Shipping vs. buying furniture

wildhaze

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Jun 22, 2010
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I'm moving from New York to Santo Domingo with work for at least 2 years. My employer pays for all shipping costs, and I was wondering if it makes sense for me to ship furniture or buy furniture locally in Santo Domingo. Please take into account the quality and price of furniture locally considering I am not interested in buying Ikea furniture but better quality furniture (although it doesn't need to be super high end designer either).

The other option is of course to rent a furnished apartment but I would rather avoid that.

Thanks for any help people!
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
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Lucky you..... employer pays!
Will they buy you furniture?

There is a lot of good furniture available - predominantly European.

Do you want to bring your life with you or give life a new take?

You will qualify for free importation for whatever you bring..... think car if you will need one.

Prices are not that much cheaper than any place else.... its a lifestyle choice for you.

Just remember the climate ... warm and humid.

good luck

WW
 

wildhaze

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Jun 22, 2010
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Thanks WW. I am okay to start fresh in DR, however I just don't want to end up in a situation where similar furniture is twice is expensive and I lose my chance of shipping it for free.

Separately, you mentioned car import will be tax free? I had read in some other (perhaps outdated) posts that there is just a reduced import tax on cars but net net you might not save all that much considering the headache. Thanks for shedding any light on that. Also, do you need to own that car for over a year to get the import tax waived?
 

las2137

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Sep 1, 2008
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I disagree- if the employer is paying, bring in the container. I'm assuming they will also help with the customs clearance?

When I arrived in Santo Domingo I was put up in a furnished apartment. It was terrible. I then found an unfurnished apartment with linea blanca (all major appliances) included. Then I set out to find furniture.

I found prices to be high-- anything of quality will be more expensive than in the US. For example, I bought a pillow-top mattress with box spring and basic metal frame for the equivalent of US$500- for that amount in the US, I would have gotten a higher quality mattress than what I got. In terms of appliances, most of it will be stuff imported from the States- and marked up.

Also consider that you can put things like bed linens and towels in the container. It looks me a while and cost me a pretty penny to find a decent towel set. I had people bring me sheet sets, because the expensive ones I bought there- at the fancy Casa Cuesta (Bed Bath & beyond type store) were terrible.

I found little European furniture within my price range- the majority of the stuff in my range was from China. This was before Ikea opened in Santo Domingo, so perhaps things are different now.

That's just my opinion. I moved to the DR after being in Africa, so I was ready for nicer stuff. I didn't buy as much as I would have given the pricing.

Check out this thread for some furniture pricing: some of it is old, but it will give you a general idea.
*** Appliance, Furniture & Stuff Pricing ***
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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About the car.... do a search to get overloaded with information.... but , yes it must be owned for a year.

Buying here may not be any cheaper, but you will be in the dark about any vehicle history.
Again , search it to get the full horror story picture

I would always bring my things for both sentimental and practical reasons.
Selection is limited here. Quality can vary.

WW
 

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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OP said no IKEA.

Check out Ilumel - and there are several other higher-end options.

Depends on your taste - modern/traditional/tropical but Ilumel is a good place to start because it has a pretty full range of styles.

ilumel.com ?2010

Less hassle than shipping, but it will be expensive.
 

william webster

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Jan 16, 2009
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Ilumel also has big sales in the summer.... 50% off or more

They had a big inventory in June.

They are not really, really expensive.... just wait for the sales.
Quality is good to.

WW
 

wildhaze

New member
Jun 22, 2010
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Thank you all for the very useful insight.

After reviewing the info, I've made the conclusion it probably makes sense to bring the following items along considering my company pays for everything from the packing, shipping to customs clearance:
- main furniture items (bed, sofa, dining table, mattress etc)
- apartment furnishings
- linens etc.
- appliances & electronics (microwave, TV, stereo, computers)
- of course all personal items

Of course, we can always look for additional/ interesting furniture once we have settled in.

Re car, since I dont have one in NYC I think I'll bite the bullet and buy one locally. From my research it shows that local banks don't finance cars unless you have been living there for 2 years so I should be ready to put down cash and the prices are considerably more than in the US.

Thanks again!
 

sweetdbt

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Sep 17, 2004
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How did you get around without a car in NYC? I realize the public transportation system in SD doesn't match the quality of the Big Apple, but it is extensive, if somewhat of an adventure. (For that matter, so is driving there). If you have been using a car service or taxis, I think you would find the cost for that much cheaper in SD, whereas you are correct in saying that a car would be more expensive, and you will need to sell it in a fairly narrow time frame (and probably at a substantial loss) when you return.
 

wildhaze

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Jun 22, 2010
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Well the subway system & taxis in NYC are great, most people in Manhattan don't own cars as the parking garage usually costs $400 to $600/ month and there is almost zero street side parking.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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1) Company is shipping your stuff and taking care of customs?
If true:
2) Load a 45' trailer to the gills with appliances and furniture. Buy more of whatever. Sell off what you really do not want need or use.
3) Use that money to pay for your car.

That would be the Dominican way of doing things. And it is totally legal. It's all "your" stuff....

Good luck on the new job in Santo Domingo.

HB
 

PapaGG

New member
May 31, 2010
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Regarding bringing a vehicle into DR.

I am planning on moving to DR from Canada in the Spring/Summer of 2011. Should I buy a car in Florida and store it at my nephews and then ship it to the DR? Will this cost me duty etc.

My wife and family are coming to the North Coast for 4 weeks to check out schools, houses etc. We are then going to start the Residency process (I've already contacted a prominent lawyer in DR)

What I'm not clear on is the car issue. Do I bring one with me or should I just buy in the DR.

I'm selling most of my stuff before I go, but some items i will bring along.

Just for your interest a 8'x8'x4' wood crate from Canada to your door step in DR (all customs fees etc worked in is $2700-$3000)

Cheers PapaGG