# Moving to Hawaii--need garage sale and moving tips!



## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

We just decided that we'll be moving to Hawaii this summer and now I'm faced with this huge, overwhelm,Inc mountain of things to do that's so big I can't figure out where to start! Help!!

My sister and brother in law live there, and we spent a month there last summer to make sure it was the right choice for us, then our sons were both accepted into a fantastic school there (Punahou for those that know it), and it all happened at a time when we were thoroughly fed up with out house, tired of Tampa, and had no real ties or direction with our present location. 

So, off we go! We've lived in this house for thirteen years, two of my three kids were born here, and we've accumulated a massive amount of stuff. We don't want to take hardly any of it with us, so we need to sell, donate, and trash what's here. We may keep a few things in storage here if we need to.

I've never held a real garage sale before, and I want to do it right. I have lots of furniture I'll be listing on Craigslist and eBay, and some collectables that will sell better online. How in the world do I put it all outside in one day!?? I'd love some tips!


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

You know, I don't think I would put it all out. If you're planning on selling most everything you could just do an indoor sale. It would be less work (hauling in and out every day). I'm in student housing and see it done quite often here. Also, good for you! I plan on doing the same when we leave our house. It's tough but so much easier than moving around a bunch of stuff.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Hmmm, I hadn't considered that, but I'm sure it's an option! Definitely for the furniture and heavier items at least. I can put the smaller stuff out front to tease people in, too. Especially the stuff that will just be donated to charity or trashed if it doesn't sell.


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## notreallyhere (Oct 8, 2011)

Put your garage sale on craigslist as well. I did this the week of, then put up signs on the day, and we were cleaned out! If you don't want to put your address in the ad, put in a nearby landmark people would recognize, or cross streets. I said we were in the neighborhood behind such and such elementary school, then put up the signs at major intersections. Worked like a charm. 

Good luck! And can I just say - a little green with envy. Which island?

~Cate


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Moving to Hawaii?!?! Do you adopt?  Take me with you....!!!


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

You will need to be up early, probably before it's light. You will be surprised how many people turn up and wait, regardless of what time you advertise.    Of course, it depends on what you have, but sometimes you find people repeatedly asking for something you dont have.  When we did my MIL's place, I found it helpful to put up a sign saying "No Tools or Toys" as that's what many people were asking for. Most stayed and looked anyway and some even bought other stuff but it was less hassle for me.


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## Adam Poe (Apr 2, 2012)

Here in Tucson there are several companies than do all the work for you. Sure you may not get as much out of everything, but the time and hassle you save is worth it.

The main place that does this service here is called 'Anabel's Attic' but I am sure there are big companies that do it to. Basically you call them and they will set up a time to come over. They go through your house and offer you money for things they will re-sell in their store. This place does furniture, electronics, appliances, knick-knacks, you name it. Everything you agree on selling them they plop a big tag on. When they are done a few guys come in and move it all into trucks. They pay you, and it works out well for both parties.

If there is not a place like that there then all I can suggest is an estate-sale type thing as suggested before, and definitely take full advantage of craigslist.

Good luck!


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

O


Adam Poe said:


> Here in Tucson there are several companies than do all the work for you. Sure you may not get as much out of everything, but the time and hassle you save is worth it.
> 
> The main place that does this service here is called 'Anabel's Attic' but I am sure there are big companies that do it to. Basically you call them and they will set up a time to come over. They go through your house and offer you money for things they will re-sell in their store. This place does furniture, electronics, appliances, knick-knacks, you name it. Everything you agree on selling them they plop a big tag on. When they are done a few guys come in and move it all into trucks. They pay you, and it works out well for both parties.
> 
> ...


OMG that is just what I need! I've never heard of that but I'm going to look and see what I can find. What a great concept!


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Cate- we will be on Oahu. 

Oh, and I sent an email and picture to House Hunters on HGTV last night too. You never know, I might be on tv!


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

hsuthard said:


> O
> OMG that is just what I need! I've never heard of that but I'm going to look and see what I can find. What a great concept!


Another option is a consignment shop that sells furniture. My one experience with that is they came and picked up the furniture and took it away. They called a few weeks later to tell me it sold and then I went and picked up a check.

L


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## ellesu (Feb 19, 2009)

How exciting! As someone suggested - in your ad state "cash only" or whatever payment form you want. If you want people to move whatever heavy pieces they buy to their cars/trucks on their own, I'd state that in the ad also. We had someone come in and handle everything when we cleared out my mom's house. As Adam Poe stated, they came, looked, and made a plan. They even had someone clear out the pantry (open boxes of _stuff_). In fact, we ended up selling the house to one of their family members and didn't even have to put it on the market.

Lots of work ahead of you - but lots of rewards waiting. Hawaii!!


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

When my Mom died, couple of women in the area did an estate sale for me.  (Don't remember how I learned about them.)  Virtually everything was sold.  They took a percentage so it was in their interest to sell as much they could (quantity) for as much as they could (money-wise).  I didn't have to do anything.  They told me not to be there because it would be difficult for me to see things go.  They certainly were completely honest.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Congrats on the move! I would love to be able to move back to Hawaii permanently!  I've lived on both Maui and Oahu.  Congrats on Punahou, as well!  

Are you really getting rid of everything?  Wouldn't it be cheaper to ship some of that furniture then repurchasing when you get there?  Call a container company and check.  They'll leave you a container to pack, truck it across to the US to port and boat it to Hawaii for you.  They take cars too.   It will take you about a month to get your things.  

I don't envy you all that work.  I think tkkenyon has the right idea on how to do it the easiest way.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

sebat said:


> Congrats on the move! I would love to be able to move back to Hawaii permanently! I've lived on both Maui and Oahu. Congrats on Punahou, as well!
> 
> Are you really getting rid of everything? Wouldn't it be cheaper to ship some of that furniture then repurchasing when you get there? Call a container company and check. They'll leave you a container to pack, truck it across to the US to port and boat it to Hawaii for you. They take cars too. It will take you about a month to get your things.
> 
> I don't envy you all that work. I think tkkenyon has the right idea on how to do it the easiest way.


Most of the furniture and decor we have is old and outdated, a lot from our pre-wedding days even, 18 years ago. We plan to buy new stuff and start fresh wherever we can. Some of the furniture we'll have shipped direct to our new address once we know it, and some we may buy here and ship it with our stuff still unassembled and packaged.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

I talked with a realtor today and we'll also be doing a pre-inspection. Finding out what's going to come up in the inspection allows us to fix several things ourselves rather than hiring licensed professionals (where possible, of course), and will allow for fewer surprises come closing time. 

We're also having a staging expert come by, and she'll help us decide what furniture and decor to remove immediately vs. waiting until we pack up to get out. I expect we will use a service like your furniture consignment shop Leslie, it sounds perfect for the stuff that needs to stay in the house until the day we leave, and then they can come pick it up and send us a check later. 

Our realtor says our market is at its busiest right now, February - July is the busy season she says. So, she wants us to list sooner rather than later, and not to worry about living in the house while it's being shown. There's just so much work to be done still . . .


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

I'm almost as excited for you as I would be if it were me  .


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

rho said:


> I'm almost as excited for you as I would be if it were me .


Come visit!


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

So excited for you.    Everyone has some wonderful advice.  Happy moving. 
deb


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

hsuthard said:


> Most of the furniture and decor we have is old and outdated, a lot from our pre-wedding days even, 18 years ago. We plan to buy new stuff and start fresh wherever we can. Some of the furniture we'll have shipped direct to our new address once we know it, and some we may buy here and ship it with our stuff still unassembled and packaged.


Well, that makes sense. 

Hit some of the furniture stores in your area. Wood items are shipped covered with sheets of packing foam and then boxed. It's wonderful stuff to wrap your breakables in. It looks like this....
Actually this price isn't bad if you can't find it for free.

I can't remember the name of the stuff but it's like saran wrap only it's the width of packing tape. We always called it stretch tape but I don't think that's it's real name. It's what works the best with the foam sheets. If you buy some furniture here, they might have some a sell you or give you a roll.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

hsuthard said:


> Come visit!


Hehe, you better not make that offer to me or I might show up on your doorstep. Two of my best friends are on Oahu. One in Waikiki and the other in Kapolei.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

sebat said:


> Hehe, you better not make that offer to me or I might show up on your doorstep. Two of my best friends are on Oahu. One in Waikiki and the other in Kapolei.


Come on! We can have a KB Meetup on Waikiki Beach &#128516;


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

My brother is on the Big Island, and we fly through Honolulu, so let me know when that KB meetup is!


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## Lisa Scott (Apr 4, 2011)

I've had success selling boxes of stuff (for example old cups and dishes sold as a lot) instead of hoping each piece sells.  Good luck!  And so jealous you're moving to Hawaii.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

If you have time to mess with ebay, do it for the more valuable stuff.  I made so much more money there than I ever would on a yard sale.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

sebat said:


> If you have time to mess with ebay, do it for the more valuable stuff. I made so much more money there than I ever would on a yard sale.


Yeah, my husband is selling quite a bit via Craigslist and eBay.

The more I think about it, the more I'm dreading a yard sale. Donating is so much easier. If we can make enough on the big stuff via eBay and Craigslist then we may skip the little stuff and just donate it all for the tax write-off, then sell the furniture via consignment when we're ready to leave.

How much can I make with a yard sale realistically?


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

hsuthard said:


> How much can I make with a yard sale realistically?


If you don't give the stuff away, you can do okay. I've made over a thousand before. The next time I made a big move I didn't have time for a yard sale and left some of my better stuff with a friend. She priced so cheap I made $50.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Wow, congrats!  That is a huge undertaking. I cannot even fathom moving to an island.  And for me, it would always seem sort of weird living on one?  I mean, it's probably just my insane brain, but at some point I would feel sort of trapped...I can only go so far before I have to just make a big circle and come back around to where I started!


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

balaspa said:


> Wow, congrats! That is a huge undertaking. I cannot even fathom moving to an island. And for me, it would always seem sort of weird living on one? I mean, it's probably just my insane brain, but at some point I would feel sort of trapped...I can only go so far before I have to just make a big circle and come back around to where I started!


I completely get that. We struggled with that, too. We compared the the size of Oahu with the size of Hillsborough County, FL (where we live), and it turns out they're almost the exact same size. We figure it's very rare that we leave our county, except by plane, so we shouldn't see a big difference. We do travel quite a bit as well, and we won't stop doing that. We'll just travel to different places.

The trade off I'm having the hardest time with is that there's only one Target store, where here I regularly shop at least four different Targets. And, there's no Chick-Fil-A &#128561;


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## sheiler1963 (Nov 23, 2011)

My advice would be a little different than some of the others. You aren't just clearing out some odd and ends that you no longer use, you want this stuff GONE so you don't have to deal with it. In that vein I would price things uber cheap and watch them fly away. Keep in mind that people going to garage sales are looking for bargains. The value of the items isn't what you think they are worth, it's what someone else will pay for them. If you don't want to box it back up at the end of the day and have to find some place to donate it too. Keep in mind that if it's worth $20 and you sell it for $5, that's still $5 more than you will get for donating it and more than any tax break. If you are selling clothes I recommend setting out a box of grocery sacks and a sign that says, 'Fill a bag for $1'. That way instead of picking through the clothes and leaving a mess that you need to keep refolding, folks will be grabbing them up and stuffing those bags with clothes for everyone they know and not just the one or two items they might have chosen otherwise. For things like books offer a deal on bulk quantities like .50 each or 3 for $1. 
The first goal should be focused on making the stuff gone and not how many $$ you get.
The second goal is to not look at it like a chore, have some fun with it! Some friends and I do annual road trips doing just this. The best one is called a 'Junk Jaunt' and it's 350+ miles of garage sales. Finding the junk is secondary to how much fun we have meeting all the people that we would not otherwise ever meet. Heck we have such a good time with it some people end up GIVING us the stuff we want for free just because we make them laugh.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

Well I just went through this and posted a whole garage sale 101 on my blog... If you just click on my link scoll down and on the left you will see a link to the post.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

This Kindle ebook is FREE today (price may go up tomorrow). I thought it may be helpful since you'll be moving there soon!


Map of Honolulu
​


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

hsuthard said:


> The trade off I'm having the hardest time with is that there's only one Target store, where here I regularly shop at least four different Targets. And, there's no Chick-Fil-A &#128561;


Actually, there's 2 Targets now but the other one is in Kapolei so it probably won't be any closer for you. It was very convenient when I was living in Ewa.

This of course depends on where you are living, but when I was living in Waikiki, I discovered I could get to the Costco at Hawaii Kai faster than the one on Alakawa even thought it was twice as far. It was also a more pleasant experience since there are no parking issues and it's never as crowded at the Hawaii Kai one.



balaspa said:


> Wow, congrats! That is a huge undertaking. I cannot even fathom moving to an island. And for me, it would always seem sort of weird living on one? I mean, it's probably just my insane brain, but at some point I would feel sort of trapped...I can only go so far before I have to just make a big circle and come back around to where I started!


The first time I lived in Hawaii, I was on Maui for 7 months. After the first 3 months, I had a huge problem with the trapped feeling. It wasn't that I was stuck on one island because we took several weekend trips to other islands during that time. I think it had more to do with the fact that we had moved there from Montana. I was use to wide open spaces and driving 1000 miles on a weekend. When that job ended and we moved home I was devastated! Since then I haven't had any problems with any of our other stints over there.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Cuechick said:


> Well I just went through this and posted a whole garage sale 101 on my blog... If you just click on my link scoll down and on the left you will see a link to the post.


Thanks! I'll check that out!



DreamWeaver said:


> This Kindle ebook is FREE today (price may go up tomorrow). I thought it may be helpful since you'll be moving there soon!
> 
> 
> Map of Honolulu
> ​


Woohoo!! Thanks for letting me know, that will definitely come in handy. I keep thinking, I can't get but so lost, it IS an island, but then again, if there's a way I'll find it.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

sebat said:


> Actually, there's 2 Targets now but the other one is in Kapolei so it probably won't be any closer for you. It was very convenient when I was living in Ewa.
> 
> This of course depends on where you are living, but when I was living in Waikiki, I discovered I could get to the Costco at Hawaii Kai faster than the one on Alakawa even thought it was twice as far. It was also a more pleasant experience since there are no parking issues and it's never as crowded at the Hawaii Kai one.


My sister lives in Hawaii Kai, you can see the Costco from her lanai, so I imagine that's where I'll shop, too. We're looking in the Manoa area for a home, we'd like to stay between Punahou and Hawaii Kai ideally. I hear the Dowsett area off the Pali is nice, too. We originally were thinking of living in Kailua, but I don't want the commute.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

hsuthard said:



> My sister lives in Hawaii Kai, you can see the Costco from her lanai, so I imagine that's where I'll shop, too. We're looking in the Manoa area for a home, we'd like to stay between Punahou and Hawaii Kai ideally. I hear the Dowsett area off the Pali is nice, too. We originally were thinking of living in Kailua, but I don't want the commute.


Sorry, I'm no help with the housing. My husband's company provides our housing. They give us an address and we just show up and move in.

Manoa sounds the best location for the boys to get to Punahou. I've always loved Hawaii Kai. Your sister is in a beautiful area. Kailua is beautiful but it is quite a commute. My friend that is in Kapolei originally lived in Kailua. She loved it but the commute to Pearl everyday finally got to her.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

1. Hawaii; I'm so jealous... my favorite trip ever.

2. I would advertise it as a MOVING sale as opposed to a YARD sale: The difference: people know moving sale includes bigger better items like furniture and china...etc.

3. You would be surprised the money to be made. I once made $800 selling what I thought was junk in just 5 hours. Clothes sell well. 
*
4. Have a friend, neighbor, relative: be a watchdog* for you while you are tending to your transactions. People steal while you are busy dealing with the customers. My mother would walk right up to the person and say plan on paying for that green shirt you just tucked under your arm? She was amazing. She caught someone put on earrings and walk off; she followed them and said, "those earrings look nice on you; that will be two dollars."

5. Lots work well: Books sell by the box rather than individually. They feel like they got a bargain...a WHOLE box of something. AND it clears the stuff out a whole lot quicker.


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## P.A. Woodburn (May 22, 2010)

I lived on Oahu for 13 years and every so often think about moving back. You will love Hawaii. I still might move back. Have lived in or stayed in all the places you mention. You can take pets now without quarantine. My daughter was born in Hawaii. Now I'm homesick. I'm jealous.
Ann


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Well, I placed an ad in Craiglist earlier this week. I tried to list out bunches of stuff so it'd come up in a search often. The good news is my ad attracted lots of attention. The bad news is I forgot to put a DATE on the moving sale ad, and had people showing up at my house 45 minutes later to buy things. Oops!

I quickly edited the posting, placed ads in the papers, and made some signs as well. I've pulled out an awful lot of stuff to sell, I hope it goes! I'm renting and borrowing tables because I don't want to have to put everything on the ground. I'm now wondering how long to plan on spending placing things out on the tables, etc. I'm hoping I can do it in 1.5 hours . . .


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## sheiler1963 (Nov 23, 2011)

good call on getting tables. I won't even stop at a yard sale if most of the stuff is laid on the ground. Do make sure your signs have lettering that is large enough that folks driving down the street can quickly note the address w/o having to slow down. It's also one of my pet peeves when someone uses an 8x10 sheet of paper and uses a ball point pen for their signs. Big arrows on the signs are also helpful.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Well, thank goodness it's finally over! That was the longest day I've had in a while. I never even got to drink my coffee. We started at 8am, but there were people coming in at 7. By 9am, I felt like I had been in a whirlwind. All in all, we cleared $1871 and got rid of lots and lots of stuff. And helped out an out of work family to boot. Once the sale was over we packed up our trailer with everything that didn't sell and were carting it all off to Goodwill. A family that had come by earlier came back just as we were leaving (I had told them, if they did they could help themselves to whatever was left for free). 

They loaded up two cars of stuff for them to resell at their flea market or use for their four kids and then helped us clean up and tear down everything. It was a win win 👍

I don't know that I'll ever do it again, I sold some stuff way too cheap, and lots of stuff was still left that I dnt want. But we did get some free money, like my husband said. And it's over, best of all!


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

Now you can relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend!


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## FranShaff (Apr 26, 2011)

Garage sale only big things like furniture, appliances, electronics and tools. Donate or trash little things. You don't want to have to keep track of a bunch of 50-cent items, do you? If you can't get at least (fill in the blank) dollars for an item, donate or trash it. That will really cut down on the headaches and the work.

Good luck and have a wonderful life in Hawaii!

Fran Shaff (who's moved many times, but never to Hawaii)


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Sounds like a busy day! Glad you managed to sell a lot though.


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