New Furniture - ship or buy in STX?

I have bought alot of furniture from Carlo's. They seem to have good deals and even took care of an out of warranty appliance. The new store in Peter's Rest is almost like a stateside furniture store!
Lm

We had good luck with Oscar Furniture and Appliance. Bought "Bamboo & Rattan" from them for a reasonable price and they were easy to work with. Had luck at Carlo's for outdoor things and the price was very good. Didn't care for the other furnishings at Carlo's because it was too bulky/heavy/hot for us. Both give free delivery.

Thanks, we will check those places out when we visit next month. We are very excited about the house and hope to have several extended stays there this year. Those first few nights with no furniture should be fun 😉 . . . just like the first home we bought, only now we are older with more sensitive backs!

I would definitely buy here, much cheaper then shipping. And now that you're a local you'll learn how to bargain. Look for moving sales or just ask for a discount. If you're going to be buying furniture for a whole house they will give you a discount at most places. Theres plenty to choose from, remember this isnt stateside, you do not need to keep up with anyone. Slow down and just keep it cute, caribbean and simple and it will rent well. Try Samson House on Company street for slipcovered couches. If they don't have them in they will order them for you, same with many of the stores, they're just my favorite.

I understand about being squeamish about mattresses but chances are way fewer people have slept on it then a hotel bed. And if you're going to furnish your rental I would just buy a new matress for you not for your renters. They can do that if they want to.

Suniland ,in Peters Rest ,is also very nice. He will work with you on price and delivery.

Thanks for the additional suggestions. I feel much less anxious now. When I make our plans to return I will check the classifieds for "moving sales" and maybe we'll get lucky. Otherwise, we"ll deal with the local businesses suggested.

One thing about the old mattresses though . . . the house has been vacant for a year. That's what concerns me. I am not sure why . .. I just imagine "bugs at work". I do not know why I think bugs would be more active when undisturbed but I do. Should I not be worried? I am also concerned because after I set up my "new" mattress is there something special I should do to protect it while I am away? I am not particularly obsessive about bugs but I want to be careful and protect my investment.

To protect it while your gone....sign up for Termenix service. They do many vacation houses, you do not neet to be there, just give them a key. I would not live without it here. The bugs that most commonly infect beds are dust mites and (gross warning) they live off of our dead skin, no humans no skin. You could also wrap up your mattress in a air tight mattress cover like moms do with children with allegeries or bed wetting problems.

Don't let any bedcovers touch the floor because centipedes and other bugs/creatures will crawl into your bed.

IMO if you have termenix you will be fine. Just do a sweep and a careful look around after you've been gone for a long time. After you get used to the island the bugs will seem like a very minor problem.

I think Betty has a point regarding the mattresses. I have sometime kept mattresses that came with property--they were often in great shape and had been covered with so many layers that they seemed new. I gave them a steam cleaning and sat them outside in the hot sun, then Lysoled them. Good as new.

Islandlola

If a mattress has been sitting a long time, you might try taking it outside and standing it up and beating it really hard with a stick (the way you beat a rug.) I also steam clean if worried about bugs and stuff but you've got to do this without getting the mattress too wet. Steam cleaning will also kill any mold that might have gotten into the mattress. Again, don't get it too wet or you'll just be creating a new source of mold. Dry the mattress outdoors in hot sun.

For mattress protection I use 2-3 layers of dust mite repellent, moisture repellent, antibacterial mattress pads.

Ilo

Unless the mattresses look to be really close to new , off to the dumpster. If you are going to rent long -term one of the units consider renting it unfurnished. You will get people who have lived here longer , own their furniture , will stay for years if it is a nice place and good price, and be there to watch your other unit while you are not here. If the relationship works out they will open and air out your unit before you get there, stock some basics, turn on the frig, and have it ready for when you show up on island .They can also put on hurricane shutters and prepare the property for a storm unless you plan to be here during the hurricane season. ------------- Buy on island at house sales and the mentioned stores and slowly accumulate the needed furniture over a couple of visits as you adjust to the style of life here and assess your needs. Many furnished rental units suffer from tenants moving in with a suitcase and out when they find a better deal with little or no notice. Fighting to enforce a lease agreement requires you be on island and stretches over months, maybe years, and they may not even be on island by then to track down. Unfurnished units turn over less frequently, make them get their own utilities, and are a better return on investment than if you have to buy furniture and consider wear and tear.

Great advice, thank you so much! Is there a decent market for long term rental of a 3 bedroom unfurnished house? That would be perfect for my situation. We are in the Rain Forest area, beautiful view high on the hill.

Long term is the only way to go on stx unless you live in a extremely desirable area. I disagree with the last poster, furnished or unfurnished will do equally well. Furnished or unfurnished we have an extremely transient society, people are always leaving and coming. I have renters who bought a whole house full of tommy bahama style furniture a new truck and then leave after 4 months because the husband decided he hated it here. There are no guarntees. I done rentals both ways and have not found either way to be better then the other or to make me more money. I, however, would not buy furniture to make it rentable. And anything is rentable at the right price.

Hovensa's been a little slow so far and they really drive the rental market so rentals have been moving a little slower then usual. Really be careful who you rent to, get a airtight application and lease together or let a real estate agent do it for you if you're not experienced. We have crazys here just like stateside. If you're going to be gone alot I would really recommend going with an experienced agent who can handle all the things (like maintenance, repairs, etc) that go wrong when you're gone. I would trust someone I'm paying and who has to be accountable then someone who's just renting from me. No matter how trustworthy the renter seems I would not trust them. They may be great people but you never know and how are you going to hold them accountable once they already have a lease? Not renew in a year?