Planning your Move

Congratulations! You’re on your way to a new home. With the whirlwind of closing on the property and life in general, the process of moving can become tedious. But the following twelve tips will help you make moving day a breeze, so hopefully, by the end of the day, you will be able to relax and enjoy your new Hawaii home.

1. Simplify. Try the KonMari Method of cleaning and purge all your stuff. Go room by room, drawer by drawer, and determine if each item you have brings you joy. If it does not, give it away, and you will have one less thing to move!

2. Reduce items in your refrigerator. Depending how far you are moving, there may be a lot of food that you don’t want to move. Throw away expired food and try to eat frozen or hard-to-transport food. Also, stick to only essential supermarket items before moving day.

3. Choose a mover. If you are going to pay for a moving company do a quick Google or Yelp search and call some companies. Most companies will give you a quote based on the distance you are moving and the number of things you have to move. The moving company can also provide you tips, and most can pack your things for you as well.

Mainland Move Tip: If you are moving to or from the Mainland, you will need to ship items, including possibly a car. There are many companies that make shipping and moving to and from the Mainland easy. Call a number of companies, until you find the one that comforts you.

If you have friends and family that will put in the hard labor to help you move, assure you ask them ahead of time. You may also need to reserve a moving truck, like U-Haul. Also, make sure you plan an appreciation party or present for your friends and family!

4. Stock Up on Packing Supplies. You will need boxes, tape, and markers. To be environmentally friendly, try to use towels and bedding to pack glassware and fragile items. You can reuse boxes from local business, or even find some for free on Craigslist.

Clothing Tip: A wardrobe box helps you easily moving items hanging in your closet. You simply hang the clothes inside the big box and then can transition them from the box to your new closet with ease.

5. Order important items. If you are a first-time homebuyer or expanding to a larger Hawaii home, it is important to assure you have ordered the essentials ahead of time:

• Trash bags
• Box cutter
• First aid items
• Light bulbs
• Toilet paper
• Cooking basics
• Bed and bedding

6. Pack, pack pack! If you did some purging, packing should be much easier. Pack all your boxes before the moving date, starting with items you don’t immediately need. It is best to label boxes by room, so you know where to put them in your new home.

7. Take time to move. There are only 24 hours in a day, so you may need to take time off work to pack. It is important to be present during moving day as well to assure you can settle into your new home peacefully.

8. Change your address. You do not want to miss important mail – like bills or tax information – so try to change your address with all your banks, insurance providers, credit cards, workplace, and more. You can also change your address with the post office in a matter of minutes online.

9. Setup utilities. Call your utilities companies at least two weeks before the moving company to cancel your current service, if applicable, and set up services for your new home. Utilities include electricity, water, and Internet.

10. Change the locks. For safety, it is always best to change the lock on a new home. Old tenants, neighbors, previous homeowners and more could have keys to the lock. Buy a replacement lockset (or two if you have multiple entries) before your move-in date.

11. Deep clean. While the seller is required to do a basic clean when they sell the house and professionally shampoo carpets, that basic clean may not be to your cleanliness standards. Before you bring in all the stuff, do a deep clean from top to bottom – either get the exercise yourself or hire help.

12. Deduct the moving expenses from your taxes. Calculate all the charges from your move and save your receipts, if possible, as you could potentially save thousands of dollars come tax time. Moving is an itemized tax deduction; however only certain moves qualify.

Congratulations on buying a home in Hawaii! With a little pre-planning and organization, moving day can be just as beautiful as Hawaii paradise.