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Thoughts on renting furnished or unfurnished.....

Last activity 11 August 2022 by colmcb

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colmcb
I just wanted to get some opinions on this. It's something I've been wondering about for a while:

When we finally make the move to the DR it will be for retirement, and for good (as far as we are planning now). We plan to rent for a few months in possibly an airbnb, until we find a long-term rental and then decide after maybe 2 years, what our long-term plans will be (build, buy an existing home, continue to rent, move to a different part of the DR, etc). So, with that being said, when we do move and we have our one-time chance of moving our personal items and car (I do plan on bringing some of our furniture but not all), what are your thoughts on renting long-term in a furnished versus an unfurnished house/condo?

The reason I've been wondering about this is - I have read many times that appliances are of better quality if bought in the states. I know not to bring high-tech items with all the computer gadgets on the fridge, washer/dryer, etc., but the overall quality. I also know that renting "unfurnished" means no appliances in the DR for the most part. And I've been told by a few people (this may/may not be true) that, when you look at rentals, if the rental is empty, there's a good chance that the electricity will also be off so there is always the possibility that some of the appliances may not be in the best working order which we wouldn't know until we are actually in there?

So, if we get the residency and then have 5 or 6 months to ship our personal items, AND we plan to stay there, isn't it best to use that shipment to bring most of the bigger items and appliances with us at that point rather than having to pay later on to buy/ship those? I could be wrong on this of course.  I love to cook and definitely want to have a great stove and fridge/freezer. I would be upset if I ended up renting somewhere that has just one burner working or a 1/2-size fridge, etc. I'm not being snooty but I would be miserable if I couldn't spend time cooking the way I like to.

Pros/cons of brining appliances on the first move are appreciated.

And, I do have one more question regarding the search for long-term rentals. I've heard "boots on the ground" more times than I can count so I know that's the way to go. However, if we're planning on looking in one of the golf communities or another gated community, how do you do that? Can you access them to just drive around and search for rentals? For example, in Cocotal or somewhere similar? Should we NOT use a local real estate agent? Just wondering....

Thank you!
Colleen
Tippj
             Yer know I thought the same thing about quality Appliances but what I found is if you buy the American company like whirlpool your pretty safe GE on some  Items stay away from the stuff made in china and Mexico
     Here’s a question what happens if you import your beautiful stuff and doesn’t fit in you temporary location and then you mentioned that you guys might want to bounce from location to location , it might be a little difficult with a moving truck attached to yer , and have you seen the way they move furniture here…lol
     Just a thought  , rent a furnished place for 6 months and when you bounce , bounce light suitcases 🧳 in hand .I always felt it was a hassle just to find a place I would like never mind big enough for a truck full of furniture and appliances……..
     Something to think about
planner
You only get one opportunity with residency to bringing your household goods take advantage of that for all the things your really want or need!

Good appliances are worth shipping. Electronics are worth shipping. Same with tools and small  kitchen appliances.

Rent short term until you know what you want. When you can take advantage of the residency shipment, do it.  While it's in process find the place you want to stay in for a year or two.

There are very good moving companies here that are very inexpensive!  Don't let a move stop you!
DominicanadaMike
@colmcb:  I sent you a private message.  Hope it helps.
colmcb
@Tippj - good points for sure. We wouldn't be bouncing around really as we're fairly set on wanting to stay near Punta Cana simply because of the golf. We've travelled all over the country and always seem to go back to that area because there are choices as far as courses go. Who knows though...maybe after a few years..... :-)

@planner - That's kind of what I've been thinking and why I asked. Yes, tools for sure. My husband wouldn't even consider leaving his tools behind and I'm the same with my kitchen appliances and items.
Tippj
I’m not saying don’t ship  your stuff , I was just suggesting to make sure you have  the place of your dream ready so you’re not paying for storage or if you guys want to try out different golf course’ community’s before buying your not moving all your stuff with yer every time , and is all your stuff going to fit into your rental unit  … most rentals I have had in the past always came with appliances …  so I wouldn’t be in a rush to bring everything now , and I’m sure the longer you wait to bring your stuff you’ll probably add more and more as you’ll see what is really needed here to make it feel more like home…little tip I bring a lot of power tools with me in checked baggage every time I come here so if you do forget something or want to upgrade something , you could always go back and get it on your next visit  …wish you nothing but the best ,
colmcb
Thanks Tippj. Yes good tip about packing things in luggage and I totally understood what you were saying so no worries. There are so many things to think about before the move. It’s so different than making the move domestically. :-)
brodies2013
My two cents:

I would rent furnished AirBnB for a month or two until you find an area and rental you think you could live with. Then furnish yourselves with purchases in DR. Most things are available and not too pricey. Stick to the brands you know. Specialty top quality appliances would need to be imported (but remember containers are now 4x-5x as expensive…so for medium quality buy in DR.) We have decent quality stainless steel that we found at Pricesmart/ corripio/ Jumbo/La Sirena (very similar to what we have in the states) AND, I’m not sure I would buy an induction cook top or fancy ‘smart’ appliances here. No one to service it reliably…plus tropical weather wreaks havoc on everything steel and electronic here
teachenglish861

@colmcb Hi there been living here full time since 2011 and have been coming here since 1999 .Please feel free to reach about anything.Currently helping over 25 people here get relocated .Best regards Steven

ddmcghee
I would definitely recommend bringing in countertop appliances that you know you're going to use (blenders, air fryers, instant pots, mixers, ice makers), but wouldn't suggest large appliances for rentals. We've found that many rentals have smaller appliances (refrigerators, cooktops) because that is all there is room for, and many do not have a place for an oven. I have seen people have to put their fridge in the living room because they had one that was too big to fit in the allocated space in the kitchen.
colmcb
So sorry for the delay in responding… thank you all for your input. You ate all so helpful and I really appreciate that. I never really thought about not having space in a rental!
brodies2013
Oh! And DO NOT get talked into long lease terms unless you have been living in a rental short term and know it has stable water and electricity ( that doesn’t break the bank) and doesn’t flood or that is in a particularly loud area… those are all things that several friends have had to deal with… and some went to court and not only had to pay the remaining lease time but the owner (lived abroad) somehow claimed emotional distress and got more money!!!
colmcb
@brodies2012 - good to know! :-)
Tippj
Now if we could only get that  owners attorney phone # ….🤔
brodies2013

@Tippj 🤪

emetz55

@colmcb I would rent furnished I decided to sell everything here and buy new.  I bought new appliances but the furniture I found some very nice used on the website Corotos. The 20' container was going to cost me over $7000.

colmcb
@emetz55 - good to hear! Yes, that container price is SO expensive!
ddmcghee

@colmcb Our actual shipping charge of a 40' container from Miami was only $2730 in October of 2020.

colmcb
Oh wow, that's quite a difference! We would be shipping from Miami as well. Did that include 2 vehicles? We plan on bringing 2 with us.

Also, I looked on the Corotos website. I never saw that before! Good resource! :-)
emetz55

@ddmcghee  I'm in Tampa and it's more than doubled since the pandemic

planner
Remember the price quoted was almost 2 years ago before most of the pandemic shipping issues had really taken hold.

That is no longer the price!
ddmcghee
Oh wow, that's quite a difference! We would be shipping from Miami as well. Did that include 2 vehicles? We plan on bringing 2 with us.

Also, I looked on the Corotos website. I never saw that before! Good resource! :-)
- @colmcb
We only brought down one car, plus our household items.

When you say two vehicles, do you mean two cars? Or a car and a moto/quad/pasola? If two cars, I would seriously reconsider that decision. The only couples I know down here with two cars are when both are working and need transportation to/from work.  If you are getting your residency and planning to apply for the partial import duty exemption, that is limited to one vehicle. If not, then it's going to be much more expensive to ship, import, register, insure, and maintain two cars. Our car insurance is actually higher here than what we were paying in the US.

planner
And double check the residency exemption applies to two vehicles  if you are planning to use it!
colmcb
@ddmcghee - Just saw your post. I was away on vacation. Yes, we are/were planning on 2 cars. Now maybe we'll rethink that though! Yes, getting residency for sure and I've actually wondered if the duty exemption limits you to one car so that's good to know. Thank you!

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