Relocating to Hawaii -- What to bring with me and what to leave here? (Honolulu: sales, movers)
OahuIncludes Honolulu
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If you really "love" these things how much would you be willing to pay to ship these items back to the mainland? How much would it cost to store for 12-18 months when you'll likely be back?
I would try to negotiate with the employer on shipping at a later date, say 3-6 months after you're in Hawaii. Why would they care? That gives you time to figure out how long you'll WANT to stay in Hawaii (most leave in less than 12 months) and what you'll actually USE in Hawaii. FREE shipping is great but I'd only bring what I know I'd use and would be willing to pay to ship back or let go when I left.
Take your time and research before you move. You will be glad you did. Another thing you may want to check out is vrbo.com, which will allow you to look at rentals. The free site is primarily for vacationeers, however, you can contact the owners directly and advise them that you are moving over, not vacationing. Most of them will be glad to work with you in terms of rent. The amounts you'll see on the site are for those who are vacationing, so do get overwhelmed. However, please be prepared to pay more than what you would on the mainland. There are not many regular type hotels on Oahu, so you'll need to take that into account. I mean there's a Hilton, a Sheraton, and so forth, but there are not any Motel 6's, Red Roof Inns, etc., therefore, you'll pay more per night, hence, the vrbo might be a better deal in the long run.
My suggestions, having lived on Oahu twice, is to be prepared if something falls through regarding your job. It may take MONTHS to secure another job, especially if you are having to go through a background check. It took me 3 months to be offered FT employment at Hilton because of the background check. I spent close to 40 years on the mainland, so all my employment had to be verified. In the meantime, $1400/mo rent had to be paid, etc., all from savings. In the meantime, my husband ended up working at Home Depot for a mere $9/hr. (I finally received my "offer" from Hilton almost 90 days later for an admin position which paid only $11/hr). We were making much more on the mainland, and didn't expect such a drastic paycut. But, however, we were living in paradise.
Hawaii is not a cheap place to live, and you have to be open minded about changing lifestyles. We resided in Aiea, which was a nice area, but having moved there from Texas, where we paid only $800/mo, to a rent of $1400 was quite a surprise for us. In Texas we had a 3 bedroom home of approx 1100 sqft. Aiea offered us a 2 bedroom condo on the 17th floor of approx 700 sqft.
After a year, we decided to return to the mainland. Five years later, we tried our luck once again to live in paradise. We moved back there, and lived in Mililani, where we paid $2200/mo rent, and close to $500 in utilities. My husband was fortunate enough to be able to get a job transfer there (not military), and I was again, not so fortunate. After about 5 months, I was still not able to land employment. Most locals will receive job offers over newcomers. We could no longer continue to live on a single income, so we decided to return to the mainland, and my husband was able to transfer back. In all seriousness, we'll never move back there...we'll only vacation there.
There are no Motel 6's over there. Most hotels will run $100+ per night. You'll need a place to stay while you look for a permanent residence, whether buying or renting. And, it'll cost you approx $1000 to have each of your vehicles shipped over. If you choose to send your personal effects, that will also cost you. Most choose Matson (container) or USPS, which can be costly, depending on what you're sending. You should sell your furniture and repurchase what you need once settled. There are no Public Storage places there. Most storage units are very old, and not air conditioned. Termites are almost everywhere, so be prepared, if you are looking at wooden furniture.
You cannot bring pets over unless you are well prepared for costly quarantines. Pet shipments also have to be followed to a "T". Chipping is a requirement as well.
Go online and do a UPS store (not USPS) search for the area you want to live in. Contact the UPS store and arrange a mailbox with them. You can do this by fax and they will give you a mailing address so you can have your mail forwarded over prior to your move. Once you arrive on the island, go in and show your ID and you'll receive keys to your mailbox and to the store for after hours entry to check your mail. They offer 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year options. Go with a 3 month for starters. I believe it ran us around $75 to start up and was good for 3 months.
We both miss the ocean and beautiful weather. But, we've found that there are several places on the mainland which can offer a similar paradise without the added expense. I might suggest a book by Toni Polancy called So You Want To Live in Hawaii. It has lots of information on living there. The book was a godsend for us when we first moved there. It will definitely be the best money spent. It has ALL the info you will need to live there....it details what to expect, shipping household goods and/or your vehicle, via Matson or Horizon, quarantining your pets after arrival, you name it.
Please give it a read.
Take your time and research before you move. You will be glad you did. Another thing you may want to check out is vrbo.com, which will allow you to look at rentals. The free site is primarily for vacationeers, however, you can contact the owners directly and advise them that you are moving over, not vacationing. Most of them will be glad to work with you in terms of rent. The amounts you'll see on the site are for those who are vacationing, so do get overwhelmed. However, please be prepared to pay more than what you would on the mainland. There are not many regular type hotels on Oahu, so you'll need to take that into account. I mean there's a Hilton, a Sheraton, and so forth, but there are not any Motel 6's, Red Roof Inns, etc., therefore, you'll pay more per night, hence, the vrbo might be a better deal in the long run.
My suggestions, having lived on Oahu twice, is to be prepared if something falls through regarding your job. It may take MONTHS to secure another job, especially if you are having to go through a background check. It took me 3 months to be offered FT employment at Hilton because of the background check. I spent close to 40 years on the mainland, so all my employment had to be verified. In the meantime, $1400/mo rent had to be paid, etc., all from savings. In the meantime, my husband ended up working at Home Depot for a mere $9/hr. (I finally received my "offer" from Hilton almost 90 days later for an admin position which paid only $11/hr). We were making much more on the mainland, and didn't expect such a drastic paycut. But, however, we were living in paradise.
Hawaii is not a cheap place to live, and you have to be open minded about changing lifestyles. We resided in Aiea, which was a nice area, but having moved there from Texas, where we paid only $800/mo, to a rent of $1400 was quite a surprise for us. In Texas we had a 3 bedroom home of approx 1100 sqft. Aiea offered us a 2 bedroom condo on the 17th floor of approx 700 sqft.
After a year, we decided to return to the mainland. Five years later, we tried our luck once again to live in paradise. We moved back there, and lived in Mililani, where we paid $2200/mo rent, and close to $500 in utilities. My husband was fortunate enough to be able to get a job transfer there (not military), and I was again, not so fortunate. After about 5 months, I was still not able to land employment. Most locals will receive job offers over newcomers. We could no longer continue to live on a single income, so we decided to return to the mainland, and my husband was able to transfer back. In all seriousness, we'll never move back there...we'll only vacation there.
There are no Motel 6's over there. Most hotels will run $100+ per night. You'll need a place to stay while you look for a permanent residence, whether buying or renting. And, it'll cost you approx $1000 to have each of your vehicles shipped over. If you choose to send your personal effects, that will also cost you. Most choose Matson (container) or USPS, which can be costly, depending on what you're sending. You should sell your furniture and repurchase what you need once settled. There are no Public Storage places there. Most storage units are very old, and not air conditioned. Termites are almost everywhere, so be prepared, if you are looking at wooden furniture.
You cannot bring pets over unless you are well prepared for costly quarantines. Pet shipments also have to be followed to a "T". Chipping is a requirement as well.
Go online and do a UPS store (not USPS) search for the area you want to live in. Contact the UPS store and arrange a mailbox with them. You can do this by fax and they will give you a mailing address so you can have your mail forwarded over prior to your move. Once you arrive on the island, go in and show your ID and you'll receive keys to your mailbox and to the store for after hours entry to check your mail. They offer 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year options. Go with a 3 month for starters. I believe it ran us around $75 to start up and was good for 3 months.
We both miss the ocean and beautiful weather. But, we've found that there are several places on the mainland which can offer a similar paradise without the added expense. I might suggest a book by Toni Polancy called So You Want To Live in Hawaii. It has lots of information on living there. The book was a godsend for us when we first moved there. It will definitely be the best money spent. It has ALL the info you will need to live there....it details what to expect, shipping household goods and/or your vehicle, via Matson or Horizon, quarantining your pets after arrival, you name it.
Please give it a read.
Good luck to you!
Good advice and another good reality check post for the "dreamers" that's two today -
My suggestions, having lived on Oahu twice, is to be prepared if something falls through regarding your job. It may take MONTHS to secure another job, especially if you are having to go through a background check. It took me 3 months to be offered FT employment at Hilton because of the background check. I spent close to 40 years on the mainland, so all my employment had to be verified. In the meantime, $1400/mo rent had to be paid, etc., all from savings. In the meantime, my husband ended up working at Home Depot for a mere $9/hr. (I finally received my "offer" from Hilton almost 90 days later for an admin position which paid only $11/hr). We were making much more on the mainland, and didn't expect such a drastic paycut. But, however, we were living in paradise.
Yes, I have to have enough savings, but I would come back to the mainland. I wouldn't stay there without a job. Isn't not having a job a problem in most places you live?
Quote:
Hawaii is not a cheap place to live, and you have to be open minded about changing lifestyles. We resided in Aiea, which was a nice area, but having moved there from Texas, where we paid only $800/mo, to a rent of $1400 was quite a surprise for us. In Texas we had a 3 bedroom home of approx 1100 sqft. Aiea offered us a 2 bedroom condo on the 17th floor of approx 700 sqft.
Right now I pay almost $1700 in rent for a one bedroom condo rental and the places in Aiea seem cheaper than that for about the same square footage. I may actually end up with a cheaper cost of living... well as far as rent goes, not the cost of food! I'm hoping that the lower rent I may get in a place such as Aiea or a roommate in Honolulu would balance out the cost of food. My car insurance seems like it will be cheaper, so that's a plus as well.
I come from the DC area so I don't think $1400 is a lot for rent at all, in fact that would be almost a bargain or average. I'm looking for condo units in high rise buildings for under $1800. I love living in buildings with lots of people. I may not be like most people.
Quote:
There are no Motel 6's over there. Most hotels will run $100+ per night. You'll need a place to stay while you look for a permanent residence, whether buying or renting. And, it'll cost you approx $1000 to have each of your vehicles shipped over. If you choose to send your personal effects, that will also cost you. Most choose Matson (container) or USPS, which can be costly, depending on what you're sending. You should sell your furniture and repurchase what you need once settled. There are no Public Storage places there. Most storage units are very old, and not air conditioned. Termites are almost everywhere, so be prepared, if you are looking at wooden furniture.
I have time paid for by my company at a hotel, which was directly billed to them, meaning I didn't have to pay upfront and get reimbursed later, so that helps me with cost. The moving cost of the furniture and vehicle is also directly billed to them. I plan to also set up viewing for rental before I fly there, so the next day I can be on the roll with that.
So, I had moving companies give a quote for moving my furniture already. Now I have to call them and explain that my TV Stand and Dresser (wood) aren't coming but will have to be stored at a relative's house (they are really nice pieces, I would use them when I move back here)? This is a pain! I really don't have time to change things because the move is in one week (of my furniture/vehicle) with me flying out the following week.
Quote:
We both miss the ocean and beautiful weather. But, we've found that there are several places on the mainland which can offer a similar paradise without the added expense. I might suggest a book by Toni Polancy called So You Want To Live in Hawaii. It has lots of information on living there. The book was a godsend for us when we first moved there. It will definitely be the best money spent. It has ALL the info you will need to live there....it details what to expect, shipping household goods and/or your vehicle, via Matson or Horizon, quarantining your pets after arrival, you name it.
Please give it a read.
I'm moving not because I think it's a dream paradise at all. I have lived in my state for all my life. It's hard to find a job in a new city where a company will relocate you. I honestly never searched for a job in Hawaii. I have the credentials and they contacted me. I tried to apply for jobs in San Fransisco but I think there are way too many people there already looking for jobs,so I never landed one for them to offer me anything.
I think with me and my lifestyle, every place I want to live is expensive --- DC (where I am now), San Fran, or Hawaii are all expensive places.
Last edited by relocater2HI78; 02-09-2012 at 08:18 PM..
Hey there relocator - we're also moving from the East Coast (RI) to Oahu for job reasons. My husband's company is not paying for relocation and wants him there for the end of March.
I'm having the same issues ... what to bring vs. what not to bring. We are a family of five, so my situation is quite different, I'm sure. I do know we're selling (hopefully) the RI house and the cars, but I just can't get a good read on if bringing bedrooms sets, etc, is a good idea.
..... we're also moving from the East Coast (RI) ...... My husband's company is not paying for relocation ..... I just can't get a good read on if bringing bedrooms sets, etc, is a good idea.
Get a quote for shipping there AND back. Add the hassle of getting furniture to the Hawaii dwelling and then to the next Hawaii dwelling because you had to pick a place to live so fast the first time because you had to get your furniture from the shipper that you didn't get the place you wanted.
It really would be WAY cheaper to fly to Hawaii first and see what your living situation will probably be than to just bring it all here and be faced with matching your furniture to a dwelling in limited time.
In my opinion, the only reason to bring crap...err, possesions over is if the employer is paying AND you think the posessions are worth paying to ship back.
Get a quote for shipping there AND back. Add the hassle of getting furniture to the Hawaii dwelling and then to the next Hawaii dwelling because you had to pick a place to live so fast the first time because you had to get your furniture from the shipper that you didn't get the place you wanted.
It really would be WAY cheaper to fly to Hawaii first and see what your living situation will probably be than to just bring it all here and be faced with matching your furniture to a dwelling in limited time.
In my opinion, the only reason to bring crap...err, possesions over is if the employer is paying AND you think the posessions are worth paying to ship back.
You must not have anything you really like. It is expensive, but I've done it a couple of times, once from Maryland and again from Texas. It will cost approximately $10K -$12K for a three bedroom, family room type home and a car.
We've done a lot of traveling and much of our stuff we really like, so we take it with us wherever we go.
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Termites aren't everywhere - wood and wood furniture is as common here as any place on the mainland.
It is expensive, but I've done it a couple of times, once from Maryland and again from Texas. It will cost approximately $10K -$12K for a three bedroom, family room type home and a car.
