Moving to Hawaii
Moving to paradise
If you’re moving to Hawaii for the first time, there are certainly some considerations you should take into account.
First of all, donate your winter clothes to a good cause!
Seriously, there are various logistical issues to be aware of. Here are just a few to start with. If you have any questions about preparing for or acclimating to the island life, just ask me.
Moving your things
When you’re deciding what to bring and what to get rid of or buy once you’re here, the best approach is to consider the cost of shipping items versus replacing them. This means that a car worth more than about $1,000 is better off shipped than replaced. Other high-value items like computers, entertainment and recreational equipment, expensive furniture, etc. are better off shipped. You can ship cars in separate containers, and combine other items into shipping containers of various sizes. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to get things here by boat, so plan ahead.
Bringing pets
Because of its complex ecology and self-contained land mass, Hawaii has historically been very careful about the animal (and plant) life it lets into the islands. Recently some of the pet regulations have been relaxed, so it’s easier now to bring your animal companions. The best approach is to plan ahead – cats and dogs with proper health documentation and microchip identification done well ahead of time can be released directly to you at the airport or have a maximum five-day quarantine period. Other animals vary by species – no snakes or lizards, some birds are OK… it’s best to check as far ahead of time as possible. A good resource is Hawaii.com.
