Moving to Maui

10 Steps to Moving to Maui

Moving to Maui is a a dream for almost everyone who visits this island paradise, however the thought of actually making the big move over the Pacific Ocean can be very overwhelming. There are many things to consider when deciding if moving to Maui will be best thing for you and your family. Once you made the decision we’ve put a together a 10 step guide to help with the move.

1. Plan Ahead – Consider all costs and possible emergency costs. Create a list with estimates of flights, housing, transportation, vehicles, shipping, vet bills, pets and make sure you have enough saved to cover anything else that may arise.

2. Decide where you want to live – Figure out which side of the island will best suit your needs based on available jobs, schools, proximity to the beach and anything else that is important to you.

3. Rent before you buy – Just to be sure you find the part of the island that perfectly fits your needs. You may realize that you would rather live away from the beach and tourists.

4. Sort your stuff – Shipping costs are very high so if possible it is best to not plan to ship anything that you can buy here. Just bring with you the bare minimum, imprtnat documents, heirlooms and art.

5. Pack it Yourself – If you do need to ship a container it is nearly half the cost to pack it yourself, rather than have them pack it for you. Get estimates from Matson and other companies who ship here and compare. This will aslo require careful planning as you will need to coordinate the drop off and pick up of your container.

6. Talk to your vet early – Hawaii has quarantine laws, some of which the quarantine times can be cut short if your speak with your vet early and let them know of your intentions to move to Maui.

7. Research Schools – Talk to parnets and those in the community to see what schools are best for your children. Some private schools have waitinglist and requirements that must be met so you will have to look into that.

8. Cars – Ship or Sell? – If your car is new and you owe on it, your typically better off bring it with you. If you own your car and can buy a replacement once you get here your probably better off going that route as shipping a car to Maui is on average $1200.

9. Job Hunting – This can take a while, you should begin your search before with site like craigslist to get a feel for what is available.

10. Create Community – Get involved with the community. Ask your new friends for recommendation about doctors, dentists, hairdresser and whatever other services are important to you.