Moving to the DR

Yes they are all available at about 30% higher cost than in the US for the same product.  You will have no problem outfitting the house and kitchen with many large stores including IKEA in Santo Domingo.

Bob k

Thank you for this, much appreciated. Its a bit daunting having to think about setting up home from scratch having never been there, however I am so looking forward to living in a different culture and relish in all it has to offer.

You have lots of choices of places to shop for this.  My advice - go to Santo Domingo - prices are significantly  better there!!!!

Thanks for the advice. I have been reading the advice on this forum for a few months now,you are all providing a great service. Hope to meet up with you when we get settled.
Best regards
Bev

Hi Bev,  I hope so too. I am probably the closest to you!  Always up for meeting and chatting!

That will be great. We are off to London shortly to complete our work visa documents. Then direct to Punta Cana, let the adventure begin !

Good luck on the adventure.  It can be quite the ride (and a good one for many of us)

Bob K

planner wrote:

You have lots of choices of places to shop for this.  My advice - go to Santo Domingo - prices are significantly  better there!!!!

We understand that better pricing can be had if you can get a Dominican to do it for you - there is an art to shopping in the DR.  Dominicanas married to Canadians know to not let the stores see their husbands, and  they also try to negotiate a cash price for furniture/appliances.   It can be fun....

That is absolutely  true!   Expate =  higher prices.   One strategy - shop to determine what you want. Then send a trusted local person in to  actually negotiate pricing.  That will get you the best deal in most cases.

Some stores really do not negotiate but many many do.  Ikea, Americana, PriceMart, etc do not negotiate. Americana will give you volume discounts.........

Negotiate hard - especially if you are spending a lot of money!

Thats great advise thank you all, someone did suggest that I make a trip to Miami and buy it all there and ship in a container but having never been to Miami seems a long shot.

Buying all in Miami you will lose money.  Just be careful and buy your stuff here.

Bob K

Thank you Bob for that advise. At present we are having to go through the exercise of getting a moving company in to quote on shipping our household belongings over to the DR as opposed to purchasing there,and also as none of our electrical appliances will work in the DR kt seems fruitless and I am guessing this will be costly coming from New Zealand versus the US where other work members are coming from. I do have a lot of paintings that I want to bring over, do you know if there are good framers available. Best regards.Bev

Yes to the framers here.  YOu need to take your time to find good craftsmen!    You can find almost everything you want here, no worries.

Thank you for all of your advice,looking forward to the move and meeting up for a coffee. Bev

We have had some very good artwork framed here and are happy with the job.

Meeting for a coffee would be great

Bob K

Thats fabulous,I thought there would be. We cant wait to get there,my husband was recently in Trinidad (where my Mother was from) and Jamaica, his first time in that part of the world.he loved it,the flora and fauna,the birds ( he is a Botanist) the food and the people in general, not in that order! Punta Cana wouldn't be my first choice but thats where we will be based. Hopefully we will be able to meet up with you and Planner for coffee, lunch,chat etc. Bev

If you are going to Punta Cana we won't be able to meet as we are 7 hours away on the north coast. 

Punta cana is not a real taste of the DR as it is just a large collection of resorts and almost all tourists. Very little "DR" in the area. It reminds me of the Hotel Zone in Cancun with out the local town around.  If you are looking for a DR experience to help you decide to live here or not  then Punta Cana may  not be the best choice

Bob K

But La Romana is pretty close to that area and definately  a Dominican experience.....

Hi Bob, Our offices are based in Santo Domingo and Punta Cana so will be travelling between the two pretty frequently. Punta Cana wouldnt be my first choice at all but no choice offered. 7 hours away isnt so far! In New Zealand we drive 10 hours for a party no problem !

The country looks pretty spectacular on paper so really looking forward to being there.

You will have  a great time.  But I am too old to travel 7 hours each way for a party

Bob K

I am not Bob.....LOL   

La Romana is  1 hour from Punta Cana and 1 hour 15 from Santo Domingo......

He he bring on the party!

Confused...I was sure someone just told me that I could plug in stuff from here like my laptop, maybe a toaster...SO which is true? We are coming in July for a month but hoping to make that a year or longer...Trying to purge and figure out what we can bring that's "necessary" only...do enjoy toast now and again... We are going to Las Terrenas when we go down. Man envious of the two hour flights! Our  day will start at 4:45 am and not end till 1:20pm! Have to catch a flight to NYC then from there to Las Terrenas! Its four hours on that stretch! And I DO NOT like flying....ouch!

Plug here are North American type (two pronged an sometimes with a third round ground)  Voltage is 110 so depending on where you are coming from you may need adaptors.

Bob K

I would rather say that sometimes its even between 90-115 V :-D and sometimes there is no voltage at all.
But there shouldnt be any problems with that in Las Terrenas as power is quite steady there...for that price, what would you expect... ;-)

Bob K wrote:

Plug here are North American type (two pronged an sometimes with a third round ground)  Voltage is 110 so depending on where you are coming from you may need adaptors.

Bob K

We are coming from VA and didn't find the accommodations that we chose outrageous at all...of course we didn't pick a fancy place as that's not my style...But the lady is English and her husband local and they seem quite nice.  I just need to know if need an adapter or two and if I should leave my little toaster here when the movers come...

Planner, thanks for the pic, so much nicer than that cheezy cartoon, thanks.  I have found that the many used restaurant supply places can have top brand at very good prices.   Yes , they are used, but can be in excellent condition.   If you don't know much about this type of equiptment, take along someone who does.  Heavy duty & built to last.  It is an option to consider.  Good hunting.

IF you are coming from North America - your plug in stuff will work. IF you are coming from Europe get an adapter.

Clear enough people???

Thanks Gypsy..................  I have others but to see them costs chocolate....lots and lots of chocolate.....LOL

Sorry didn't mean to upset you....don't want to get stuck wishing "I had known before I came" kind of thing...

Not at all ......

Ok on my way to the market for a chocolate run

Bob K

No problem Planner.  I have a friend in the hill above Rio San Juan. His olantation raises coffee, cacao. oranges, coconuts etc.  I shall inform him of your needs.  He processes the coffee ( Café Selecto )& the chocklate.   How many pounds will it take?

Is Chocolate produced in the DR? If yes then thats one less thing for me to have on my wish list to import.

Try making chocolate yourself This is the cacao capital! San Francisco De Macoris is #1 and Bonao #2 for cacao production. You can get it from the source.  How great is that?

Chocolate is a necessity of life kids...only takes a little bit of good chocolate every day..........  there is some good chocolate produced here, I will get some names later............ maybe same company as your friend Gypsy.

Some of the best chocolate we have had was produced here in the DR.  However it is for export only and not sold locally.  We tasted it in  Europe a couple of years ago and it was so good we bought several bars back to the DR with us for gifts and of course a few for us as well.

Pretty funny importing Dominican chocolate back to the DR.

Bob k