Moving to Colombia: Shipping our stuff

Golfersmile wrote:

I am moving to Pereira and I would like a few leads on a nice apartment complex. I need at least 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. I would like to purchase an older single family home and renovate it. I lived briefly in Pereria 7 years ago but things have changed and gotten more expensive. If you or anyone else have information or contacts, please forward to me.

Marcus

For the purpose of this post, I presume that you mean you will buy a home in Pereira and renovate it while living in it.  Your post was not exactly clear about this -- for instance, if you are living in Manizales, per your information above, you could theoretically commute to the renovation-property.  Or, per your avatar information, you may still be in Louisiana,  USA.

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Living in an apartment while it's being renovated brings up awkward living scenarios I don't wish on Expats.  For example, water may have to be turned off during extended periods.

The challenges of speaking Spanish-as-a-second-language to a maestro and crew doing renovations are sure to be daunting .. especially as complications arise. 

Buying property in South America has all sorts of potential pitfalls.  Fixer-uppers have their own devils in the details.

Don't rush into this in a city where you have not been living, or at least not living there for years.

Even if you previously did rehabs or other property deals in North America, tread with caution in Colombia.

cccmedia in Departamento de Nariño

mtbe wrote:

I've read some post on other forums that says to don't bother shipping stuff there.  With shipping costs and Colombian import taxes, it costs just as much to buy there, so why go through the hassle?

However, one person we've spoken with says if my wife has been here more than 6 years, she may not have to pay taxes on importing things.

If in doubt, don't ship stuff from North America to South America.

Give, sell, barter or throw your N.A. stuff away .. and bring extra suitcases.

That way, you avoid the thousands upon thousands in expenses .. and the pitfalls .. detailed by posters above.

Figuring out you can save taxes on the shipping is -- as they say here -- No vale la pena -- it's really not worth it.

Expat websites are littered with the sad but true stories of Expats who got tangled in unforeseen costs, missing boxes and articles, delays and more hidden costs.

Do you really want to be worried about all the shipping nonsense during your first weeks or months in Colombia?

If it's bigger than a breadbox and can be purchased in Colombia, also ask yourself:  Do I really need to ship it?

cccmedia in Departamento de Nariño