Moving involves a lot of work, and for some, more than a fair bit of stress. If you are living on the U.S. Mainland and you will be moving to Maui, that process is more complicated because you are going overseas. Here are a few steps that will help streamline your move. In this blog, we’ll talk about the general tools and supplies you will need to make the process easier.

1. Have boxes and trash bags. Boxes are obvious, but not everyone realizes that heavy duty trash bags can be used not only to throw away the many items you won’t be taking with you, but they can also be used for shipping soft items like clothes, blankets, sheets, towels, etc. Using trash bags for this purpose is ideal if you will be renting a shipping container. Twist ties are surprisingly effective for keeping the bags secure. If you use a lot of them, you can color-code them for better organization, either by using different color twist ties, or ribbons to indicate what is in which bag. For your more fragile or delicate items, stick with boxes.

2. Have markers for boxes. You should label your boxes, of course, but while it may seem easier to use a black marker and just write down the contents of your boxes or what room their contents belong to, it is actually a lot more convenient to color code them as well. Simply marking the boxes with a colored circle or square around the written label will save you the trouble of reading. You might try using a black marker to describe the contents of a box, and a colored marker to indicate the room it should be put in.

3. Don’t forget scissors, and make sure you have more than one pair if more than one person is doing the packing.

4. Tape tends to always run out faster than you expected, as those wheels look like they contain more length than they really do, so get more than you think you need, just to be safe.

5. Collect newspaper long before your move date. Packing paper is expensive, and it is silly to buy it when newspaper performs the same function. That way you are reusing something that you would have otherwise probably thrown away.

6. Leave your cleaning supplies for the end. If you intend to bring any of it with you, save that for last. You’ll probably find that you will need some of it at the end.

Next week, we’ll cover some more moving tips to help make the process easier. We hope we’ve given you some good reminders and ideas that will help you. If you are moving out here but you haven’t decided on what Maui real estate you intend to buy, we can assist you with that process. There are new Maui developments worth exploring, and you should always keep up to date on our Maui home listings for wonderful buys. If you need any assistance, you’ll find our contact information at the bottom of the page. Mahalo!