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Ship furniture or buy local?

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EmilyW
  4/18/2017 07:30 EST

I just purchased a 2BR TH in Negril. I have quite a bit of used furniture in storage here in the US. Would it be cheaper to have it shipped or to buy local? If so, what companies would you recommend for shipping?

Ello
  4/19/2017 02:05 EST

Hi , I think it's better you ship. I was in Jamaica in February and for my little home there, I thought of buying a bed , a stove and a sofa. The cheapest complete bed I could find was 97,000 Jmd which was about 850 US dollars. I was shocked because I could buy a bed in Europe for less than that. Do check out the cost of the shipping for your stuff and then compare the prices but I knew next time i rather ship things than to buy. Have a great day.

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EmilyW
  4/19/2017 19:24 EST

Thank you Ello. Great advice. I've been looking at the Courts and Singer websites and there is not a lot of variety.

Cessj
  4/20/2017 08:41 EST

Hi, definitely ship your goods over - furniture etc in JA is very, very expensive and to be honest there isn't a great deal of choice. It is possible to find some great handcarved furniture but generally I found it too heavy, ornate, and not quite to my taste. I thought that I could sell my goods in the UK and use the proceeds to replace them in JA, but the resale value just wasn't sufficient to cover the costs of buying new. Do shop around for reliable, and low cost shippers though. And good luck with the move...JA is just awesome...

EmilyW
  4/23/2017 23:40 EST

Thank you CessJ. If you know of any shippers I can research, or know anything about the process, please let me know.

jamaica2ndeals
  4/26/2017 21:39 EST

Hello,

I agree with the other posters in terms of the variety and lower cost of furniture purchased abroad. The cost of shipping may be reasonable depending on your frieght charges. Remember that there may be customs duty and wharf fees when clearing the items at customs once it gets to Jamaica.

Another option would be to check the local classified section of the newspapers in Jamaica for moving sales or furniture garage sales. You may get a bargain.

I hope that helps.

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