Living in Hawaii has given you joy throughout your life. You’ve learned to go with the flow, and you’re accustomed to a warm, friendly environment. But as luck would have it, you’ll soon be moving to the mainland.
You imagine life on the mainland as incredibly different from life in Hawaii. You may not find the same foods, culture or atmosphere, but you will have new experiences and discover new interests as you adapt to your home.
You may be more worried about the moving process than your ability to acclimate. To make the transition less stressful and easier to manage, we have several moving tips. Read on to discover what steps you should take as you prepare for your move from Hawaii to the mainland.
1. Find a Reputable Moving Company
If you were moving to a new home down the street from your current abode, you’d have no problem finding a moving company to transport your belongings. But a move to the mainland is a little different.
As soon as you know when you’ll move, find a reputable moving company, like Island Movers, to help you manage all the details. These professionals can assist you with every aspect of the move, from packing and shipping to storing your items in a storage unit if necessary.
2. Pack and Ship Your Belongings
As mentioned earlier, professional movers can help you with every detail of your move including packing your belongings. And when you move from Hawaii, you have to ship all of your possessions from the Aloha State to your new home on the mainland.
While movers can assist you with both packing and shipping, you can do a few things to make their jobs faster and to reduce your worry.
Before the movers start packing up your home, go through your possessions and reduce clutter. Throw away or donate any items that you no longer use or that take up unnecessary space. Mark any fragile items, so they can be packed and shipped securely. Also, each family member should pack a suitcase full of essentials (like clothing, toiletries and entertainment) to use once your belongings have been shipped.
Have your new address written down clearly for the movers, so your items get shipped to the correct location.
3. Keep Moving-Related Documents Together
To make finding important paperwork easier and less time consuming, gather all of your moving-related documents and place them together in a binder or folder. These documents could include moving contracts and contact information for the moving company, plane tickets, and ID cards or passports (whatever is applicable).
Keep this binder or folder in one area, such as on your dresser or desk, until the move so you don’t lose it. On moving day, store this parcel in your carry-on bag, purse or briefcase, so you can access it at a moment’s notice.
4. Find New Institutions
After you’ve arrived on the mainland and started settling into your new home, you’ll need to update a lot of information. You’ll need to access necessities like your finances. Talk to your new neighbors or co-workers, or ask a family member if you have one nearby, for reputable institutions like:
- Banks
- Doctors’ offices
- Schools
- Veterinary clinics
You should contact your old institutions and transfer documents, finances and other information to these new locations as soon as possible.
You’ll also want to call your car and health insurance companies to see if your policy transfers to your new state. If it doesn’t, find a new provider.
5. Update Your Drivers License and Vehicle Registration
Since you’ll be living in your new state for the foreseeable future, you’ll want to update your drivers license and vehicle registration as quickly as you can.Find a DMVnear you to get a new license, license plates and registration tags. You may want to call the DMV and ask about their normal business hours, so you can plan for this update accordingly.
6. Note the Speed Differences
If you’ve ever driven around Hawaii, you’ve noticed that the speed limits rarely exceed 55 miles per hour. However, speeds in mainland states canrange higher than 55. As you drive around, take note of the different speed limits and adjust your driving accordingly.
7. Update Your Address
When you switched to a new bank, school, and doctor’s office, you provided your new address. But there were likely some institutions that remained the same. For example, if you have a credit card, you probably didn’t close the account and switch to a new company.
If you still have accounts with some entities, call them and update your address. These entities include:
- Credit card companies
- Insurance companies
- Student loan providers
- Car loan providers
You can also update your address in general if you fill out a form with your local U.S. Post office.
Although you will greatly miss Hawaii, you should be excited for your move to the mainland. Use the tips above for a smoother moving experience, and don’t forget to contact Island Movers and schedule our expert moving services.
