Washer & Dryer

Maybe. Depends on your property. And did you apply for Residencia? Are you using your one time allowance to bring in a house of furniture? If not you know you will pay tax and duty! A lot of it.

The complex is a new build. We are using it as a vacation property, we had spoken to the real estate agent about buying at furniture at home and shipping it down. I do not recall any mention of paying import duties. I will ask tomorrow. Thanks for replying.

BUY it here.  Shipping new stuff from home will cost the price of the items, the cost of shipping and then add at least 28% tax (can be more depending on the items like electronics) So your costs to bring stuff in will be $$$$$$$

Almost anything you need you can now buy here. This was not the case 10 years ago. We shipped an entire container when we arrived with our one time resident exemption so the tax was minimal but I would not do it that way today.

Bob K

Your real estate agent has done you a disservice by NOT telling you this.

Bob is right buy it all here!

Thank you Bob, appreciate your input.

You are welcome and good luck.  Let us know if you have other questions

Bob K

Can the appliance stores in POP and Sosua also do fridge and oven installation? Or, is that a separate process?

Depending on the store they can do it.  YOu need to ask them

Bob K

You mean delivery, almost all do that. Remember with stove you need a propane tank, regulator and tube

Most will do the set up for you as well.
Bob K

We are in an apartment/condo so the gas is already there. The unit comes with a cooktop, but we have to buy oven and fridge. The fridge, I think we can handle plugging in 😉. Stove.... probably not.

ask one of the condo maintaince guys to do it 2-300 pesos will do the trick.

Yes if the store does not install it one of the workers in the complex will be able to do it for you

Bob K

We've seen lots of nice modern energy efficient appliances around SD.  If you want a separate washer and dryer (there are those that do both) I would look for a propane run dryer...because of the electricity costs.  It would get the sheets and towels dry...but the air will automatically put moisture right back in...unless you run A/C constantly and keep all windows and doors closed...but who wants that?  We brought a dehumidifier in our checked luggage...granted that bag got stranded in Toronto while they tried to figure out what was in there thus arriving 3 days after us...BUT it did arrive.  When the weather and sun don't cooperate with laundry duties, we close up a room with the stuff hanging and run the dehumidifier!  It's our walk-in dryer...in a pinch...like the day before we have to leave and we want to clean everything!

We stupidly (back in the naïve days) brought a brand new electric dryer with us in our container 13 years ago.  We used it twice and it now sits unused in our garage.  All our stuff is dried outdoors...kind of old fashioned and we LOVE doing it that way

Bob K

Thanks for the dehumidifier hint. I was planning on using drying racks in the laundry room.. The dehumidifier will help. Our building may end up with a small common laundry area with w/d. I had not planned to get units just for our place. At least not right away.

Warning: dehumidifier is also an electrity hog...

I have to say the BEST drying is courtesy of del sol...that sun can take the musty smell out like nothing else!

Thank you. I feel like, duh! Lolol....I should have realized that. We also have ceiling fans so hopefully that will help. I figure our clothes won't be the same there anyway. Every time we pack to come over, I end up wearing the same 3 or 4 things over and over. 😎

LOL... that's why I laugh when those couples on Caribbean Life/House Hunters say things like "I need a walk in closet...this won't fit all my shoes..." What?! Realistically, they will wear nothing but flip-flops and beach wraps!

brodies2013
You are so right.  We brought way too many clothes with us.  In fact probably 2/3 or what we brought we  have never worn here.  Last weekend I filled three suitcases (large ones) with clothes and shoes that we donated.

Amazing how much your lifestyle changes here...and for the better in my opinion

Bob K

Hi everyone        Laundry questions eh!!     Ok, here's another good one to ask.   We bought our villa here 4 years ago and the villa came with a large size automatic washing machine.   We have now noticed that we continue to get 'rust' (light brown) stains on our whites after using the washing machine.   Back home, we would automatically determine that we have a high rust content in the water.  No worries.  Purchase/install a water filtration system to remove the rust.   Great for north america, but what about over here?     We've tried adding CLR to the water but to no avail.     We've also asked if there is any government or private organization where we can get our well-water tested, but we were told there is nothing available on the north side of the island.      Any recommendations??

We are also looking to replace this older top load wash machine with a extra-capacity front load automatic washing machine to be able to wash a king-size comforter.  Has anyone seen such a machine in the DR??      Thanks again everyone !!

Could be a part in the machine is rusting. Check with a pool care company, they should know of any labs. If recent,  unlikely to be your well.