Moving to Hawaii: What to Ship, What to Sell & How to Ship a Car

If you’re planning on moving to Hawaii, one of the biggest questions you’ll face is: What should I ship, and what should I sell? Before making the move, it’s important to understand the cost of living in Hawaii and how shipping expenses fit into your overall relocation budget. The cost of shipping to and from Hawaii remains high for all the obvious reasons. Even with shippers like Amazon now on the island, most companies have extra charges for Hawaii, and some companies flat-out will not ship to the islands. Here’s what you need to know about moving logistics, car shipping, freight options, and what’s truly worth bringing with you.

Shipping Methods: Air Freight vs. Ocean Freight to Hawaii

Most goods and services that must be delivered faster come via plane and air. Large items such as cars or non-essentials are often shipped by boat, which can take weeks or, in some cases, months. Shipping a car to Hawaii is one of the most common relocation decisions. Most vehicles ship from West Coast ports such as California to Honolulu on Oahu with companies like Matson or Pasha Hawaii.

From there, vehicles may be transported to neighbor islands. As a side note, most car shippers require the cars to be completely empty with almost no fuel. This means you can not pack a car up with clothes and household goods and expect that to be shipped to the island. Most large household shipments to Hawaii travel by ocean freight, while urgent items are shipped by air at a significantly higher cost.

Moving Companies, Freight Options & Container Shipping to Hawaii

Container shipping to Hawaii can cost anywhere from several thousand dollars to significantly more depending on size, timing, and island destination. There are freight companies, moving companies, and companies such as PODS that will ship canisters to the island. PODS is popular since they will drop off a pod at your location, have you pack it up, and then they will come and seal it and ship it to the new destination. All of the above options for shipping your belongings to Hawaii come with some pretty hefty prices. Larger canisters can run tens of thousands to ship to the island. If you are not in a port or shipping town, then you will likely have the additional cost of having the items moved via truck to the port of call.

Military PCS Moves to Hawaii

If you are relocating to Hawaii under military PCS orders, the U.S. military typically covers household goods shipping, vehicle transport, and professional packing services. Additionally, the hired company will come and pack you out so that the military member has limited time to do with packing. For most civilians, the logistics are on them to figure out, pack up, and pay.

Availability of Goods on the Island

The upside is that an island such as Oahu has almost everything you could want or need. On islands like Oahu, major retailers such as Costco, Target, home improvement stores, and local home furnishing stores on the island make it easy to purchase furniture, home goods, and appliances locally. As of today, there is very little we can not get or source locally.

What Should You Bring When Moving to Hawaii?

So, coming back full circle, what should you ship or bring, and that answer is very little. Unless you have some items you can’t live without, you can get new things such as furniture here on island. Of course, this is not taking into account family heirlooms or items that cannot be replaced.

Consider shipping:

• Family heirlooms or irreplaceable items
• Specialty tools or equipment
• Vehicles (depending on condition and value)
• Sentimental furniture pieces

Consider selling:

• Large, inexpensive furniture
• Heavy décor items
• Easily replaceable household goods

What Clothing Do You Need in Hawaii?

On Oahu, you certainly do not need much in the way of warm-weather gear. Hawaii’s tropical climate means you’ll rely heavily on lightweight clothing year-round, though Upcountry and higher elevations can be cooler. With the exception of a light jacket and a possible raincoat, you are good in shorts and slippers. The other upside is that a Hawaiian shirt works for most dressier events. For the most part, board shorts and a t-shirt work for almost all occasions.

Moving to Hawaii?

So again, what do you need to bring and ship? Not much. Enjoy the island life and get new island-style clothes and furnishings to fit your new life.

Want to know more about moving to Hawaii? Feel free to reach out via text, phone, or email anytime.