Even before downsizing became a global trend, paring down possessions has long been popular with families packing up for a new destination. Moving to Hawaii affords you an opportunity to take a look at everything you own and decide whether it belongs in your new life.
Additionally, since your move to Hawaii will ultimately be priced by weight, every piece you move comes at its own cost. Some items might not seem worth it. In that case, it’s time to part ways.
With this in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of the heaviest household items we move. We’ll show you why you should move some of these things—but not all of them. In addition to helping you save on your move, this list will also help you make smart choices when setting up your new house.
But, first, let’s discuss a simple way to understand exactly how much it costs to move every single item in your house.
Pricing Out Your Move—the Easy Way
When you work with a legitimate moving company, they’ll offer you two things:
- An in-home or video survey of your items (required by federal law, by the way).
- A guaranteed price per pound for your move so there are no surprises on Moving Day.
With this quote, you can easily calculate exactly the cost to move anything with this simple formula:
Your Quoted Price Per Pound x Weight = Your Cost to Ship
Wondering how much it will cost to move that bookcase? Find its weight and you’ll know to the penny.
One thing this formula makes very clear is that heavy stuff will cost more to ship.
Eventually, you’ll reach the tipping point with some of your heaviest items. It might be cheaper to replace those items in Hawaii, rather than ship them to your new home.
As you make these decisions, you’ll also want to consider how much of your current household items fit into a new, island lifestyle.
With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the heaviest household items we ship, room by room.
The Bottom Line on Your Bedroom
Many people have a deep, personal attachment to their bedroom and its furniture. That makes sense, considering we spend at least a third of our lives in our bedrooms. That being said, should you pack your bedroom furniture for the trip to Hawaii? Let’s take a quick look at the weights involved:
Your Mattress
- Traditional Innerspring Mattress (King): 107lbs
- Memory Foam Mattress (King): 106lbs
The Verdict: Heavy but Worth It
Because a good mattress can be relatively pricey, it’s probably worth it to ship. Caveat: If your mattress is saggy or on the older side, it might be worth buying new at your new destination.
Bed Accessories
- Wooden Platform Bed (King): 75lbs
- Wooden Headboard: 40lbs
The Verdict: Time to Lighten Your Load
Wooden bed accessories will cost you a pretty penny to move. Unless you absolutely love them, it makes sense to leave them behind. Additionally, ask yourself whether these wooden pieces will fit the décor in your new home. It might be time to change up your look and buy a new island-themed bed set in Hawaii.
Night Tables
- 3-Drawer Wooden Nightstand: 28lbs
- 1-Drawer Wooden Nightstand: 22.3lbs
The Verdict: Green Light
Since they clock in at just over 20lbs, your nightstands are probably good to go. After all, it’s likely more cost-effective for you to ship these to Hawaii, rather than buying new at your destination.
Taking Stock of Your Kitchen
Packing your kitchen can be surprisingly challenging. The sheer variety of items—ranging from fragile items like wine glasses to bruisers like enameled Dutch ovens and Crock-Pots—can feel overwhelming. Although your kitchen will offer you a ton of decisions, we hope this list will make things clearer.
Your Wedding China
- 42-Piece Dinnerware Service: 48lbs
The Verdict: Time to Lighten Your Load
Back in the day, wedding china was a big deal. Often, it was treated as an heirloom that passed from generation to generation, brought out to celebrate special occasions. However, as fashions change, traditional wedding china has gone out of favor. Additionally, many children are not excited to inherit their parents’ set.
Ask yourself: Do you ever use these dishes? And will your children want them? If not, it might be time to donate your set, rather than moving it to Hawaii.
Meal Prep Tools
- Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer: 22.8lbs
- Cast Iron Pans: 28.9lbs
The Verdict: Green Light
When it comes to specialized prep tools, you’re unlikely to be able to replace these items for less than their moving cost. In addition, if you’re the kind of chef who prizes prep tools, your new house won’t feel like a home without them. Take your favorite kitchen tools with you to Hawaii.
Determining the Direction of Your Dining Room
Before you take inventory of your dining room, it’s worth considering whether your new home includes a formal dining room. Or will your new setup involve one, large great room with a casual table for eating? Your new floorplan may end up making several of these decisions for you. However, if you will have a dining room in your new home, let’s look at your options:
Your Dining Room Table
- Wooden Dining Room Table: 110lbs
The Verdict: Heavy but Worth It
As with your bedroom set, ask yourself whether your dining room table will fit in with the design scheme of your new Hawaiian home. A traditional, dark wood dining table may have been perfect for your Mainland home, but will it work in Hawaii? That being said, a solid wood dining table isn’t cheap, so you’re unlikely to be able to replace it for less than your moving cost. Bottom line: If you love it, take it with you.
Your Dining Room Chairs
- Wooden Dining Room Chair: 20lbs
The Verdict: Green Light
Because they’re relatively light, we recommend you take your dining room chairs with you. Even if you decide to replace the table in Hawaii, you still may be able to make the chairs work. Island style is a little more “anything goes” than Mainland décor, so a funky mismatch might bring some fun character to your dining room.
Your Dining Room Accessories
- Wooden Sideboard: 110lbs
- Solid Wood China Cabinet: 320lbs
The Verdict: Time to Lighten Your Load
Because they clock in on the heavier side, these items are going to cost you. However, if these pieces hold strong sentimental value, any mover would be happy to pack them carefully so they arrive safely. That being said, consider their role in your new home. If you can’t envision them fitting in, it might be time to sell them on the Mainland.
Your Living Room: Love It or Leave It
Your living room is probably the place in which you and your family spend your most “together time.” It’s understandable that you may want to recreate this room in your new home. Let’s take a look at some of the heaviest pieces—and whether it makes sense to move them.
Living Room Couches:
- Standard, 3-seat couch: 148lbs
- Sleeper sofa: 348lbs
- Sectional couch: 425lbs
The Verdict: The Jury Is Out
As you can see, couches run the gamut in terms of weight. Once you have your guaranteed price per pound, you can do the math with your particular style of sofa to see if it’s worth it to move. If your family has been enjoying TV nights on yours for years on end, though, it might be time to spring for a new sofa.
Your Favorite Barcalounger:
- Saddle Top Grain Leather Barcalounger: 117lbs
The Verdict: Heavy but Worth It
If there’s any piece of furniture more personal than someone’s bed, it’s their Barcalounger. Save the drama and the math because this one is a no-brainer. Make your new house a home and get your favorite comfort piece on its way to Hawaii, stat.
Your New Flatscreen Television
- 75″ 4K Flatscreen TV: 82lbs
The Verdict: Heavy but Worth It
If you’ve just invested in a fancy new television, it’s usually worth it to move it to Hawaii. You’ll likely find it difficult to replace for less than the cost of moving it. Just make sure you let your movers know you plan to move it so they can pack it securely for the journey.
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
Moving to Hawaii involves a lot of logistics—and a lot of choices. However, now that you understand how to price out your possessions, you have a clear-cut formula to inform your decisions. However, we recognize exactly how personal moving can be, so we suggest you let your gut make some of those choices, no matter what the formula says.
If you have any questions about the logistics of moving even your heaviest goods to Hawaii, we’d be happy to help further. Just reach out to us. Our Certified Moving Consultants have moved everything under the sun, and we’re happy to help make your decisions a snap.
