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Aloha everyone
Finally looks like we will be moving to Oahu in late July for a short term assignment (1 yr or so). I have been reading posts on this forum and most ppl recommend using USPS and bringing stuff in plane etc.. All this makes sense. But this would mean not bringing any furniture or mattresses. We are couple and two little kids in the family. How easy it is to arrange for basic furniture there (prefer not buying brand new) and how long typically it takes? Also, are there short term (hourly) pick up truck rental available to haul stuff, if needed? If we can find a reasonably priced furnished place to rent that would solve the problem but I want to be flexible.
If we bring furniture, it would just be beds (1 queen, 2 twin), mattresses, a small dining table and a sofa. But then we'll have to get everything shipped through a shipping company. I have yet to research container sizes and whether we could fill the smallest ocean container (I guess all these issues/planning are downsides of shipping)
Appreciate any other advice you could offer or share your own moving experiences.
Not sure where you are moving from but from my experience, it seemed better to buy used here. We moved a container through ABF (the relocube) from Virginia, and stocked it with crib, coffee table, moped, framed pictures, kitchen utensils, tv/sound system, clothes, drapes, really anything that could be broken down and put into a small box or small space. While I am glad to have those things, if I were only going to be here for a short time, I would try to buy all of my things in HI. I think the Relocube cost around $4500. Problem is, I don't want to send it back to the mainland. Even some of the furniture I built and shipped here will eventually get sold before we move to the mainland, which is no time soon. Good luck with your move.
If it's just for a year... There are always people leaving the island! And the garage sales are EVERYWHERE on weekends! It just takes a little time and the kids can sleep on air matresses 'till you get their stuff. I'm one to talk. I don't have a dresser yet!
Buy used in Hawaii or rent furnished, which is easy to do. We came with nothing and bought a bed, a couch, a dining table, stools, and dressers. We were able to sell everything we didn't want to bring back, and use the money to ship the things we did. I love Inter Island Hotel Furnishings in Honolulu for used furniture. I bought two marble-topped bedside tables, a glass-topped 9-drawer bureau, and a granite-topped three drawer chest which I used for our TV and electronic storage -- all for $650 and they delivered. It was the most sturdy and heavy furniture I ever owned. Inter Island sells a lot of beds mirrors, art, patio furniture -- all the stuff that hotels turn over.
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