Moving to East Hawaii? Valuable Resources for You!

Making a move to an island can be challenging! If you find yourself making the move, congratulations on moving to East Hawaii!! We created this resource guide to help make moving to East Hawaii easier and also getting set up before and after you move on island for a stress free start to your new life on this island!

This is a living document and if you find a service or provider you recommend, email us and we will include in order to help even more folks.

If you are looking to buy real estate, we have an incredible team! Please contact Julie@Ziemelis.com for assistance. We offer fantastic information about the market, insights into neighborhoods and life in East Hawaii. For info about East Hawaii market trends and neighborhood insights check out our 365 Hawaii Real Estate Minute YouTube channel. Here are the East Hawaii specific videos: https://www.youtube.com/@365HawaiiRealEstateInfo/search

The circle of Aloha continues! Mahalo and E Komo Mai!

Moving Guide For East Hawaii

Personalized Concierge Service

Meet Tammy and Dave – owners of Hawaii Relocation Concierge service (HRC)

Offering a full range of services for everyone! Many of their clients are long term residents who need a little help with things like handyman services, vacant property monitoring, grocery shopping and pet sitting and more while they go off island. HRC is an invaluable service to those who are planning their move to the island, from vacant property monitoring, mail and package receipt, and vehicle pick up and/or delivery from and to the docks, they will help make the transition much easier.

Moving Your Belongings

Most residents who move to the Big Island wish they had not brought so much stuff. Buying furnishings from Costco, Facebook Marketplace, REStore, estate and garage sales, consignment stores, etc is a very good option if you want to save thousands of dollars in shipping costs. If you plan on bringing your things with you, here are some moving service companies that can help:

Kona Trans

(808) 329-4111

http://www.konatrans.com

Honolulu Freight Services

http://www.honolulufreightservice.com

Royal Hawaiian Movers – Hilo

Keaau, HI · (808) 217-9915

Town & Country Moving Storage

Moving and storage service

100 Makalika St · (808) 969-1911

https://www.tcmovers.com/storage.html

Moving Your Car

Here are a few local resources to consider for shipping your car to Hawaii.

Remember, you have to ship your car with nothing in it. Depending upon where you are shipping from will be how much you pay, but on average it costs about $1800 to ship your car from the Port of Oakland to Hilo using Matson as a cost estimate.

Matson

1-800-4MATSON

http://www.matson.com/matnav/services/hawaii.html

Hawaii Car Transport

(808) 445-6695

http://www.hawaiicartransport.com/car-shipping-to-hawaii.php

Pasha Group

(808) 935-6318

https://www.pashagroup.com

Hawaii Relocation Concierge

Contact: 808-896-3255

http://www.hawaiirelocationconcierge.com

Sometimes your vehicle arrives on the dock before you land. HRC can pick

up, temporarily store and deliver.

Moving Your Pets

Moving your pets over to Hawaii can be quite a process due to the fact that the entire Hawaiian Island chain has been able to stop rabies from occurring here, so they have a strict vaccination and quarantine regimen that needs to be followed.

Here are the Hawaii State requirements:

http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/ai/aqs/animal-quarantine-information-page/

The Pet Moving company we personally worked with was Animal Land personally. It was a great experience! They answer their phones and get things rolling quickly. We’ve also worked with Island Pet Movers while helping to transport pets to and from Hilo Airport’s Air Cargo. However, on the weekends they only communicated through email, this may have changed.

Animal Land Pet Movers

(877) 379-8625

Island Pet Movers

(808) 783-8419

Veterinarians

Pahoa Animal Hospital

15-2714 Pahoa Village Rd Unit C3

Pāhoa, HI 96778

(808) 930-5888

https://www.pahoaanimalhospital.com

Good Karma Spay and Neuter Clinic

399 Hualani St #14A

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 657-4663

https://goodkarmaspay.com

Horvath Agnes DVM

Mobile Available & Large Animal

111 E Puainako St # 108

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 929-8231

https://www.horvathmobilevet.com

Mai’kai Veterinary

Located in: Prince Kuhio Plaza

111 E. Puainako St. Ste. A-109

Hilo, HI 96720

(808)959-2273

Aloha Veterinary Center

819 Laukapu St.

Hilo, HI 96720(808) 935-7387

Hilo Veterinary Clinic

585 Laukapu St.

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-3486

Pet Hospital-Hilo Clinic

667 Kanoelehua Ave.

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 961-0638

Island Veterinary Center, LLC

550 Lama St, Hilo

HI 96720

(808) 731-6350

Getting Your Electricity Turned On

HELCO (Hawaiian Electric Light Company) is the main electric company.

Contact: (808) 548-7311

They suggest giving them at least a two-day heads up to get your power] turned on. A service establishment charge of $20 is required to start or reconnect electric service to any customer. There is an additional charge of $25 for same-day service requests.

http://www.hawaiielectriclight.com/helco/Residential-Services/Customer-Service/Landing/Customer-Service?cpsextcurrchannel=1

Getting Your Water Turned On

Department of Water Supply, County of Hawaii

Contact: (808) 322-0600

http://www.hawaiidws.org/index.htm

To get your water service turned on or prevent it from being turned off, you

will need to give them a $100 security deposit. (Void if you have water

catchment.

Water Catchment

Uncle Tilo’s Clean Water LLC

Contact: (808) 965-1026

https://www.tiloscleanwater.com

Many of the homes in lower Puna district have water catchment tanks.

Unless it is treated you cannot drink out of them. You will need to change your filters and UV lights regularly for drinking. Easy to do but you can have a service help service it for you.

Getting Your Cable/DSL

Spectrum is the main service provider for TV, Internet, and home phone.

888-406-7063

www.Spectrum.com

Supplementary Spectrum page: This additional resource allows residents to compare and contrast services with other providers in the area. Remember to allow at least a week, sometimes two, for the “cable guys” to show up and connect you.

Getting Your Telephone Landline

Hawaiian Telcom

Offers bundles for phone and TV

Toll Free (877) 482-2211

http://www.hawaiiantel.com/default.aspx

You may think your cell phone is enough. There have been enough cell

phone tower and cable issues with weather and accidents that you need to

consider having a landline in your home for emergencies.

Mobile Phone Providers

Verizon seems to be the consensus of the best mobile network on the east side of Hawaii Island. Although ATT has added more towers in Keaau so services should work. Sprint customers say they get frequent dropped calls.

AT&T

333 Kilauea AveHilo, HI 96720

Across from Panda Express.

Contact: (808) 935-9749

Sprint

Right by the Prince Kuhio Plaza

Address: 111 E Puainako St Ste 108A, Hilo, HI 96720

Phone: (808) 959-2699

Verizon

111 E Puainako St, Suite 3030-1,

Hilo, HI, 96720

(800) 880-1077

Getting Your Driver’s License

Department of Motor Vehicles

Address: 349 Kapiolani St, Hilo, HI 96720

Contact: (808) 961-2222

https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/departments/finance/vehicle-registration-licensing

Stop by Long’s Drugstore and pick up the Driver’s License Manual to take

the test (Not everyone has to take the test, read requirements). You

can also go to the DMV site to take practice tests

online.http://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/library/motor-vehicle-safety-office/

You will need some form of proof of license eligibility from the last state in which you held a license.

Review this list to prove you live in Hawaii BEFORE you go:

http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/finance-dl-hi-legal-presence#HPPR

Due to Covid you will have to make an online appointment.

Registering your vehicle

Motor Vehicle Registration

Contact (808) 323-4818

While you are at the DMV, register your vehicle too. You can download the forms you will need from

here: http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/Weblink8/Browse.aspx?dbid=1&startid=63777

There is a new vehicle registration inside the Safeway in Hilo that you can

use to save time, too.

You will also need to have a vehicle safety inspection before they will

finalize the registration of your vehicle. Get this done as soon as you get

your vehicle on the island. Cost is about $25.

Lex Brodie’s

1089 Kilauea Avenue,

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 329-5823

https://www.lexbrodiesfastlube.com

Wally’s Garage

15-1897

Keaau, HI 96749(808) 966-9275

www/https://808wallys.wixsite.com

Setting Up Your Bank Account:

There are no mainland “mega” banks here in Hawaii. Here’s a list of some of

the more popular financial institutions:

Bank of Hawaii

https://www.boh.com/

(808)-643-3888

First Hawaiian Bank

https://www.fhb.com/en/

(888)-844-4444

Central Pacific Bank

www.centralpacificbank.com

(808)-544-0500

American Savings Bank

www.asbhawaii.com

(808) 627-6900

Hawaii Community Federal Credit Union

www.hicommfcu.com

(808) 627-6900

HFS Federal Credit Union

www.hfsfcu.org

(808) 930-1400

Big Island Federal Credit Union

big island federal credit union

(808) 935-9778

Getting Your Child A TB Test

Before you can enroll your children in school, you will need to get them a TB

test. You can do this at the County Health Services or through your child’s

own doctor. Here are the locations, times, and phone numbers of the County

Health Clinics

https://health.hawaii.gov/tb/files/2018/06/TST-Clinic-Schedule-05.18.18-

v1.pdf

School Enrollment

If you are considering a move to the island and have school age children, you should know that many charter schools on the island require you to apply for their school admission by February before the Fall semester for their lottery requirements. Check each school’s website for the guidelines.

Local charter schools include:

https://www.kaumeke.org

http://www.kuaokala.org/index.html

https://sites.google.com/haaspcs.net/hawaiiacademyofartsandscience/home

https://clahawaii.org and https://www.volcanoschool.net/contact-us

Health Care Centers

Major East Hawaii hospitals are located in Hilo.

There is an Urgent Care in Hilo on 670 Kekuanaoa and in Keaau (Puna District) 16-590 Old Volcano Rd# B which are highly recommended for emergencies. They are open 7 days a week, and can be a good alternative to the hospital emergency room.

• Hilo Medical Center (808) 932-3000

• Big Island Health Care (808) 885-3627

• East Hawaii Health Clinic (808) 932-3730

• Bay Clinic (808) 333-3600

• Kaiser Permanente Medical Center outpatient clinic (808) 334-4400

• Hilo VA Clinic (808) 935-3781

• Hilo Urgent Care Center (855) 580-5923

• Keaau Urgent Care (808) 966-7942

• American Cancer Society (800) 227-2345

• Veterans Services (808) 969-3833

Memory Care

Memory care communities provide a safe alternative for seniors living with memory impairment. These facilities are managed by professionals trained to care for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, and they are specifically designed to accommodate older adults with progressive cognitive disorders. 

Our memory care facility resource provides detailed information to help caregivers and their families in Hawaii better understand what memory care involves and how to choose the right community. 

Registering to VOTE and how to contact your elected representatives:

A state-by-state guide provides a unique clickable state map with

information about voter registration, ways to change a voter registration

address, details on how to vote by mail, and absentee ballot deadlines.

Service Organizations

East Hawaii Women’s Network

Rotary Club of Hilo

The Fraternal Order of Eagles

Boys and Girls Club

We sincerely hope that this resource list makes your move to the Big Island less daunting!

If you have not yet done so, subscribe to the 365Hawaii YouTube channel to learn about adventures, hiking, and more.

Also, join the 365Hilo Newbie’s Group on Facebook to create community and network!

Julie Ziemelis is a Realtor with Real Broker on Hawaii Island who believes knowledge and community provides a helpful platform for success on moving to Hawaii Island. She is the co creator of the 365Hawaii YouTube Channel and 365Hawaii Real Estate Minute. She blogs and offers Ohana services at www.365HawaiiLiving.com

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