# What to move and what to buy there?



## Okiegirl (Feb 18, 2017)

As I go through the process of boxing things up and looking at shipping costs, I wonder with each item if it is worth moving or would be better to buy new there. For example: everyday glasses and plates. They are heavy and expensive to move if the mover goes by the pound, they are a pain in the neck to pack, and have no sentimental value. The same goes with area rugs. They are bulky and most of mine are Bed Bath and Beyond quality and have seen some ware.

TV's and home theater equipment? Should I sell what I have for a few hundred and not risk it breaking in transit or do I move it. What about exercise equipment. My treadmill is a billion pounds but has all the bells and whistles. 

For those of you that shipped your contents there, what was worth bringing because it would have been expensive to replace? I have looked at things on some Mexican web sites like Walmart.com.mx but I end up just getting confused because I'm having to go back and forth with translations to make sure I'm comparing apples to apples. 

I don't want to mess with storage here in the States so things are finding a new home or getting on the boat. 

Thanks!


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Okiegirl said:


> As I go through the process of boxing things up and looking at shipping costs, I wonder with each item if it is worth moving or would be better to buy new there. For example: everyday glasses and plates. They are heavy and expensive to move if the mover goes by the pound, they are a pain in the neck to pack, and have no sentimental value. The same goes with area rugs. They are bulky and most of mine are Bed Bath and Beyond quality and have seen some ware.
> 
> TV's and home theater equipment? Should I sell what I have for a few hundred and not risk it breaking in transit or do I move it. What about exercise equipment. My treadmill is a billion pounds but has all the bells and whistles.
> 
> ...


For whatever my experience is worth… I moved with just what I could carry in two large suitcases. I stored a bunch of stuff and over several years reduced what was stored to a few boxes of mostly paper records that fit in a 12 passenger van. Then I moved those to Mexico in one trip in a van. Dishes, glassware, beds, tables etc were purchased in Mexico. 

Furniture in particular is pretty reasonable, either factory made modern, or custom made.


----------



## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

I rented a furnished apartment to start with, came with 2 suitcases and 2 carry ons, and the stuff I didn't get rid of is still in storage six months later. Still working on Tundragreen's van approach. 

Just about everything I had was old and retiring to mexico was a great opportunity to start over.
I bought new sheets and towels here because I didn't want to use the ones that came with the apartment. The sheets I left in storage wouldn't have been the right size if I'd brought them. 

My entire apartment is tiled. I get the impression that's standard here - Mexicans don't seem to do rugs much. That may depend on the part of mexico you move to, I dunno. No rugs is I think typical for hot climate countries. I know they don't do rugs much in Thailand, either (tile or teak there). I bought one little bathroom-type rug to put in front of the bathroom sink and that's it. I wear slippers around the house, bringing them was a lot cheaper than rugs.


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

YOu are getting some good advice, Okiegirl. Shipping stuff is hardly worth it anymore, since Mexico now has virtually everything you will need. Finding it all is one of the best ways to learn your way around, get to know the people and businesses, get advice from locals & expats, etc.
We had the advantage of having retired to a motor home first, then moved to Mexico with what we thought was very little. It was still way too much. So, bite the bullet and divest yourself of all that you can. As others have stated; rentals are often fully furnished with everything except a personal toothbrush and your clothes. Pack light....live freely.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

I agree with everything said above. We are addressing these very issues right now and the cost of hiring a move is outrageous. We are not bringing any furniture (minus a small folding table). We have a number of boxes of personal things plus my musical instrument collection and recording studio equipment. A guy from the moving company came to our house to see what we have and we were quoted $8000!! We are exploring a plan B.

Most of my instrument collection would be impossible to replace in Mexico, so that is the one thing I have to get down there one way or another. I'm currently trying to come up with a variation on what I'll call "The TundraGreen Plan" that he explained in his post above. For $8000 I could easily buy a cargo van and make a couple trips down and bring down almost everything they were going to charge us $8000 for. When done I could drive the van back to the US, sell it, and make back a good portion of what I paid for it. It would be more work for me but would save a heck of a lot of money. Plus, I could handle my instruments with kid gloves, which I doubt the movers would do.

If you don't have anything irreplaceable, bring what you can carry and buy everything in Mexico!


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

When we moved in 2001, we packed our SUV full to the roof, and filled a roof-top carrier. Then, we rented a tiny UHaul trailer for the rest. We put the trailer load into storage at Laredo, TX, and turned in the trailer. (You cannot take a rented trailer into Mexico). Upon arrival, we put our SUV load into local storage between Chapala and Ajijic, and went about buying a house. In a couple of weeks we had one and picked up our stuff at our convenience, picking up the final load from Laredo a month or two later. 
If you come down as a tourist, or residente temporal, you can do that with a US vehicle & have time to take it out of Mexico to dispose of, either within the 180 day tourist window, or before you become residente permanente in 4 years. That might allow you to make one, or more trips to the border for your instruments, etc., although there is a limit of such things if they choose to enforce it. Generally, each person is allowed and instrument. Studio equipment will probably raise a red flag at customs.


----------



## expatgal (Mar 4, 2013)

I also moved by myself in my early 60's. My move was to Germany and back to the states, next move will be to Portugal with my sister.

When I first made the move I was ruthless in my decision as to what I would keep and what I would kick to the curb.

I sold my furniture, kept clothes I knew I would wear and stored a few at my sister's.

I did take a few kitchen items I loved and used often, nothing electrical. 

I had my home broken into in the states, more than once, it broke me of keeping what I thought was sentimental.

What I wanted to keep I took over in suitcases, as much as the airlines allowed free and with charges. I made two additional round trips and again carried what I wanted in suitcases.

It becomes a burden deciding what to keep, get rid of 98% of what you own, it's freeing!
You're starting on a different path in your life, it should be liberating and fun.
You've received excellent advice from members who've also made the move.

We live in a small world, you can purchase what you love in your new home country.
Enjoy your new country and life.

You've received excellent advice from members who've also made the move.


----------



## esga (Feb 9, 2017)

RVGringo, I have gotten so much good practical advice from you I feel like I have a mentor. (and we haven't even decided yet whether to move, but if we do you will have made it a lot easier). The above makes so much sense and I might never have thought of it. We are not bringing much, but more than will fit into one SUV load (small SUV) And it's true as the OP said that we could buy a van and resell it pretty easily. So grateful for the sharing on these boards.


----------



## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Dishes, etc, don't bother. Electronics here are usually more expensive, but not outrageously so. Do bring good quality sheets and towels, they are not readily available except at Costco and pricey there. Queen beds in Mexico are 75" long, not 80, so ones from up north will be a little long, other bed sizes are pretty much the same as up north. Bring a coffee grinder if you like fresh ground, and your preferred method of coffee brewing if something other than a drip coffee machine.


----------



## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

There's a sears here in cancun, and I bought new linens there. Microfiber, very soft, but expensive. I probably paid the equivalent of the full non-sale US price. The made-in-asia towels from sears were also US prices, but have been losing a lot of lint each time they're washed, so I expect they will be threadbare in 3 years.

As I wrote above, I didn't have a choice, since I had nothing to bring that would have fit. And I needed them right away, the day I got the keys to the apartment, so I didn't have time to shop around. When you move to a new place, especially a new country, some things are going to be like that, you are going to pay a "newbie tax" in a few instances because you don't know where to go or how to avoid paying too much. Chalk it up to the cost of moving.

If you don't know what size you'll need, I think you don't want to bring anything, just plan on buying one new set here and pick up what you have that fits on your first trip back. 

It's really really hard to do a "beverly hillibillies" style move where you load up the truck with everything you're going to take and drive off and never go back. If you plan on putting stuff in storage and going back at least once you'll take a lot of pressure off yourself and it will be a lot easier to make decisions about what to take, what to store, and what to throw away before the move.

Anyway, I really like the sheets I got, even if they did cost too much. They're softer than anything I've ever had, and right now they're calling me.


----------



## Okiegirl (Feb 18, 2017)

Oh dear! This is going to be a challenge. 

I like the idea of putting my things in storage in Laredo since that would save me some miles from having to drive back up to Houston. But that would mean I would have to hire a crew twice to load and unload things. I am worried about things like art in storage. I will have to spring for a climate control space and that can be just as spendy as a whole home there. Time to do some research. Thanks all!


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

RVGRINGO said:


> When we moved in 2001, we packed our SUV full to the roof, and filled a roof-top carrier. Then, we rented a tiny UHaul trailer for the rest. We put the trailer load into storage at Laredo, TX, and turned in the trailer. (You cannot take a rented trailer into Mexico). Upon arrival, we put our SUV load into local storage between Chapala and Ajijic, and went about buying a house. In a couple of weeks we had one and picked up our stuff at our convenience, picking up the final load from Laredo a month or two later.
> If you come down as a tourist, or residente temporal, you can do that with a US vehicle & have time to take it out of Mexico to dispose of, either within the 180 day tourist window, or before you become residente permanente in 4 years. That might allow you to make one, or more trips to the border for your instruments, etc., although there is a limit of such things if they choose to enforce it. Generally, each person is allowed and instrument. Studio equipment will probably raise a red flag at customs.


I can go Permanente any time after mid May since that is when our son will be born, so I'll stay on an FMM until then - or until I complete the move, whichever comes last. If I have to do a "border run" one time, so be it.

When I moved down in 2009 I brought a lot of this same studio equipment as well as part of my instrument collection over several trips in a car. No one at the border or at the Aduana stop said anything about it. In fact, they thought I was some famous star and one guy asked for an autograph!
Even if they do charge me some kind of duties to bring it in, it is bound to be WAY less than $8000!

Or, I can go the casa de menaje route; all of this equipment is allowed in that case. The only trouble with that avenue is that it has to be done with a one time entry so I'd need a slightly bigger vehicle than a cargo van. Plus then I'd need to wait until I get my permanente.


----------



## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Circle110- FYI an FMM is not synonymous with a tourist visa, but is simply a migratory document with which INM tracks entries and exits. The second half of it serves as a 180 day tourist visa if one enters as such, but every foreigner, regardless of immigration status, fills them out.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

surabi said:


> Circle110- FYI an FMM is not synonymous with a tourist visa, but is simply a migratory document with which INM tracks entries and exits. The second half of it serves as a 180 day tourist visa if one enters as such, but every foreigner, regardless of immigration status, fills them out.


That's kind of funny - you must have missed my recent post here ranting extensively on that very topic! There is only a short list of countries requiring tourist visas for Mexico and of course, the USA isn't on that list. North Americans, Europeans and most Asians get an FMM which is classified as a permit (or as you say, a migratory document), not a visa.

I never, EVER use the word tourist with the word visa together when talking about INM, FMM regarding people from North America or Europe. In a recent post here I used the term "tourista" which is indeed the correct classification for one's "clase de condición de estancia" (which could also be residente permanente or temporal) on your FMM but I was using it more as a joking euphemism for FMM. 

In any case, I concur with what you say above and it's just funny because it's usually me going on and on about being clear on that very distinction!


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

I agree with most of the above advice. I live near Guadalajara and if you can't find what you are looking for there..........you probably don't need it. There's Home Depot, Costco, Sam's and a potful of other places to find new stuff. I'd advise buying appliances in Mexico since they're ready for the voltage here and they cost a fortune to move because of the weight.

In this area, there are a lot of consignment stores where you can buy funishings in good condition. Once people who retire to Mexico go on to the condos in the skies, their home furnishings go to the consignment store if their heirs don't want to move them NOB, and usually, they don't. Many of those furnishings are high quality and, alas, lightly used.

About floors: Many Mexican houses have tile floors. They're nice and cool in the hot months and feel good on bare feet. It's cleaner, too. There are many lovely area rugs available to add a little color in spots. If you hire an occasional house cleaner in Mexico, she'll avoid using a vacuum cleaner like the plague, but will mop up the tile floors nicely and shake out your area rugs to relocate the dust.

When my sheets need replacing, I have them shipped down from the states from closeout companies. Mexican king and queen sheets are different sizes and inclined to have too much synthetic material in them. Shipping things you can't find here is pretty hassle free once you get the system down. 

My two cents on the subject of getting rid of your "stuff" is: Don't go the garage sale route. The best method which will bring the most money is to find your local estate sale place and use them. Everything goes into their truck and it's ALL gone, down to the ash trays. Saves the humiliation of having the garage sale experience, too.

Welcome and good luck!


----------



## esga (Feb 9, 2017)

I often see advice to bring sheets because you won't find similar quality, or they will be horrendously expensive. I also often hear, don't bring mattresses. But my understanding is that Mexican mattresses are different from US sizes - hence why bring sheets that won't fit?

On the subject of mattresses: we are both reasonably tall - not very; but we certainly wouldn't want a mattress shorter than our current queen. What can you tell me about mattress sizes?


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

esga said:


> I often see advice to bring sheets because you won't find similar quality, or they will be horrendously expensive. I also often hear, don't bring mattresses. But my understanding is that Mexican mattresses are different from US sizes - hence why bring sheets that won't fit?
> 
> On the subject of mattresses: we are both reasonably tall - not very; but we certainly wouldn't want a mattress shorter than our current queen. What can you tell me about mattress sizes?


I am curious why people say to not bring a mattress. 

If our mattress fits in whatever truck we use to bring stuff down we will bring it (if it doesn't fit, oh well - we'll get rid of it). It's pretty new, expensive and we love it. It's US queen size so we plan on having a bed built since they don't sell queen size beds in Mexico. We have had all of our beds custom built anyway and we know a great place to have it built (in Dolores Hidalgo) for a very reasonable cost.


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

No problem. Import your sheets when you need them and bring the mattress you love.
In our case, we had a nearly new "sleep number" king which they don't have here (at least, not a dozen years ago) and it all deflated nicely for shipping.


----------



## RickS (Aug 6, 2009)

"I am curious why people say to not bring a mattress."

I think it is acutally a comment on cost. Mattresses are big and bulky and somewhat heavy. Those factors tend to increase the cost. But if you are bringing you stuff in your own truck and if it fits and you love it, then bring it.


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

RickS said:


> "I am curious why people say to not bring a mattress."
> 
> I think it is acutally a comment on cost. Mattresses are big and bulky and somewhat heavy. Those factors tend to increase the cost. But if you are bringing you stuff in your own truck and if it fits and you love it, then bring it.


That was my thinking too, I was just wondering if there was something else I was not seeing. 

The other problem might be the different sizing of US mattresses, but since we have our beds custom made, that won't be a problem for us either.


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

circle110 said:


> That was my thinking too, I was just wondering if there was something else I was not seeing.
> 
> The other problem might be the different sizing of US mattresses, but since we have our beds custom made, that won't be a problem for us either.


What about sheets? Can you get them custom made too?


----------



## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

If you wanted good quality cotton sheets, that kind of fabric is next to impossible to find in Mexico, regardless of whether you could find someone to custom make them for you.


----------



## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

My mattress in Mexico is a 6" thick piece of good quality foam. Actually a 4" hard foam, with a 2" softer foam on top. With a good mattress pad, the kind they sell at Costco, it is super comfortable. The foam is sold in king size bed measurements, so you could cut them down to a standard US queen size and use the rest for something else. Quality in foam refers to the density- 30 to 40 density is what you want, after that you have to check the hardness or softness of it. (the density is its spring-back factor, low density foams will squash down where they are most used). 
Mexican queen size mattresses are only 75" long, as opposed to NOB standard, which is 80".


----------



## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

TundraGreen said:


> What about sheets? Can you get them custom made too?


That's a good point. We know a seamstress so custom made wouldn't be out of the question -- barring the material quality issue but frankly, the Mexican sheets we have used for years on our "matrimonial" sized bed don't bother me at all so if we can find similar material I'd be fine. It's the mattresses that drive me nuts, not the sheets.

Actually, I will need to return to the US regularly so I could always pick up some good US sheets on one of my trips.


----------



## DebInFL (Dec 1, 2016)

RVGRINGO said:


> When we moved in 2001, we packed our SUV full to the roof, and filled a roof-top carrier. Then, we rented a tiny UHaul trailer for the rest. We put the trailer load into storage at Laredo, TX, and turned in the trailer. (You cannot take a rented trailer into Mexico). Upon arrival, we put our SUV load into local storage between Chapala and Ajijic, and went about buying a house. In a couple of weeks we had one and picked up our stuff at our convenience, picking up the final load from Laredo a month or two later.
> If you come down as a tourist, or residente temporal, you can do that with a US vehicle & have time to take it out of Mexico to dispose of, either within the 180 day tourist window, or before you become residente permanente in 4 years. That might allow you to make one, or more trips to the border for your instruments, etc., although there is a limit of such things if they choose to enforce it. Generally, each person is allowed and instrument. Studio equipment will probably raise a red flag at customs.


So if you take your car out of the country within the 180 days to sell it, do you need a new visa to get back in?


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

DebInFL said:


> So if you take your car out of the country within the 180 days to sell it, do you need a new visa to get back in?


If you are in Mexico on a 180 day tourist permit (not a visa) and you leave with your car to sell it, when you return you will receive a new 180 day tourist permit. Those permits do not work for multiple entry and exits, you get a new one every time.


----------



## Dylemma (Sep 21, 2016)

Surabi,
Where did you get your foam mattress.


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Most likely available in most other places, too, but in the lake Chapala area, there is at least one upholstery place that can get you whatever you want in foam.
Costco sells a good mattress topper which is thick foam and will make almost any bed comfortable. Not cheap but worth it IMHO.


----------



## modeeper (Mar 21, 2015)

Isn't it amazing how we humans get so attached to our "things"?
When I left Thailand in an emergency situation, I almost cried thinking about the loss of my things.
After about a week at home I was thinking, things, what things? I found most of what I had in garage sales for peanuts.

What to bring? As little as possible.

A lot of expats will go to shopping centers looking for the finer items. Nah, what you're looking for, at least in GDL, you will find in up-scale neighborhoods, in speciality shops.


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Moving your things is expensive. My advice: move only things which you're emotionally tied to: grandma's rocker, etc. Try to part from real books: they weigh a lot and movers
charge by weight. 

Furnishing a casa: Don't bring heavy appliances; you'll be better of with Mexican sold ones that are ready for the squirrely voltage. For new ones: Home Depot has everything you want. Used? Check the sales. Plenty of people move and then decide to go home to the mothership later. They sell their stuff first.

Good home furnishings: Much of every kind available in Consignment stores. Among reasons: People come here to retire. Then they die, and the heirs seldom come and have their furnishings moved NOB. They often have an estate sales person put it in their shops, since sales proceeds are much more portable.


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

They sell queen size in Mexico. I have 2 queen size beds and bought the sheets in Mexico so some one sells them. One thing they do in Mexico is sell you sets and I do not use top sheets so that is a waste of money .. Recently I found that Zara Home in Andares Mall in Guasalajara and Mexico city sells separate sheets and I bought queen size there and use the comforter covers for top sheet..

You can find Mexica and US mattresses in Mexico as well. Heck if I found them in Chiapas 10 years ago you can find them in lots of cities..


----------



## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

citlali said:


> They sell queen size in Mexico. I have 2 queen size beds and bought the sheets in Mexico so some one sells them. One thing they do in Mexico is sell you sets and I do not use top sheets so that is a waste of money .. Recently I found that Zara Home in Andares Mall in Guasalajara and Mexico city sells separate sheets and I bought queen size there and use the comforter covers for top sheet..
> 
> You can find Mexica and US mattresses in Mexico as well. Heck if I found them in Chiapas 10 years ago you can find them in lots of cities..


Citlali, what they call Queen size in Mexico is about 5" shorter and 5" narrower than standard Queen size in the US or Canada, which are 60"x 80". Don't know how it compares with Europe. Maybe NOB sizes are available somewhere in Mexico, but even Costco "queen size" mattresses here are the smaller Mexican dimensions.


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Now I have to measure my beds.. and bottom sheets..I think buying queen size is a mistake as it is more difficult to find queen size sheets, here it seems to be single beds, double bed or king size.. I heard the king size are different as well but never looked into it as I do not like them .. Matrimonial are different as well so... be it.. not something I really worry about. as long as I can find a sheet that somewhat fits I am happy.. At first I could not find the comforter covers so I made them out of king size sheets and made bottom sheets with the bottom king but now I can find sheets that fit what I have so I am fine with them..

I have found fabric to make covers in Guadaljara so no need to buy overpriced comforter covers and I can buy bottom sheets only at Zara so life is good..

Now if I could only find pillows that fit in the pillow cases I have from France...

If you are picky bring your mattress and sheets from the US and buy via internet...


----------

