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it depends on how much you love your stuff. i brought down bins on each of the 15 trips i made over a 2 year period — stuff like good towels, sheets, some kitchen do-dads, good pans, my cuisinart and ice cream maker, and some of my african baskets and some paintings. everything else i bought here including all my appliances, furniture, beds, etc. it was great to have all brand new stuff. my own personal opinion is if you don’t have olid hardwood furniture, leave it behind and get what works best for the tropics. items that have veneer won’t last long in this humidity. the best part about getting stuff here is that i had most everything custom-made, and that was a lot of fun!
[quote=”sunshinegirl”]Is it worth it to ship household goods to Costa Rica or just buy new when you get there?[/quote]
To buy equal quality here will cost as much as in the States for appliances. Quality bedroom, diningroom and livingroom furniture can be found at decent prices from competent builders if you have the help of someone who knows their way aroundin finding them.
We brought most of our “stuff” (LR,DR & BR, computers, freezer, refrigerator, washer & dryer) and a pickup in a 40′ container for under $9,000 in late 2007. For us it was cost effective.
[quote=”sunshinegirl”]Is it worth it to ship household goods to Costa Rica or just buy new when you get there?[/quote]
Good points so far, but it also depends on
1. how much do you have to ship (full or partial container)
2. where you now live and where you will be shipping from (if you live in Kansas, you have a trucking charge to just get to the port, versus if you live in Florida near a port).
3. if you decide to ship your stuff, you need to be prepared to load the container yourself or pay to have someone load it for you.We shipped EVERYTHING except appliances, because I wanted to have a warranty on the appliances – and it has paid off handsomely. We bought, and paid a bit more than in the US, all GE appliances from GE in Escazu. It took almost 2 years longer than anticipated for us to get here, and GE stored what we bought, and even substituted the newer models for some of the items at no additional costs. If you decide to go that route, Harold at Escazu GE was GREAT to work with!
On the furniture, we decided to buy all new because it was part of the idea of retiring and starting over in a new place – part of the adventure! It helped that our daughter is an interior architect and got us substantial discounts on the stuff in the States, about 75% of the furniture. The remainder we bought at Tamarindo Pacific Interiors in Santa Ana.
I am very happy with the way we did it and it has worked well for us, but in hindsight after considering the hassle of purchasing and gathering everything in the states ($$), storing ($$) it until a date specific, getting ($$) it to the container packing location on date specific, packing ($$), shipping ($$$$$$$), storage in CR ($$) and delivery ($$), etc.($$), it probably would have been jus as easy and no more expensive (if not less), to just buy the furniture here in CR (either custom or off the floor of a store).
You can get everything you need here, from ‘typical furniture’ to high end furniture, and it may cost more than in the states, but there are so many “incidental costs” associated with getting it here that must be added to the US price…..
It is sort of like buying a “cheap seat” on Spirit Airlines (I hate Spirit). You think you are getting a good deal, but by the time you pay for their taxes and fees (higher than other airlines) and selecting a seat, and paying for checked baggage, paying for carry on baggage, paying for water during the flight, etc. they are no longer a “bargain airline”. Before long, they will charge to go the bathroom on the plane!
Sorry, I waivered from the subject, but was as an example only….. I just hate Spirit!
To me, it’s not worth the hassle and expense of shipping household goods unless you’re really attached to them. However (and it’s a BIG however), if you’re new to Costa Rica and don’t know your way around and don’t speak Spanish, it may take you a while to find what you want and need to set up your household here without paying and arm and leg.
In my case, when I came down over 10 years ago, I initially purchased only basic essentials and cheap furniture. Over the years I’ve gradually replaced and added items as I needed them and found what I wanted at prices I was willing to pay. Also, as an avid cook, there are some things that are really important to me such as good kitchen knives and cookware which are overpriced or unavailable here. Most of these items I’ve brought down in suitcases from the States over the years.
In my estimation (and given my bias), I think all the comments so far argue in favor of seriously considering shipping your household goods. I’ll stand by that unless you are really committed to a total remodeling of your life in your new environment.
If you regard everything (everything) you currently own as junk, then getting rid of it may be a good idea, but as a practical matter I’m convinced that for most folks bringing their household goods makes better economic sense and it’s far less trouble than trying to replace everything once you’re here. If you have the luxury, as maravilla did, of making many, many trips here, then you can bring a lot with you as luggage, but if you’re anticipating one big trip then the baggage charges will be astronomical.
First, you must realize that while you can have furniture custom-made here (in some cases less expensively than purchasing in the U.S.) it’s the little stuff that’ll eat you up. The contents of your kitchen, for example, will be much more expensive to replace here than you would imagine, and the selection will be much more limited. What’s more, the sources are scattered all over the place, so just finding things to buy will be a challenge. And you will have many, many things to buy.
I recently looked up the cost of replacing just our perfectly good stainless steel silverware on Amazon. It would be about $300US. If we had sold that in a garage sale, we’d have gotten maybe $25. So right off the bat we’d have been $275 behind (but no shipping cost). So now we have $25 in cash to buy new silverware. We get to Costa Rica, scamper all over the place looking, finally find something acceptable (maybe) and learn that the cost of the replacement silverware will be more like $400. [u]But we only have $25[/u]! So with respect to just this one item we’re $375 in the red . . . and the fun has only just begun. We have many, many items to replace.
Now do that same analysis for your cutlery, as Jim has alluded, your TV and stereo, your bed, bath and kitchen linens, your pots, pans, plasticware, dishes, lamps, artwork, mattresses, tools, exercise equipment, and all the other possessions that are a functional part of your daily life, possessions you’re going to want to replace once here. What you’ll find is that you’re going to have a very great deal of shopping to do in a market where selection and availability are limited and prices are higher than you think.
Most American homeowners are underinsured for their household possessions. They have no idea of the value of what they own. Any insurance agent will confirm that. So do this experiment: Go around your house and estimate the replacement cost (in the U.S.) of whatever items you figure to need and want in Costa Rica. (Skip the parkas, the mukluks, the snow blower, etc.) Total it up and multiply it by a conservative factor of 1.3 to get a total of what it’s likely to cost to replace those things in Costa Rica.
Now assign each item a “garage sale” value — realistically what you’re likely to get if you sell out in the U.S. Total that up.
Now deduct your anticipated garage sale proceeds from your likely replacement cost once here and you’ll have a net new cash number, what it will take to replace what you might have brought but didn’t.
If that net cash number is about the same as your estimated shipping cost from a Costa Rica-based container shipper, you have a decision to make. If the replacement cost is much more than the anticipated garage sale proceeds plus the shipping cost, then the decision should be easy.
And, by the way, don’t be daunted by the prospect of paying import duty. It’s cheap.
[quote=”sunshinegirl”]Is it worth it to ship household goods to Costa Rica or just buy new when you get there?[/quote]
My wife and I just came back from an exploratory trip to CR to decide whether to ship or buy in CR. After two weeks of exhaustive investigation, we are strongly leaning towards buying everything in CR. We found that appliances can be bought for similar price in CR. We checked stores in downtown Alajuela. Eventually, we will check Golfito on the next trip. We found great furniture in Sarchi, custom made from the Guanacaste and Cenizo trees, a lot cheaper and much better quality than the US.
That being said, I respect and defer to the experience and good judgement of David, Wagonneer, Costa Rica finca, and others who already lived there.[quote=”markus”][quote=”sunshinegirl”]Is it worth it to ship household goods to Costa Rica or just buy new when you get there?[/quote]
Does anyone knows if Pensionados get a tax exemption on new vehicles bought in CR? This will make a big difference on shipping or buying locally. Thank you,
[quote=”markus”]
Does anyone knows if Pensionados get a tax exemption on new vehicles bought in CR? This will make a big difference on shipping or buying locally. Thank you,[/quote]No one gets an exemption from import duty for the purchase of any vehicle whether it’s new or used.
Costa Rican Customs will assign any imported vehicle, new or used, a value taken from their Black Book. That, plus the costs of freight and insurance, will be the basis for the Customs duty.
i furnished my entire house for less than $6000 and that included the appliances, beds, furniture. it would’ve cost me way more than that the ship those same items from the States. why would i want to ship a ten year old sofa that was expensive when i bought it when i could get a brand new custom made sofa here for half the price of what i paid for the ten year old item? yes, i schlepped down good knives, and every little kitchen tool i had, and i did that mainly because i didn’t want to spend the time looking for those items here, and now after being here for 6 years i realize i could’ve replaced everything, even the high thread count bed linens.
I dunno, maravilla, I’ve schelepped through a bunch of furniture stores in Sarchi, EPA, PriceSmart, Cemaco, Pequeno Mundo, Importadora Monge, Casa Blanca, Gallo and others, and I don’t see how you could possibly furnish the smallest home with even the minimum of things for $6,000. To do so in the U.S. would cost much, much more, and while some locally made things are cheaper in Costa Rica, anything that’s imported will be significantly more.
Could you give us a breakdown?
stove, fridge, and washer were $1100 for all three, paid cash, got a big discount. i don’t have a dryer, and i don’t want one. i did not buy anything off the floor except my sofa, which was $500, and my dining room table for which I paid $600 for a solid hardwood, two-meter long, dining table and 6 chairs. one occasional chair was $180. that left me with $3600 for beds, dressers, end tables, lamps, and other accessories. the mattresses i bought were either Selther or Sealy,and i bought all four mattresses at the same time from the same place. the bed frames were custom-made by the guy who made my cabinets and solid hardwood doors. and because i paid cash for everything, and i speak fluent spanish, i was able to negotiate a Tico price. if i had been able to find the same quality dining room table, the top of which was one piece of wood, in the States it would’ve cost more than $3500. i could’ve shipped the table i have in the States, which would’ve cost me more than what i paid for the exquisite table i bought here. i think when i did the numbers a few years ago that $6000 also included all the custom-made draperies for the whole house. don’t remember if it included the custom-made wrought iron rods and finials for the custains though, but for the whole house i only paid $300 for all the hardware. again, it was made by a local crafstman, paid cash, got big discount. my lamps were handmade by a local potter. there is no way i could’ve shipped the same amount of old furniture from colorado to here, with duties, etc. for $6000.
I’m impressed, and I think you’re in the wrong business. If you can deliver these results consistently, you should be brokering others’ refurnishings.
You didn’t mention the kitchen stuff, however, the bath linens, a TV or computer (which many would want), favorite books, clothing, small appliances, the outdoor stuff (hoses, tools, etc) or whatever else you brought down in tubs on fifteen flights. All that would have come in a container had you not made all those trips (at what cost?).
i bought hoses here. same with tools, the few that i needed. the ferreterias are my favorite stores, and i know all the guys who work in them so they always supplied me with the little things i needed to get stuff done in my house. I don’t have a TV, and didn’t have a computer until 18 months ago when hubby brought me a laptop. i had shipped lots of books when M bags were still in use. the stuff in the bins was often mostly food items, but i did bring two frying pans, cuisinart and ice cream maker, juicer and yogurt maker, a dozen towels, and good sheets (which you can get here now!). everything else — coffe-maker, blender, etc. i bought here. same with dishes, cups, glasses, etc.
in a former life i used to work for a high-end decorator as his buyer. in those days it was nothing for us to have a budget of over $1,000,000 just for the living room alone, and one time we spent that on just THREE items — a rug, a Louis XIV chest, and an antique Japanese screen! so yes, i am a savvy shopper, know quality, and am a better haggler than most. in fact, when it comes to haggling, i am shameless, but usually all parties are happy in the end.Several people have mentioned that they have brought some household items down with them in suitcases. I have been considering bringing some kitchen items, linens, towels, lamps, a radio and a few misc tools etc. down to Costa Rica this way. My husband and I could each bring an additional suitcase for this purpose.
We are just starting to set up a small home that is being built and we need to furnish it for the first time and would like to have some basic items right away. Does anyone think that I might have any problems with duty, taxes or anything else bringing in these items this way?
Thanks for any suggestions.
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