Family Move to STX - Need Recommendations!

Majority of condos do not allow pets.
Contact Tropical shipping or Crowly.
You probably won't need the lawn mower unless you rent someplace with a flat yard.
AT+T works best.
Check with Green Cay Marina.

Nobody ships from the SW to STX. You will have to ship out of Jacksonville, Port Everglades, West Palm Beach or Miami. You are going to have to have everything trucked or railed to FL.

If you think that you are going to find a house with a carport or garage here, well, good luck. Carports are extremely rare. A garage even more so.

We've seen a few single family homes with carports which is why I made the statement. much appreciated

- Will our mainland Health Insurance be accepted in STX (we'll be working virtually)?
.

Nope. And you can't buy private health insurance here.
It comes either through your employer, or you do without.

We've seen a few single family homes with carports which is why I made the statement. much appreciated

Yes, they exist. But they are rare. I get a premium renting a house with a carport.

Check with Viking Transport to get your belongings to the shipper.

Before shipping those 5 bicycles, read the thread on bikes!

AT&T first and Sprint second.

If any of your furniture is pressboard, don't bring it. Unless the office furniture is really special, there is always plenty for sale on craigslist. The attrition rate of newcomers is high so there are always good buys on furniture on CL and at house sales.

The usual credit and debit cards are accepted here with no problem but stateside cheques aren't always accepted.

Good luck with the move!

- Will our mainland Health Insurance be accepted in STX (we'll be working virtually)?
.

Nope. And you can't buy private health insurance here.
It comes either through your employer, or you do without.

Your mainland insurance MIGHT work. Check with your plan. Large employer coverage could work as long as residency isn't required in your state.

Enterprises with mobile and widely dispersed employees usually have alternatives available.

Ok, so to clarify, my family is covered by my employers Health Insurance on the mainland so that should work in VI, correct, since its through my employer?

Ok, so to clarify, my family is covered by my employers Health Insurance on the mainland so that should work in VI, correct, since its through my employer?

No, that's not correct. You need to check with the insurance company to see if you're covered in the territory.

A very good retired friend here in STT has health insurance covered from his Union Pension fund in the States - he doesn't work anymore and locally some providers will accept it but most times he has to pay cash and get reimbursed.

Call John Estelles at Blue Ocean Transport 305 428 2735. They brought a container to our house, transported it to NY, and it will be loaded into a ship on Sunday. Even if you do not need a container they may be able to help. He has been very helpful although I cannot attest to the outcome of the shipping experience as the container is still in transit. But we are in Maryland so not sure if they can provide services in your area. The Settler's Handbook for the USVA lists shippers and may also have answers to some of your other questions. I found the book invaluable. Good luck!

With Blue Ocean transport you have to pack and load, yourself.

Yes. We paid movers to load the container in Maryland and John recommended a company that will take container through customs and drive it to our STX house. Then we will also have to pay movers to move the stuff out of the containers into the house. BUT, we were able to seal the container before it left our house, and it will not be unsealed until it arrives on island. That was important to us.

Thank you, very helpful, I'm a native Washingtonian so how funny is that. Please keep me posted on what you learn during your move. Also Who you worked with to buy or rent your home. Thx

Thanks

What's been the estimateday cosy of shipping household items to stx

We are 4 miles from DC! Funny! We used Chris and Kerry Hanley in 2013 as our realtors to purchase a home in Green Cay. They were excellent and still, three years later, promptly respond to any e mails we send. We highly recommend them. Will give you outcome information re using Blue Ocean once the container arrives. Best to talk to John about costs. They made a mistake on our estimate in our favor, and John honored it.

Great, thanks

I'm just seeking a price range, not holding anyone or a company to it, just a ballpark to start my mind off in the right direction

It's hard to give you an estimated cost as most of us are not in the moving/shipping business. Suffice to say that even though you've listed the items you want to ship we have no idea how much those items weigh or room they might take up in a container. Regardless you should figure that like everything else in the Caribbean it will cost more rather than less money. Start by contacting one of the shipping companies mentioned in earlier responses and give them your list. They are the ones who can give you a ball park figure.

Good luck following your dream.

Yes, thanks. My question was more for those who have actually moved from the states to the islands that recall how much it cost them to move so that I could gather ranges. I will of course connect with a shipping company but before I do I simply wanted to get a number of ranges from others to set a bar on my end, which many do. thanks again.

Hello Everyone! 🙂

Our family is due to relocate to STX in a few months (2017). I'm really trying to jump on the ball by practically selling everything we can to make the move easier.

There's 4 of us (with our 5th - oldest- who will not live but visit from time to time). So I'm thinking to rent a 2+ BDRM Condo or Stand-alone Home w/yard. We would prefer a yard with a car port because we have a trained miniature dog and a boat that we will be bringing with us (nothing big just a 4 person fishing boat).

What We Need:
- Recommendations on companies that ship from the Southwest to STX (ports that are closer than Florida since we're not on that end of the US)

- Recommendations on costs for shipping large SUV's, a Boat, and home furnishings/boxes

- What pre-paid cell phone carriers work best on STX?

- Will our mainland Health Insurance be accepted in STX (we'll be working virtually)?

- Will our mainland Credit Union/Bank be ok to stay with and use on STX?

- Boat slips or storage rates (if we're in a condo)?

- Costs to license and operate a personal watercraft/ boat daily, yearly?

What We're Shipping:
- 4 people and 1 mini-dog by air but that's easy LOL
- Escalade Large SUV
- Fishing Boat w/ trailer
- Limited home furnishings but mainly a lot of boxes (large items may include:
1 couch
1 coffee table,
1 elliptical exercise thingy
1 office desk and chair
1 file cabinet
1 lawn mower
1 tool chest
5 bicycles
50-70 med./large boxes (e.g. kitchenware, electronics, personal items, clothes, etc)

...and any info for Family's w/kids that you may find helpful.

Ok I have a little time this morning so here goes......

Move 20 foot container from central California to STX cost about $8,000 with STX delivery and unloading.

Drive across the US with two vehicles, 5 dogs and 3 cats, lodging, meals and fuel about $3,000. Pulled a U-Haul Trailer about $500.

Shipment of animals from Miami to STX $7,000.

Shipment of Ford Excursion and Ford Explorer Trac Medley Florida to STX with all expenses was right @ $5,400.

Of course you'll have one way flights and other expenses that you will incur.

My advice is to bring as little as you can get away with( except personal things you can't live without). The container we brought you could not put another thing in, the last thing I loaded was nearly new JD lawn mover that we sold as soon as we got here! I did sell all of my tools in California and have since replaced almost all of them (I'm a Tool Whore) here.

Last piece of advice, BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand or a hole in the water that you throw money into. I owned boats all my life and after I got over the initial shock of non-ownership If feel real good!

CD