Planning a move to the wonderful islands of Hawaii?
If you’re moving to Hawaii, there is no doubt that you are going to love it there. In fact, according to a new study, Hawaii is ranked as America’s #1 happiest state.
With its beautiful weather, landscape, and kind people, this result shouldn’t come as any big surprise.
However, even though living in Hawaii is a blast, moving there can be quite torturous.
If you’re moving from the mainland of the US, (or any mainland, really), there is a lot you have to plan and consider. You can’t just pack your belongings in your car and start driving.
Moving to Hawaii takes careful, meticulous planning.
So, what do you need to do before moving?
Read this essential checklist for moving to Hawaii.
1. Figure Out What to Do With Your Car
Most likely, your car is the most expensive item you have to worry about during your move.
When moving to the islands, there are two options you have to consider: selling it and buying a new one when you get there or hiring a transport service that will bring it to the island.
If your car is old and you were already getting too close to the point where you were going to buy a new one, then selling it is usually the best option.
If, however, you had no plans to sell your car anytime soon, then transporting it is usually the way to go. Do your research and get in touch with car transportation companies to learn about different rates.
2. Be Financially Prepared
Many people don’t like to wait until they have a lot of money saved to move. Instead, they like to just go for it and get creative about savings until they’ve got things figured out.
While this plan can be exciting in some situations, moving to Hawaii without any money saved will mean you probably won’t last very long.
Before you move, you should have an emergency fund set in place in the event you don’t have a job lined up immediately. The main expenses you’ll need to worry about paying right off the bat include: first month’s rent and a security deposit, new furnishings for your place (unless you shipped), food (yeah, it’s expensive here).
Saving as much money as possible before your move will make your transition here a whole lot easier.
3. Get Ready to Part With Your Possessions
While shipping your car to Hawaii is often the most economical decision, shipping all of your possessions, is not.
Unless you have insanely sound finances, shipping your things is probably a mistake. When you’re moving to Hawaii, try to only take the fundamental items with you, and sell or donate everything else.
This means getting rid of clothes, cleaning supplies, electronics, furnishings etc. Quality furniture can sometimes be hard to find in Hawaii, so that is really the only other thing that’s sometimes worth shipping.
However, with the ease of international shipping these days, it will be tough to find an item you can’t replace.
4. Get Ready for Island Life
Remember, Hawaii isn’t the mainland, and things tend to run a little slower here. In fact, “Hawaiian time” is a popular phrase for the pace of life here.
While you may have loved this slower pace on vacation, you may not love it so much when you are waiting twice as long as normal to get your water heater repaired.
So, make sure you are mentally prepared for the change of pace here.
With this checklist, you should be well-prepared for your move to Hawaii!
