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Anyone have a good moving company for moving from Washington state to Nueva Arenal?
I would be retiring there around August of this year and
would want door to door service.i will be moving all my belongings and furniture with me.
and will buy a car when i get in country.i will not be bringing any vehicle.
It will be my wife and 2 small toy poodles headed to a new life in Costa Rica on a social Security Pension.
I have been told by my Costa Rica Lawyer that i used in buying my property over looking Lake Arenal that most expats use ABC Shipping.
Anyone have experience good or bad with this company?
Thanks,
Chuck Major[quote=”chuck696969″]Anyone have a good moving company for moving from Washington state to Nueva Arenal?
I would be retiring there around August of this year and
would want door to door service.i will be moving all my belongings and furniture with me.
and will buy a car when i get in country.i will not be bringing any vehicle.
It will be my wife and 2 small toy poodles headed to a new life in Costa Rica on a social Security Pension.
I have been told by my Costa Rica Lawyer that i used in buying my property over looking Lake Arenal that most expats use ABC Shipping.
Anyone have experience good or bad with this company?
Thanks,
Chuck Major[/quote]Some advice…. don’t spend the money moving the majority of your stuff. The environment up by the lake will most likely not be kind to it. Just some advice based on experience.
Welcome to the neighborhood!
[quote=”Imxploring”]
Some advice…. don’t spend the money moving the majority of your stuff. The environment up by the lake will most likely not be kind to it. Just some advice based on experience. [/quote]There are others who would offer the opposite advice. A former frequent contributor to this Forum, who frequently offered helpful advice, has a blog that discusses this question of -to move [your stuff] or not to move- here:
http://www.enjoycostarica.co/blog[quote=”pharg”][quote=”Imxploring”]
Some advice…. don’t spend the money moving the majority of your stuff. The environment up by the lake will most likely not be kind to it. Just some advice based on experience. [/quote]There are others who would offer the opposite advice. A former frequent contributor to this Forum, who frequently offered helpful advice, has a blog that discusses this question of -to move [your stuff] or not to move- here:
http://www.enjoycostarica.co/blog%5B/quote%5DTwo issues come to mind. The first, having been in the moving business many moons ago is that people tend to bring way too much stuff when making a major move. I’d do moving estimates for folks and would spend half my time explaining why they should sell or give away a good part of the things they were planning on moving. Perhaps not the best “sales” pitch but I was very sucessful because people really appreciated the honesty.
The second issue with moving furniture and other “stuff” to the lake area is the environment. A lot of items made in the US use fiber or composite material which will NOT do well in a more humid area. You can of course run an air conditioner or dehumidifier non stop to correct that situation in the house but the electric bills will kill you! The weather in the mountains near the lake is very different than near the beach.
I’ve had friends bring entire houses of furniture and “stuff” that didn’t last a year… did one really think leather furniture, a baby grand piano, or a collection of paperback books were going to make it in the tropics? Many people also don’t take into account the size difference in the rooms that may exist between a US style home and a Tico style home in CR. That over sized Thomasville furniture and giant wall unit might not look as good, or be at all functional in a smaller home in CR.
One final consideration is the fact that many folks don’t last long in CR when relocating. Once again it’s an issue subject to debate but worth throwing into the equation. If the original poster has visited CR a number of times and is comfortable with moving and staying in CR it’s fine. If this is an “experiment” or a sudden move to escape the US they might be better off placing their items in storage in the US until they’re sure they’ll be staying, then once settled have the items they feel they really need or want shipped to CR. It would be a shame to pay to move things they consider important TWICE…. the cost and risk of loss or damage can really add up! Once again it’s important to know one’s self when making decisions like this. Everyone is diffent.
You live and you learn, but with the cost, bother, possible damage, pilfering during transport, and the need to downsize and simplify your life in retirement…. I’ll stand by my suggestion.
BTW…. There are a lot of folks that would argue that you’d be better off bringing a car (even with the import tax) than taking a chance on a used car purchase in CR as you plan to do. Once again… all a matter of opinion.
[quote=”sweikert925″][quote=”Imxploring”]…people tend to bring way too much stuff when making a major move.[/quote]
Quite right. Especially if, as in my case, you tend to be something of a pack rat. I have stuff in closets that have been there 30 years and never touched since I put them there.Where do I come down on the less vs. more question? In between. You are right about considering how well certain things will do in the CR climate. I still have a few years to come to any firm plan, but here is how I have decided what to bring and what to shed.
Kitchen: Everything but the kitchen sink. No, just kidding. Actually everything but the table and chairs. David Murray’s point about replacing stuff like cutlery and dishes is well taken. I’ve made it a point on my visits to CR to wander around in shops and check out prices for household goods and they are in fact rather steep. And who wants to spend their first few months in CR traipsing around looking for dishes, pots and pans?
Bedroom: Just clothes – and that includes the warm weather gear. Why? Well first because I still plan to travel to places that get cold and also because contrary to what many think it [b]can [/b]get cold in Costa Rica. I spent a night shivering on my last trip when I stayed overnight at a hotel in Los Quetzales National Park. It was FREEZING!
Living room: Nothing except the TV and stereo equipment
Office: My 1000+ books, my 3000+ CDs and 600+ DVDs. All computer equipment, office supplies, phone and a few lamps.
Other stuff: A ladder, extension cords, and quite a few tools.
Aside from all that I have a large collection of original artwork as well as lots of other wall decorations that are souvenirs of my travels. Only 2 pieces of furniture make the cut: My office chair and a small oak parquet table that I’ve had since college and used to use as a desk so it has sentimental value.
Furniture is the one thing that you can get a HUGE deal on in CR. It is not only reasonabyl priced but the quality is superb – heirloom quality. I visited a furniture maker on my last trip and fell in love with a table made of one of a local tree species (I forget what the name is). It was the most beautiful table I think I’ve ever seen – the top was all one piece of wood and it seated 10!
Speaking of the books I do worry about mildew so I have been thinking of possibly storing them in those space bags where you vacuum out the air. (In which case I guess I’ll need to bring my Dyson vacuum cleaner). Anyone have any experience using that approach to combat mildew?
[BTW, your comment on this subject was thoughtful, concise and very helpful. You can be a very sensible guy when you’re not talking politics.][/quote]
Thanks for the compliment Steve… I hope my advice saves someone (including you) some trouble or time in relocating. There are items that can be replaced in CR but are too expensive and of an inferior quality, hence bringing them with you makes perfect sense. An exploratory trip or two like you have done should give you a good idea what to bring and not to bring. Your comments on furniture are well taken as I have had numerous custom pieces made of beautiful exotic woods that would have been impossible to get in the US. Being able to custom order furniture to size is a big advantage in furnishing a new home. I just had a beautiful desk made in Sarchi that I ordered to fit by a window in the master bedroom…. it’s fantastic!
As to my political views, although you might not be someone that agrees with them I think you will find after you relocate to CR that many people that have also done so do infact, for a lot of different reasons. While that may not change your views immediately, it will at least provide for some lively conversations at the local gringo hangouts on Friday nights! 😉
One of the most recommended shippers is [url=http://www.solutionscostarica.com/relocating/]Charles Zellar, [/url]shiptocostarica@racsa.co.cr
Leave the ‘nic-naks’ at home as they are a potential home for a multitude of insects…plus your electric stove.
I have used Charlie Zeller for container moves door to door, very good service. Also American Export out of Miami, http://www.amexpusa.com.
I have also had friends that used Mike Rappaport with very good luck and inexpensive, http://www.lomaser.com
Good Luck
We have nothing but good things to say about Barry and the folks at http://www.ShipCostaRica.com They moved us from our door in Virginia to our door in Nosara, Guanacaste, for a reasonable price with no surprises, and with no losses or damages, except for the glass bowls I hadn’t packed well enough. 🙂
[quote=”Bibi”]We have nothing but good things to say about Barry and the folks at http://www.ShipCostaRica.com They moved us from our door in Virginia to our door in Nosara, Guanacaste, for a reasonable price with no surprises, and with no losses or damages, except for the glass bowls I hadn’t packed well enough. :)[/quote]
Ditto for me! I LOVED working with Arden and Barry. No surprises, they will do as much or as little as you want. Their price is all inclusive. I just moved this past July and was VERY satisfied.:D:D
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