding… I do miss them pretty bad sometimes. They all have plans to come visit- one in just a few weeks! Also, I wish I would’ve brought an old quilt I left behind- it would’ve been perfect for the beach.
12. Is there anything that you brought that you didn't need? If so, what?
-My cat! Ha, just kidding again… Although he can be quite the pest when he’s screaming in my face to wake up at 6am on weekends. I love my cat and I’m glad he’s here. If you plan on bringing a pet, be sure to save up roughly $1,000+ for his vet appointments prior to arrival, the appropriate blood tests, his airfare and the HI quarantine fees. You’ll also need about 6-8 months to follow all the steps to the letter and avoid lengthy quarantine stays for your pet (which can be even more costly and not so much fun for your furrkid).
13. Is there anything you didn't plan for that you wish you did? What?
-I wish I would have hit up more end-of-summer clothing sales in STL before I came out. Could’ve acquired tons of climate-suitable clothes on the cheap that way.
14. Any other hints/tips/suggestions.
-Check out all the books you can on HI from your local library and read them before coming out. Really dig through this forum and take most of what you read with a grain of salt. Very useful insight and tips can be found here!
Good luck!

[Pheidippides]

Thanks so much for all your responses. With so many different people moving out there, it is good to see what people from all backgrounds did.