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We will move to the Puna area in October. Initially we thought about just liquidating everything we have on this end and starting from scratch. I then looked at pricing versus replacing items and shipping. I know a lot of items we have now, we will not take, because they will not be best suited for the area.
I have gotten quotes from moving companies. Two were compatible in pricing and other features. I just did a search on reviews via the internet and BBB.org. I don't know if I'm allowed to mention the moving companies by name on this forum or not. I can just say that I am now not feeling so confident on the partial load of things we wanted to bring.
I'm right back in the same boat now not knowing what we should do (start over or ship some items). As far as items to ship, we have mattresses, TV, computers, tools, outdoor furniture set, and some sentimental items too large to ship via USPS. We're not too thrilled about purchasing second hand mattresses. Replacing those alone makes up the price quoted for shipping cost.
I would appreciate some feedback from the group regarding their own experiences regarding starting over versus shipping items. Like I said, after looking at the BBB.org, one company had "F" rating, and the other has had 32 complaints in the past 3 years; most recent complaint 8/15/14.
Thanks all
Best wishes
Best wishes
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Depends on where you are shipping from. When my wife and I moved back home to Hawaii, we shipped everything and still it sits in eroding boxes under the deck more than a few years later. But as my wife had never made a big move before, I let her have her way - we even shipped back some things that were in their original boxes we shipped to the mainland. But I digress.
Replacing it here is going to cost you. Conservatively estimate what the total value of your items is. Then figure it will likely cost you an additional 30-90% to replace them here. If the 30-90% is less than the shipping costs, get rid of it and buy here.
But I will warn you, there is a chance that a lot of the things that you might want will not be found here.
We were close enough to the west coast that I had a container dropped off. After loading it, I called and it was picked it up and delivered to my front yard 3 weeks later. There were some minor issues as the drop off company didn't pick up the container on time due to a holiday weekend and Matson tried to charge me, but it was cleared up with 2 phone calls.
The items we did unpack and are using far out weighed the cost of shipping everything back. My only regret is not actually purchasing the container for storage on my property as the costs of containers here is 3-5x the price on the mainland.
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Don't speak unless you can improve on the silence.
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Don't speak unless you can improve on the silence.
Yeah, we shipped a 20 foot container through Matson. The price for less than a container was too much for what it was. We got rid of things like specific clothes that we would not want.
A lot depends on your degree of sentimentality. I have objects that have been part of my life for a long time. When I see them, I enjoy the continuity. Photos I have framed and things I've made and collected. Then there's my grandmother's china that I promised to preserve. It's not all about things.
Years ago I did lose nearly everything in a fire, and it literally took years to accumulate small everyday things that I would now call clutter. Just things like wastebaskets and floor mats and a cheese grater and every other piece of kitchen stuff -- when you have to buy it all it costs hundreds of dollars.
Also, I never had any desire to switch to a home decorated like a vacation rental. So much of the tropical furnishings stuff is not made for you to use day after day. Real furniture is quite expensive here, and a decent queen sized mattress set is over a thousand dollars without counting a frame.
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lots of moving sales here, run by folks who brought all their stuff over, then decided not to stay; many, many people leave within 3 years.
Decide what you really can't live without for the next 3 years, and store the rest on the mainland until you know for sure. Fill in the blanks from garage sales. Get cheap new mattresses.
><(((*> ~~~~ ><(("> ~~~~ ><'> ~~~~ >(>
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Things you use all the time, and things you have strong attachment to are worth shipping. Things you haven't even looked at for years (like those unpacked boxes from the last move, or the one before that)don't deserve another move. Seriously, take the move as an opportunity to seriously declutter your life.
Ordinary furniture - depends on your personality. If you are comfortable hitting the garage sales, which happen every weekend, you can find some amazing buys from people who are desperate to get the heck outta here and are dumping everything fast. And keep in mind that places in Hawai'i are typically smaller than mainland places, so you might not even have room for all that stuff.
If you are fussy about your furniture, and hate yard sales, then yes, bring it, but realize that it may not all fit, and that some furniture may not take the humidity and temperature change well. Veneered furniture seems particularly vulnerable to falling apart.
Cheap mattresses? Hey, that's one third of your life to spend trashing your back with a cheap mattress. OK if you are young. [  ]
Decluttering is good.
Agree about veneer and also pressboard. I try to have solid wood furniture, and it's done fine.
Of course, if you move into a moldy type place, all bets are off.
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Mattresses and cars are a lot more expensive here so if you have relatively new versions of these, ship them. General hardware is about 30 percent more so if you feel you'll be in the market for the "Home Depot" type stuff include that.
Small engine stuff like chainsaws, weedwhackers, generators, etc are more expensive here. Another thing I noticed was the price of work gloves, if you will be using them, bring a lot.
Puna: Our roosters crow first
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Where to start :
If you are close to a port on west coast,buy your own shipping container and ship on Matson or P.A.S.H.A. .
Pasha from long beach Ca takes 4 days and Hilo is 1st port of call.Every thing is inside the ship so not exposed to the elements.
On Matson make sure you ship on the boat " Maui " and even though it may be sent on the boat " Honolulu " the Maui is smaller,older and slower and a 20 ft container is approx $500.00 cheaper than if bill of lading says the boat "Honolulu"
By shipping on Matson it transfers in Honolulu to the Young brothers barge to Hilo.takes a few weeks.
In any case,pack your own container yourself and always have that in your yard for secure storage or just a chicken coop.
An all aluminum one is better than the steel constructed one.
Leave 80 % of your stuff there,ship a good truck if you have one,or a good car and or mattress's and nothing but pure wood,as particle board turns to mush in no time.Any feather comforters just mold and mildew and not really needed in sub tropics.
Homes are smaller here than mainland.
Or just put in storage there after you down size and see what you can live with or with out once here.
many many people move away after 2 or 3 years so yard and garage sales are all the time.
Bring 3 or more really good non electric can openers.
Everything is 30% more in cost here unless one knows the sales and discounts.
It is an island in the middle of the big blue pond,Dorothy has discovered this when she came here from Kansas.Things just are not as busy here and some people have problems with how the slow laid back lifestyle can thwart their best intentions.
If you have never been here before,or just came here on a 2 week vacation and fell in love,with the island as a tourist,living here is a whole different experience .
Sell most of what you can live without,ship your essentials,buy your own container,wrap everything triple in plastic bags so no moisture gets in and molds everything before you open the container and enjoy your new home.
Electronics tend to fry in the moisture here,and if you are not used to the humidity 24/7 365 then soon you will know.
Ask more questions and get the replies needed to make your own informed choices.
Best we can do in this topic .
Life is a blessing
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We shipped via a Matson container as well. It was easy, and far less expensive than if we had gone through a moving company. We pared down a great deal as well - and left tons of stuff back on the mainland (via Goodwill, etc). What we did find out here - quality furniture here is hard to come by, and expensive. You think you can leave stuff behind and just go to Target, WallMart and K-Mart to replace.. .it will cost you. AND, the choices may not be what you're looking for. What you left back home, may not be able to be found again here in Hawaii.
What I wish we HAD brought with us - some good, quality outdoor furniture. We moved from a condo on the mainland with no outdoor space, so it didn't even come to mind that perhaps we should have brought that with us. People might want to tell you what they had wished they had brought with them. Then that might give you an idea of what you might want to consider bringing. Another thing - a truck. I didn't realize just how much i don't like transporting my rubbish to the transfer station each week in my car (rear hatchback). I so want a truck... next trip to mainland i'm going to search out a nice, inexpensive, no rust, used truck and ship it back ($1100 approx with Matson from Oakland to Hilo).
Enjoy your trip. Best decision we made to move to Hawaii.
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I didn't find the cost of mattresses to be ridiculously high on the big island. There are several mattress outlet stores on the island and they sell them at Costco. If you are on the west coast, a car is probably worth shipping unless you want to get a new one here. Getting a USED car here is complicated. And by car, I mean truck, because that is what you are going to want if you're going to be living in Puna.
If you are currently living in a house, take into consideration that a house in Hawaii is likely going to be smaller, probably won't have a garage, and your stuff won't be safe in a carport, and you won't have room for all your stuff.
Somebody had mentioned buying the container your stuff is shipped in. My warning on that is not all shipping companies will sell their containers (Matson told me that they would not) and the ones that do, may only sell containers at the end of their marine transport lifespan. The company that we used only had 2 containers in their entire fleet that were for sale and fortunately the logistics worked out that we could get one of them. 20 foot containers are nearly impossible to get on the Big Island (and many of them are 40' containers that were cut in half and had the doors retrofitted), therefore there is virtually no price difference in 20 or 40 foot containers purchased here. Different story on the mainland. Also, a lot of the discount containers you can buy on the mainland don't have a current marine engineer's certificate, and are only good for land transport. So don't buy one of those.
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