Vermont to Hilo move this summer (sales, apartments, rentals)

[Hillary and Sasha]

Hello Everyone,

I've been browsing this forum a few days and it seems a great place to get helpfull info on Hilo!

My partner accepted a job at UH Hilo. We have two daughters who will be going into 2nd and 3rd grade next school year.
We're looking at DeSilva Elementary and the surrounding neighborhood for school and living...any feedback? Are there other elementary schools or neighborhoods you would recommend or avoid?

Would you suggest staying in a vacation rental while looking for a place to rent?

Is there anyone out there with experience moving furniture, etc. from the East Coast? It really would make a lot of sense to start from scratch as we don't have many "valuables", however we'd be reimbursed the cost of moving our things...not buying new things. The cost seems *ridiculous* as it's certainly more than the value of our actual furniture

I have a kitty who I will be starting on the 120-day quarantine here soon, and have her sent to us when it is completed and we are settled by a friend....anyone with experience?

We're looking for cheap one-way tickets there...any suggestions?

I think it's going to be a great move but want to be PREPARED! Any comments or suggestions are very welcome.

Also, we are super-friendly community minded folks and I'm especially interested in making sure the kids make friends. Are there any hot-spots for mingling and meeting people you can think of?

Thanks so much for your time!

[katiem8]

cheap tickets studentuniverse.com u need an edu email adress but since ur husband is working at UH should be no problem. everything i have seen is actually cheaper to buy roundtrip than one way. you don't have to use the roundtrip but could be useful. i bought a round trip ticket from Peoria to HNL (connecting in Ohare) and it was about $500 ($600 w/ taxes, fees, etc.) on studentuniverse.com.

if you stay in a vacation rental check out vrbo.com. you can negotiate on prices w/ lots of the owners & you pay one payment & don't have to worry about bills or anything else.

sorry, i'm no help w/ schools or neighborhoods.

good luck w/ ur move!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

OP, do a forum search. There was some discussion quite recently about the schools in Hilo.

Regarding the furniture. If you will be reimbursed the cost of moving, then go for it. Buying new on the island can be expensive. You can pick up used furniture at various places, including garage sales, but that takes time and energy and you need some way to transport it to your house.

Definitely take the time to check out neighborhoods. Do try to stay at a vacation rental or similar short term rental while you look around. Make sure you check out potential rentals both during the day and at night. You don't want to end up next door to someone who lets their dogs bark all night long.

[hotzcatz]

Hilo also has coqui frogs which make a lot of noise at night, too. Very loud and annoying incessant chirping. "Ko-kee", "ko-kee" really loud by hundreds of frogs surrounding your house is not a good thing. Unfortunately we now have to keep the landscaping to a minimum near our houses. These are dryland frogs and don't need to have ponds or anything nearby. So checking the house you want to live in at night is a prudent thing to do.

With a short term rental or vacation rental you won't be locked into a specific area so that is a really great choice for a starting point. Hilo isn't that big that it won't take long to see which areas are ones you'd prefer to live in. You can ask folks in the area which school they prefer, visit the schools and get a better feel for which one you prefer.

Hilo is still small town enough that it is fairly easy to meet folks. They don't have the big city invisible people sort of thing going on at all. It is much slower in Hilo so folks have time to see each other and chat. Walk up and down the bayfront business section, that has a lot of little shops and things. There is a nice walking area at Queen Lilioukalani Gardens near Banyan Drive. There is a lot of kids soccer and such at the big soccer fields fronting Hilo Bayfront.

For furniture, if it is solid wood furniture and not oversize furniture, then it might work in Hilo. If it is made of pressboard, then it will just turn into oatmeal within a few months. Houses in Hawaii are much smaller than their mainland counterparts since we don't have to be trapped in our houses during the wintertime so just bring what you need and not loads of stuff or you will have to be finding a place to put it. We do have yard and garage sales all year around so you can fill in with inexpensive things when you feel the need.

When picking a house, find one with lots of ventilation since having the tradewinds blow through your house will keep it cool. Also, because of the humidity, natural fabrics are much more comfortable to wear than synthetics. 100% cotton, linen and silk are the most comfortable fabrics. If you are wearing 100% polyester you will melt. Also tight clothes are not as comfortable as loose clothes that let the air in.

Oh, if you have something that uses a lot of electricity, then you may want to leave it behind. The electric rates are probably four or five times higher than you may be paying now so if you have to plug it in, check to see how much juice it pulls or you may get a "shock" when you see your first electric bill. When getting a rental, if all the appliances are electric and the electric bill is not included in the rent, expect an electric bill of anywhere from two or three hundred a month on up.

Now is a good time to go through your stuff and just bring the stuff you like. If there are things you have that you just aren't fond of, leave them behind and get new stuff you like. It's a refreshing thing to do every once in awhile.

[KoaKine]

Aloha Op,

I just moved to Hilo from Western NY my wife now works for UHH. What Dept will your husband work in? I recommend renting a vacation for at least 3 months this wll let you find the neighborhood you like best and it will hepl you in the drive times and schools in there drive times. It's a different world out here you will love it. I can get you info on most schools and some other things just ask.

[Hillary and Sasha]

Aloha and thank you again for the helpful information.

We will look at vrbo.com for vacation rentals...hopefully not for three months though as we'd love to be settled before starting school, etc. thanks for the heads-up on the coquis!
Yes, there are many reasons to be there in person checking out the apartments. Hilo looks quite lovely and my partner has been there...we're very excited for warmth and ocean and tradewinds and aloha and even coquis

@ KoaKine: my partner, will be in the Geography Dept. Wow, it would be great to connect for some advice based on your recent move. How did you get you *stuff* there? Do you have any kids?

I did check out some of the previous posts on schools. We are curious about elementary schools, specifically DeSilva, Waiakea and Ha`aheo.

[KoaKine]

Originally Posted by Hillary and Sasha

Aloha and thank you again for the helpful information.

We will look at vrbo.com for vacation rentals...hopefully not for three months though as we'd love to be settled before starting school, etc. thanks for the heads-up on the coquis!
Yes, there are many reasons to be there in person checking out the apartments. Hilo looks quite lovely and my partner has been there...we're very excited for warmth and ocean and tradewinds and aloha and even coquis

@ KoaKine: my partner, will be in the Geography Dept. Wow, it would be great to connect for some advice based on your recent move. How did you get you *stuff* there? Do you have any kids?

I did check out some of the previous posts on schools. We are curious about elementary schools, specifically DeSilva, Waiakea and Ha`aheo.

I know 3 month seems like a long time but it does fly by and you will get a better rate for a 3 month rental than a 1 month but thats up to you I did a 6 month and were gearing up for looking for another long term unfurnished rental.
I used a container and brought way to much stuff over but like I've said before 26 years of marriage its hard to part from things. the container took 1 month I get it tomorrow. I have 1 child in collage stayed in NY for now and is thinking of transferring.

[Hillary and Sasha]

KoaKine:

Thanks for the advice. What moving company did you use? Is ABF really the cheapest? We're looking at close to $5,000 for the smallest container. My partner and I are happy to part with most of our belongings but our kids...not so much keen on saying goodbye to toys.

Mahalo,
Hillary

[KoaKine]

Originally Posted by Hillary and Sasha

KoaKine:

Thanks for the advice. What moving company did you use? Is ABF really the cheapest? We're looking at close to $5,000 for the smallest container. My partner and I are happy to part with most of our belongings but our kids...not so much keen on saying goodbye to toys.

Mahalo,
Hillary

I went with Horizon they were the cheapest with a 20' container. We have to many memories after 26 years of marriage. 1 thing you will not need is snow shovel the packers stuck one into the container so if any one needs one I will sell it cheap

[cynmkolohe]

DeSilva has a great reputation among Hilo elementary schools. (Realtors love to be able to add "DeSilva school district" to their listings.)

Even so, it's always a good idea to consider renting and getting to know the neighborhoods if that is possible for you and your family. A move to Hilo from the mainland means lots of adjustments. Finding the neighborhood that best suits you may take some time.

Welcome to Hilo, and to UH! (I just finished up a very lengthy process of getting a second degree, so I've spent some time on campus these last few years. The size/accessibility/friendliness of the campus was one reason I decided to go back to school in Hilo. I value the connections I made while taking classes....hope you and your family have the same positive experience!)