Shazandaz

Hi everyone this is our 1st post so please be gentle.
We have been holidaying in goa for some time now and recently took the plunge to buy a property over there,we were just wondering if any of you had any dealings in sending furniture etc etc over from England by shipping container. I think in all honesty we will or should I say the (wife) will buy all new stuff when we're over there, but we just thought we'd way up both options.
many thanks

noni

Welcome to BE. I do not have any experience of shipping furniture over to Goa. I hope you have read our Buyer Beware thread.

dreadsoc

Hi Shazandaz

Welcome to BE and the Goa forum. You will be in good company here as our embers are generally willing to help with any stuff they know. I am sure someone will have a good idea of companies to approach, although it is probably worth getting quotes from international shipping companies in the UK.
Just a question - are either of you either of Indian origin? If not please do read the Buyer Beware thread on this forum so that you are aware of some of the issues facing foreigners who have purchased property. If you have Indian origin then no problem.

One thing you may wish to consider when deciding whether to ship out furnishings etc from the UK is the climate difference. Flat pack stuff from the UK, unless made from solid treated wood, is likely to fall apart quite quickly during a standard monsoon in Goa. Ikea and Goa do not work well together !!

Where in Goa will you be based ? We have expats in all areas in Goa so it may be worth getting to know some others in the same area as you.

In the meantime feel free to ask any questions and all the very best with your plans.

Dread - x

Shazandaz

Thanks for the welcome and replys
We thought we better reply with A little background info.

My name is Darren and the wife is Sharon hence shazandaz, ( we actually met in goa at nirvana bar in holiday street,sharon says that the honey bee has a lot to answer for!!!)
I'm of Indian origin as my mother was born in Calcutta so hopefully not too many problems with the property. I say that because even with pio status I still feel like anything can happen,you all know how the Indians like to move the goal posts. The property we bought is one of acrons in emerald court at nagoa,(just up the lane from 5 ways on the calangute/mapsa road,which handy for us as my mum and her husband live in an apartment right by the rumba restaurant on the said road.(nice to be close but also far enough). I have recently had an operation on my spine so have had lots of time on my hands to read the many threads, a big thanks to you ALL as there is a lot of good quality information on there. We've bought the apartment as a holiday home at the moment as we're not lucky enough to be able to retire but we have had some thoughts about opening a mobility scooter hire shop as a way of funding our living expenses in the future,so any thoughts or comments on the subject would be appreciated. Once again thanks for the welcome and we look forward to talking or even meeting up with our fellow ex-pats in the future.

Sharon and Darren xXx
P.S. just to give you a little chuckle,we're from saaarthend as well.
The only way is Essex

chrisjolly

Hi Shaz and Daz, my advice for what its worth is to buy here and not to spend the money to ship your belongings here. There are furniture shops, electrical shops and furnishing shops so although the styles are different it is really not worth the bother of shipping things here. Good luck

johnny five

And far more important than cost;

your UK sourced soft furnishings will soak up the monsoon moisture and rot/go mouldy/ be horrible to sit in if you are here at that time.

Electrical goods(UK) will not cope (refrigeration), not be suitable to receive signal;(tv/radio), not capable of dealing with low voltage/water pressure or irrepairable ..... (all of them)

Shipping via container starts in the thousands and even if you specify "Goa-Vasco de Gama" you can still find you have to go to Bombay to do customs clearance (expensive nightmare and full of bribes)

To be honest, furniture in Goa is sh*te and very expensive, but electrical goods (only buy LG or Samsung.........but same in the UK these days if you want a decent product) are reasonably priced.

For general fittings and accessories, good stuff is available, you just have to hunt for it.

Most quality stuff comes from abroad (china), just like in the UK, difference is final retail price.


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chrisjolly

To be honest, furniture in Goa is sh*te and very expensive

In the main I would agree but there is some good furniture around, repro and Indian style, bamboo and hand made. Its all a matter of taste. I personally cannot stand the metal furniture here or the very heavy Portuguese furniture but we have found a lovely sofa, chairs and cupboards which suit our style and having come from a hard core IKEA background it was difficult.

johnny five

Love the terminology Chris.

Some people meditate, others take drugs. Some turn to booze and some choose to snooze, but we have..................Ikeyaaaaaa!

Bit sad, innit?


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Shazandaz

Thanks for the info guys, I think shaz had already made her mind up that she was going to buy new stuff in goa but you have confirmed that. By the way chris, you think your HARD CORE..... You dont have to put up with my misses,she eats,sleeps and breathes Ikea as she's a kitchen manager for them.
Ikea stuff would be the last thing on my radar!!!!

Looking forward to the new season with the super clean beaches and the new hygienic public conveniences!!!!!

chrisjolly

I dream of the day they open an IKEA in Mumbai.. I will be up and down every weekend!! I started going to IKEA in Oslo when I lived there and it was only after Conran gave up his hold on the furniture business with Habitat in the UK that IKEA was allowed in and since then we have now got IKEA in Spain where we live..one in Malaga and one in Sevilla. I bought a lovely floor lamp in Malaga and the postage was more than the lamp but it looks lovely in our apartment here...so it was worth it.
AND by the way I love the kitchens.........especially the free standing old Swedish style ones but I had better write to your wife about those.

AdrianTO

You don't have to buy new stuff in Goa. Goa is really crap and expensive for shopping, with very little variety. Take a trip to Delhi or Jaipur. A lot of the home decor and furnishing manufacturers that sell to the European market are based in those cities. You will be able to get everything from heavy furniture to bedspreads, rugs, curios etc for much cheaper than you will find in the UK or even Goa.

Bipat

Plenty of good things in Pune and a lot nearer.

a_f_d

Get a picture and dimensions of the item you want and have it made by a local carpenter - it won't be all that cheap but it will be unique and will last (teak is probably the best choice although it costs more).

AndyD 8-)₹

liveaboard

I have some really good carpenters in Moira near Mapusa; I'm a carpenter myself so I know what I'm talking about.
They did my work ON TIME and at a decent price too. It was about 10 years ago, but it's a family business and I'm sure they're still there.
I'd have to PM a map if anyone wants to find them.

prestonjohn

IKEA are opening over 20 stores in India soon.It was in The Asian Age last week. They are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the venture. The middle classes in India are on the move.