Better to buy new or move items?

when we first came down for a pmv we went around and priced furniture..TV.. etc and found for the quality and price we wanted it was cheaper to send a container down, we bought ours outright and sold it for what it cost us to buy, the same week with no problem , the purchase of a registered container with tags and all the issues we had with the shipping ....ect.... was to say the least overwhelming and a huge learning experience..........my advice if your not sure your here forever rent a furnished place and mail your extras.... till you are sure.you want to live here for a good long time........if your coming for good then send a container and sell it.or keep it as a safe garage......when and if we do decide to ever leave we will sell everything we have here , or sell our house furnished......

Dear Polly,

Have you been here before, are you moving into your own home or renting?

The bottom line - whatever your situation and if you're not totally familiar with life in the islands - is that you may not find island living to your liking for an abundance of reasons and dependent on your circumstances. My gut reaction is to tell you that if you're coming here relatively cold, simply bring clothes and money. Put your furniture and personal belongings in storage back home and don't ship anything until you're absolutely sure that ilsand life is what you really want - which can take a while.

Not knowing anything about you and your particular circumstances does make a reply rather difficult but hope I helped a bit. Cheers!

I moved here with 2 suitcases & a carry-on. I rented a furnished place to start before purchasing my place 3 years later. A lot of furniture just doesn't "go" here. I know that the furniture I had in the States would have been out of place, for sure.

Keep your stuff in storage for year. If after your first year you love the islands then you can fly back and sell it all.
We shipped via container going back to the states and I must say that it was such a pain and our stuff smelled foul when we got it back. Our cars reeked for months!

Here is our story-
yes, we have been to the islands and stayed for long periods of time. We are sure (or as sure as anyone can be) that this is the right move. We are currently in the process of building a small, simple home on the island. We have been warned many times about the reality of island life. But, we live in a very rural area at present so we are well aware of being cut-off from civilization.
I know many of our household items won't work on the islands. But, how do you get rid of so many years of stuff!?! And, I hate the idea of actually shopping to replace them. SO, it is all a matter of cost effectiveness. We are talking about things like tools, kitchen items, washer, stove, etc. A friend suggested that it was cheaper for her to buy all her appliances stateside and add them to her container than to buy them new down there. Just looking for opinions.

Hi,Polly
Me and my wife just did the buy new and ship routine, with a 40 foot container.We bought all or appliances, tools furniture and generator. We made sure there were no digital read-outs on our appliances or tools, they degrade very fast. leather and certain fabrics mold almost instantly . as for tools , weed eaters etc... make sure you have a parts store on island that will service the brand you buy. We found even with the extra money we spent we have exactly what we wanted , well worth the trouble , for us at least.
there are allot of considerations on who you choose to ship with , buy or rent container etc.... . you can PM me for any info... if you wish...hope this helps

Polly: If you're bound and determined to ship down stuff, be aware that for all electrical appliances you should purchase good surge protectors. WAPA voltages are notoriously off-kilter and all electrical appliances should be protected as much as possible. Honestly I wouldn't ship down any major electrical appliances right from the get-go. Even with surge protectors the life of electrical appliances is much more limited than on the mainland and although you might get lucky and have a major appliance last for many years, I would buy here rather than there until you settle into island life.

Gas stoves are the preferred here.

Tools? Well we have Home Depot here on STT but I note that you haven't said which island you're relocating to which does make a difference, so let us know that. Getting back to your last post I'm confused when you say that, "I know many of our household items won't work on the islands." We have regular US 110 voltage, not European 220, so there's no reason why all your stateside gizmos won't work.

Getting rid of years of stuff? Yard sales work very well here and probabaly do likewise on the mainland. Bring down with you what you absolutely need from the get-go.

Cheers and good luck!

Thank you all for your advice- keep it coming! What I meant by not working on the island is that it isn't the right fabric, etc. My guess is my cherry wood, overstuffed couch or the big leather chair just won't survive the climate of the islands. As for tools- I know Home Depot carries everything but do you really want to have to buy it all over again? I know we will have a yard sale and my husband is already working on his e-bay skills but I am still debating on what to take, what to sell, etc. One day I am convinced that we should just pack a couple of suitcases and be gone- the next I am wondering if it isn't smarter to take more so we have less to buy.
As for furniture/appliances- can anyone recommend stores on STT?
Once again- thanks so much for all your help.

If you ship, I have had very good luck with Berry at Flemming. Have shipped several times, and have had no problems. Once it went to the wrong island because of change of plans with the ship, but he handled it all from that end.
I think it is better to have a shipper in the islands bring the stuff down, rather than have a shipper send the stuff down. That way if there is a problem, the local shipper is looking for it, and knows more about the typical problems and how to correct them. IMHO. 🙂

I have teak, maple, oak, cedar, and mahogany furniture with no problems. I did have very old sofa with down and horse hair. Took it to dumpster..didn't do well. leather is fine if you wipe it down every so often. Don't bring anything that is made of pressed board..as it will grow everyday that it is in the humidity. All the covers on sofas and chairs are cotton and be washed.. hope that this helps!

I am looking for good recommendations for movers- can you give me more specific information about Flemming or others??